Binyamin Netanyahu 'chickenshit', say US officials in explosive interview

[umbertino]

Quotes from senior Obama administration figures damn Israeli prime minister over stance on settlements and peace with Palestinians

 

 

• Peter Beaumont in Jerusalem
•  
• theguardian.com, Wednesday 29 October 2014 14.58 GMT

 

 

US relations with Israel have plunged to new depths of bitterness and hostility as senior officials in the Obama administration decried Binyamin Netanyahu as a “chickenshit prime minister”, “coward” and a man more interested in his own political survival than peace.

 

The furious assessment delivered in anonymous but no-holds barred comments in an interview with the American journalist Jeffrey Goldberg in the Atlantic underline a state of anger with Netanyahu that is characterised as “red hot”.

 

The remarks are particularly telling in having been made to Goldberg, a Washington insider who has interviewed both Obama and Netanyahu, and who warned US-Israeli relations were in a “full-blown crisis” that could only get worse after the midterm elections.

 

Speaking to the Israeli parliament – the Knesset – a few hours after the comments were revealed, Netanyahu angrily insisted he was “under attack simply for defending Israel”, adding that he “cherished” Israel’s relationship with the US.

 

“When there are pressures on Israel to concede its security, the easiest thing to do is to concede,” he said. “You get a round of applause, ceremonies on grassy knolls, and then come the missiles and the tunnels.”

 

The Obama officials’ comments underline the dismal state of relations between the Obama administration and Netanyahu after a series of damaging announcements by Israel – including again this week – regarding its determination to push ahead with settlement building in occupied East Jerusalem and the West Bank.

 

The temperature of relations plunged again last week when Israel’s defence minister, Moshe Yaalon, was pointedly snubbed by senior administration officials during a visit last week to Washington, which itself followed a public warning from the White House that Israel risked alienating its “closest allies”.

 

Despite the deepening frustration in Washington, Netanyahu continued to hit back over the latest settlement announcement, saying US criticism was “detached from reality”, even on the eve of the publication of the latest remarks.

 

“The thing about Bibi is, he’s a chickenshit,” said one official quoted in the Atlantic. “The good thing about Netanyahu is that he’s scared to launch wars. The bad thing about him is that he won’t do anything to reach an accommodation with the Palestinians or with the Sunni Arab states.

 

“The only thing he’s interested in is protecting himself from political defeat. He’s not [Yitzhak] Rabin, he’s not [Ariel] Sharon, he’s certainly no [Menachem] Begin. He’s got no guts.”

 

In a more diplomatic and public statement on the recent settlement announcements, the US national security council spokesman Alistair Baskey insisted the US would continue to criticise Israel.

 

“There are times when we disagree with actions of the Israeli government and we must raise our concerns, such as our concerns about Israel’s settlement policy,” he said. “We raise these concerns as a partner who is deeply concerned about Israel’s future and wants to see Israel living side by side in peace and security with its neighbours.”

 

In comments designed to further sting Netanyahu, who has expended huge diplomatic effort on attempting to derail any deal with Iran over its nuclear programme, another official suggested the White House no longer believed Netanyahu would launch a pre-emptive strike on Iran to prevent it obtaining nuclear weapons.

 

“It’s too late for him to do anything,” the official said. “Two, three years ago, this was a possibility. But ultimately he couldn’t bring himself to pull the trigger. It was a combination of our pressure and his own unwillingness to do anything dramatic. Now it’s too late.”

 

A White House spokesman sought to distance the administration from the remarks, insisting they were “inappropriate and counter-productive”, adding Netanyahu and Obama have “forged an effective partnership”.

 

The comments are the latest in a series of high-profile spats between Washington and Netanyahu’s government. Relations began their sharp decline when defence minister Yaalon accused the US secretary of state, John Kerry, of being “obsessive and messianic” in his pursuit of a peace deal between Israelis and Palestinians. Later, in off-the-record remarks, Kerry warned that Israeli risked becoming “an apartheid state”.

 

On Wednesday Netanyahu told the Knesset: “I am not prepared to make concessions that will endanger our state. Understand, our national interests, topped by security and the unity of Jerusalem, are not what top the interests of those anonymous forces attacking us, and me personally. I am under attack simply because I am defending the State of Israel. If I didn’t stand firm on our national interests, I would not be under attack.

 

“I respect and cherish the deep connection with the United States. Since the establishment of the state, we’ve had our arguments and then some. We have seen time after time, year and year, support rising among the American public. The strategic alliance between the stances is continuing and will continue.”

 

Responding to the remarks in the Atlantic late on Tuesday night, Israel’s far-right economics minister, Naftali Bennett, used his Facebook page to call for Washington to renounce the comments: “If what was written [in The Atlantic] is true, then it appears the current administration plans to throw Israel under the bus.

 

“The prime minister is not a private person but the leader of the Jewish state and the whole Jewish world. Such severe insults towards the prime minister of Israel are hurtful to millions of Israeli citizens and Jews all over the world.

 

“Instead of attacking Israel and forcing it to accept suicidal terms, it should be strengthened. I call on the US administration to renounce these coarse comments and to reject them outright.”

 

 

 

Binyamin Netanyahu is condemned by Obama administration officials in an interview for the Atlantic. Photograph: Amir Cohen/Reuters

 

 

 

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/oct/29/binyamin-netanyahu-a-chickenshit-say-us-officials-in-explosive-interview

 

[DinarThug]

And Yet The Democrats Continue To Get The Jewish Votes !

[MyLadiesDaddy]

I'm certain that intelligent people know who is the real chickenshite.

PRAY FOR REVIVAL EVERYDAY

another day closer

[gymrat76541]

What politican is NOT looking out for his own interest?

If I lived in a country surrounded enemies; including the Palestinians who are lead by a terrorist organization, I'd be harsh in my views on peace too!

Israel is an ally of the USA! Are the Palestinians?

[ronscarpa]

It's simply amazing to me that this administration shows such disdain for the only true democracy in the Middle East, and for it's strong and reliable Prime Minister. Israel is our "Only" real ally, yet we have chosen to support those who hate us and want to destroy the USA. I would be thrilled to have Netanyahu as our leader, instead of our pretender puppet.   Thanks for this exposing article Umbertino...(+1)..!

[DinarMillionaire]

What should one expect from the U.S. Muslim President? He has proven over & over that he will "stand with the Muslims, when the political winds shift." No surprise here.

[Sentinel7]

And Yet The Democrats Continue To Get The Jewish Votes !

:D

American Jews are not Jewish they have been infected by the virus

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu should consider any insult that comes from the virus a badge of honor an affirmation of righteousness.

For out of the mouths of the virus comes lies and the deceit and when they insult you it only shows their fear of truth

Rejoice Netanyahu Satan and his zombies hate and fear you and your words.

Understand that no one in the Democratic party is qualified to stand on the same ground that you do

 

I see the Obama zombie who uttered the words refuses to come out and say they stand behind what they said

Typical of the Democratic party isn’t it hide in the shadows behind their king afraid of the light.

 

 

                                         No Surrender No Retreat and No Compromise    

[Deb45]

I completely agree with everything above. I've said for years I would love for Netanyahu to be pres of the US. If only. Right now we have a whole WH full of chickensh*ts.

[Whatshername]

I completely agree with everything above. I've said for years I would love for Netanyahu to be pres of the US. If only. Right now we have a whole WH full of chickensh*ts.

Right on Deb! Maybe all of DC is nothing more than a filthy, festering pile of chickensh*t! We need a complete and thorough purge!

[Nadita]

Right on Deb! Maybe all of DC is nothing more than a filthy, festering pile of chickensh*t! We need a complete and thorough purge!

 

We need one like Abadi  quiet, calculated and not easily swayed and has a big heart for his people and the country

[chess]

I know of many conservative Jews that truly hate the Dems and ESPECIALLY despise our rat-bastard-in-chief!!

There are some older generation Jews that still hang onto the staid liberal agenda.

[tkeaton]

The cry-babies in O's administration don't know what to do when confronted with a real leader so they just call him names. The effort of the Obama administration to destroy Israel in the way they're dismantling the US will fail. Israel has a REAL leader—one that actually loves his nation and its people and knows how to fight FOR them rather than against them.

[sheltagar]

Who tried to destroy the uss libery ship?isreal isnt ur friend.

Theyve murdered Thousands of palestinian children

[MyLadiesDaddy]

Just love Christians that don't know right and wrong.