Obama official calls Netanyahu 'chickensh-t'


In an interview with The Atlantic's Jeffrey Goldberg, a senior Obama official had some choice words for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
"The thing about Bibi is, he's a chickenshit," he said, referring to Netanyahu by his nickname. "The good thing about Netanyahu is that he's scared to launch wars," the official told Goldberg. "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."
The Obama administration is angry about Israel's settlement policies on the West Bank, according to Goldberg, who reports that Israel's government "openly expresses contempt for Obama's understanding of the Middle East" by undermining Secretary of State John Kerry's peace efforts. Relations between Obama and Netanyahu are at a record low, according to officials in both countries. It's not just Obama officials calling Israeli leaders names, either — according to Goldberg's sources, Netanyahu has "written off" the U.S. administration.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Goldberg believes remarks like these will lead to a "full-blown crisis" between the U.S. and Israel. Next year, the Palestinian Authority is reportedly seeking full recognition for Palestine from the U.N., and Goldberg speculates the Obama administration could "withdraw diplomatic cover for Israel." And Netanyahu has reportedly said that he would address the American people — rather than Obama — if an agreement about Iran's nuclear program is reached. Another official told Goldberg that Netanyahu has been a "coward" about Iran's nuclear threat, saying it is now "too late for him to do anything."
Read Goldberg's full article on U.S.-Israel relations at The Atlantic.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Meghan DeMaria is a staff writer at TheWeek.com. She has previously worked for USA Today and Marie Claire.
-
5 artfully drawn cartoons about Donald Trump's Epstein doodle
Cartoons Artists take on a mountainous legacy, creepy art, and more
-
Violent videos of Charlie Kirk’s death are renewing debate over online censorship
Talking Points Social media ‘promises unfiltered access, but without guarantees of truth and without protection from harm’
-
What led to Poland invoking NATO’s Article 4 and where could it lead?
TODAY'S BIG QUESTION After a Russian drone blitz, Warsaw’s rare move to invoke the important NATO statute has potentially moved Europe closer to continent-wide warfare
-
House posts lewd Epstein note attributed to Trump
Speed Read The estate of Jeffrey Epstein turned over the infamous 2003 birthday note from President Donald Trump
-
Supreme Court allows 'roving' race-tied ICE raids
Speed Read The court paused a federal judge's order barring agents from detaining suspected undocumented immigrants in LA based on race
-
South Korea to fetch workers detained in Georgia raid
Speed Read More than 300 South Korean workers detained in an immigration raid at a Hyundai plant will be released
-
DC sues Trump to end Guard 'occupation'
Speed Read D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb argues that the unsolicited military presence violates the law
-
RFK Jr. faces bipartisan heat in Senate hearing
Speed Read The health secretary defended his leadership amid CDC turmoil and deflected questions about the restricted availability of vaccines
-
White House defends boat strike as legal doubts mount
Speed Read Experts say there was no legal justification for killing 11 alleged drug-traffickers
-
Epstein accusers urge full file release, hint at own list
speed read A rally was organized by Reps. Ro Khanna and Thomas Massie, who are hoping to force a vote on their Epstein Files Transparency Act
-
Court hands Harvard a win in Trump funding battle
Speed Read The Trump administration was ordered to restore Harvard's $2 billion in research grants