Netanyahu Loves Public Clashes With White House: Former British Diplomat

Israeli prime minister was likely pleased about the negotiations because it bolstered his support in Israel.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu benefited politically when he was able to reject the latest ceasefire deal that was proposed by Egypt and Qatar and accepted by Hamas.

Axios reported that there has been some tension because Israel was unhappy that the U.S. kept Israel in the dark during the negotiations, which Washington rejected.

Alastair Crooke, the former British diplomat, told Andrew Napolitano’s “Judging Freedom” that the peace deal could have ended the Netanyahu government, which is a coalition of extremists.

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He said exiting Gaza without an invasion in Rafah could bring on new elections in Israel.

He said sometimes negotiations have “reverse consequences” thought you did not anticipate, but he believes these negotiations made Netanyahu “much more determined, much more hard set in his view,” which suits him perfectly.

“Netanyahu, during the period of the Obama administration in Washington, was adept at blaming everything on [U.S. President Barack] Obama, and he went to war against him,” fighting the White House on the ground over the Iran Nuclear Agreement.

“And every time he thought President Obama, every time he fought him, what happened? His polls went up in Israel. He got more popular and powerful. And he does feel that he has huge power in the United States as the consequence of this, perhaps more power than even the White House.”

He said Netanyahu was likely pleased about the negotiations because it bolstered his support in Israel.

“Who’s preventing our victory? Who’s stopping us from getting rid of Hamas? Well it's not me, I want to do this. But who doesn’t want this, it’s the White House.”