'Gates lashed out, called Netanyahu an ungrateful ally'

'Bloomberg' column details former US defense secretary's feelings that Netanyahu was "impudent," unable to cope with growing Israeli isolation.

Talkbacks (2)

Former US defense secretary Robert Gates lashed out Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, calling him an ungrateful ally and blaming him for diplomatically isolating Israel and hurting American interests, according to a Tuesday column.

The criticism, which was revealed in a Bloomberg column by Jeffrey Goldberg, apparently peaked after Netanyahu met with US President Barack Obama last March, lecturing him on the Israeli security situation with a level of "impudence" that shocked many in the White House, including Secretary of State Hilary Clinton.



Gates felt that while the US had laid out "many steps" to "guarantee Israel's security - access to top- quality weapons, assistance developing missile-defense systems and high-level intelligence sharing," the US received little in return, "particularly in regards to the peace process," the column said.

The column added that Gates's opinions were met with little resistance in Washington, and that his dislike of the prime minister ran deep. Netanyahu had apparently peeved Gates before, condescendingly lecturing him "on the possible dangers posed to Israel by such sales, as well as by Turkey and other regional US allies," despite Gates's assurance that such sales were carried out with "consultation with Israel and pro-Israel members of Congress."

The former defense secretary allegedly told the US president himself that Netanyahu "is not only ungrateful, but also endangering his country by refusing to grapple with Israel’s growing isolation and with the demographic challenges it faces if it keeps control of the West Bank."

The criticism of Netanyahu, and growing resentment of him in the White House, came just weeks before the US may come to Israel's aid once more, using its veto at the UN Security Council when the Palestinian Authority petitions for statehood recognition at the international body. In light of this, the column warned, the US may oppose the Palestinian statehood bid "in spite of Netanyahu, [and] not to help him."

Meanwhile, US Ambassador Dan Shapiro, who gave his first public address in Israel Monday since his arrival two months ago, emphasized America’s ongoing commitment to Israel’s security and said that Obama had expanded that commitment to an unprecedented level.

American security aid to Israel, excluding expenditure on the Iron Dome battery, this year amounted to $3 billion and will increase by $1.1 billion in the coming year, he said. He noted that Obama had pushed this through despite America’s economic constraints.

Greer Fay Cashman contributed to this report.