Obama's Victory Spells Trouble For Israel's Netanyahu

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faces an even
more awkward time with Washington and re-energized
critics at home who accused him on Wednesday of backing
the loser in the U.S. presidential election.
With Iran topping his conservative agenda, Netanyahu will
have to contend with a strengthened second-term Democratic
president after four years of frosty dealings with Barack
Obama and a rift over how to curb Tehran's nuclear program.
Facing his own re-election battle in January, polls give
Netanyahu little chance of losing but perceptions that he has
mishandled Israel's main ally have been seized on by
opponents.
"I will continue to work with President Obama to ensure the
interests that are vital for the security of Israel's citizens,"
Netanyahu said in a short, congratulatory statement hailing
what he called strong strategic relations with Washington.
But in remarks underscoring a rift with the United States
over possible Israeli military action against Iran, Netanyahu
said in an interview broadcast on Israel's Channel 2 this
week: "If there is no other way to stop Iran, Israel is ready to
act."
Relations between Netanyahu and Obama hit a new low two
months ago after the Israeli leader said nations which failed
to set "red lines" for Iran - which denies seeking atomic arms
- did not have the "moral right" to stop Israel from attacking.
Such comments, along with financial backing for Republican
candidate Mitt Romney from a U.S. casino magnate who is
also one of Netanyahu's biggest supporters, were seized upon
by critics as evidence the Israeli leader was trying to
undermine Obama.
Netanyahu denied he was interfering in U.S. politics.
But former Israeli ambassador to Washington, Sallai
Meridor, suggested that Obama would not easily forget that
Netanyahu had created a perception that Israel wanted
Romney to defeat him.
Obama is "very strategic, very disciplined", Meridor said
during a panel discussion on the U.S. election at the Institute
for National Security Studies in Tel Aviv.
"But I don't think we can just assume that what happened
between them over past four years will have just
evaporated," he said. "When people fight for their political
life and have the perception that their partner is trying to
undermine their chances, it's not going to disappear."
One of the Israeli prime minister's own leading coalition
allies, Eli Yishai of the religious Shas party, said simply: "It's
not a very good morning for Netanyahu."
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victory-spells-trouble-for-israels-netanyahu