Haaretz correspondent Barak Ravid reports today that an “atmosphere of permanent crisis has surrounded” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s bureau since he took office:
Netanyahu appears to be suffering from confusion and paranoia. He is convinced that the media are after him, that his aides are leaking information against him and that the American administration wants him out of office. Two months after his visit to Washington, he is still finding it difficult to communicate normally with the White House. To appreciate the depth of his paranoia, it is enough to hear how he refers to Rahm Emanuel and David Axelrod, Obama’s senior aides: as “self-hating Jews.”
The story also paints a dismal picture of infighting and rancor among the Israeli premier’s aides.
“Behind closed doors, Netanyahu’s coalition partners — including Defense Minister Ehud Barak and Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman — have also expressed shock at his behavior,” concludes Ravid. “One senior minister told an aide that he is finding it very difficult to work with the premier. ‘He drives us mad,’ the minister said. ‘Every minute things change, and I am constantly busy doing maintenance on Netanyahu.'”
