Peter Beinart is a long-time friend of the Dish and author of the critically needed book, The Crisis of Zionism, which I defended here, here and here. Read his latest writing at Open Zion where he recently noted the mounting rift between Netanyahu and Defense Minister Ehud Barak, as it relates to the US election:

A key part of the Obama campaign’s reelection strategy with Jewish voters (and donors), as I noted in my book, has been to find Israeli officials willing to vouch for Obama’s pro-Israel credentials. Barak has played along beautifully, telling Wolf Blitzer this summer that “this administration under President Obama is doing in regard to our security more than anything that I can remember in the past.” And now Barak has gone further: holding a private meeting two weeks with Rahm Emanuel—a man Bibi has long distrusted and feared—about which the prime minister was never informed.

Netanyahu is reportedly furious. But he has no one to blame but himself. When he decided to bed down with the GOP this election season, he should have first made sure that no one else in his government was sleeping with the other side.

Watch Peter’s previous videos here and here. “Ask Anything” archive here.