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Asked on the night of September 11, 2001 what the terrorist attacks
meant for U.S.-Israel relations, Benjamin Netanyahu, the then former
prime minister, tactlessly but accurately replied, “It’s very good.” And
on the day after WikiLeaks’ publication of U.S. diplomatic cables,
Netanyahu “strode” into a press conference at the Israeli Journalists
Association, looking “undoubtedly delighted” with the group’s latest
embarrassment of U.S. President Barack Obama.

“Thanks to WikiLeaks,” Aluf Benn wrote in Haaretz, “there is now no
fear Washington will exert heavy pressure on Israel to freeze settlement
construction or to accelerate negotiations on a withdrawal from the
territories.” Instead, also courtesy of WikiLeaks, the world’s attention
had been shifted exactly where a “vindicated” Netanyahu wanted it –
toward Iran’s non-existent nuclear weapons programme.

“Our region has been hostage to a narrative that is the result of 60
years of propaganda, which paints Israel as the greatest threat,”
Netanyahu told the assembled journalists. “In reality leaders understand
that that view is bankrupt. For the first time in history there is
agreement that Iran is the threat.” While there is considerable dispute
about the extent to which... >>>