JERUSALEM (AP) — Israelis from across the political spectrum reacted angrily Monday to the news of an initial deal between the U.S. and Iran, calling it a disaster for Israel and directing their fury at one man: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.As of early Monday evening, Netanyahu had yet to release a statement about the deal between the U.S. and Iran that extend their tenuous ceasefire and lead to the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. But other Israeli government officials, rivals, politicians and commentators were quick to criticize the deal, marking a sort of informal referendum on the premier’s tenure ahead of elections this fall.They have also underscored Netanyahu’s deepening isolation — at home, in the region and, increasingly, from the United States.Critics say the prime minister led President Donald Trump into the war with Iran while overpromising what it could achieve, and Trump now might be dragging Israel out of the conflict before it feels ready. They say Netanyahu misjudged Trump’s appetite for a protracted conflict, was outflanked by Iran in negotiations and grew increasingly sidelined by the region’s other major players.
“Israel is paying the price of Netanyahu’s hubris and blindness, and the price of the manipulations that he tried to pull on Trump,” former Prime Minister and Netanyahu rival Ehud Barak said in an interview with Israel’s public broadcaster Monday. “Iran emerged stronger; Israel emerged weaker. That is Netanyahu’s strategic responsibility. He failed.”
