Caught up in a tug of war between Avigdor Lieberman and Bibi Netayahu over who would become Israel’s new ambassador to London, Uzi Arad resigned in a huff as Netanyahu’s national security advisor. Lieberman bridled at Arad’s nomination for the post being shoved down his throat. Netanyahu refused to force the issue. And just like that, the former senior Mossad agent is gone from the prime minister’s office.
Frankly, I’m slightly shocked at the tone deaf nature of the nomination of Arad to the London post considering the English government’s anger that the Mossad cloned several passports of British nationals as part of the al-Mabouh hit in Dubai. Naming as new ambassador the very agent responsible for the Larry Franklin-Aipac spying scandal seemed a bit over the top.
Arad, during the Bush administration was even persona non grata and unwelcome in this country because of his role in this matter. All that changed when Bibi named him to his post and apparently the Obama administration didn’t wish to make a big stink over the matter. He was welcomed back to the White House and accompanied his boss to meetings there. I guess Arad has friends like Dennis Ross in high places.
Just to add to what you already wrote about Arad, the man is the Israeli government equivalent of footballer Dennis Wise, on whom Alex Ferguson once said that he could start a row in an empty room.
The man once thought that Bibi suspected him of “leaking” sensitive information so he went and took a private lie detector test on which he wrote down the questions himself. He then had the temerity to try to get the state to pay for it until grudgingly footing the bill himself when the story broke.
It’s a shame that he won’t be going to London, having him there would provide an endless stream of embarrassments (and moments of pure fun), but I have to admit that for the first time, Lieberman made the right choice.
RE: “I guess Arad has friends like Dennis Ross in high places.”
MY COMMENT: Yes, Dennis Ross is Israel’s “fixer” in Washington. Along with Haim Saban.
Arad just got liberman-ed.
This is precious.
Omyg-d, now I have to thank Lieberman. Close shave, Britain! Uzi ‘Dr Strangelove’ Arad is also the guy who said:
“I don’t think that one has to go that far because at the end of the day, I don’t think the majority of Israelis want to see themselves responsible for the Palestinians. We do not want to control the Palestinian population. It’s unnecessary. What we do want is to care for our borders, for the Jewish settlements and for areas which are unpopulated and to have our security interests served well. But also to take under our responsibility these populations which, believe me, are not the most productive on earth, would become a burden. We want to relieve ourselves of the burden of the Palestinian populations – not territories. It is territory we want to preserve, but populations we want to rid ourselves of.”
Here, at about 8:30 –
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6sXp_WGdr58&feature=player_embedded