Israel Matzav: Obama trying to promote Barak to replace Netanyahu?

Obama trying to promote Barak to replace Netanyahu?

Ben Smith passes on these analyses of Defense Minister Ehud Barak's meeting with US Secretary of Defense Robert Gates.

A plugged in source footnotes:

Maybe. But simultaneously puts US much closer to Bibi's opposition, as Barak is the head of Labor. So can be seen as another move by this administration to sideline Israel's PM.

UPDATE: Another smart source differs:

Barak is not in the opposition – he’s in Bibi’s govt and he and Bibi are working extremely well together and everyone knows that. Many Israelis these days say “Bibi and Barak are joined at the hip”.

The opposition is Kadima and Livni – if the Obami wanted to mess with Bibi’s coalition they’d send signals in that direction and they are not.

Rolling out the red carper at DOD for Barak is all about the lovefest we are in the midst of.

I'd say it's a bit of both. Ehud Barak would love to be Prime Minister again, and the Obami would find him more pliable than Netanyahu, although not as pliable as Livni. And in this country there are no friends when it comes to politics - Netanyahu and Barak have run against each other before and would run against each other again given the opportunity. And I'm sure that the Obama administration realizes that.

Israel Matzav: Obama trying to promote Barak to replace Netanyahu?