The senior White House official who called Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a chickens–t is only the last American official to fling a barb towards Israel. According to journalist Jeffery Goldberg, the Obama administration has frequently jabbed Israeli leadership for its perceived cowardliness. Specifically, the administration is displeased because the Netanyahu-led government announced settlements in the West Bank, possibly undermining John Kerry’s hoped-for legacy of forging a peace deal. Netanyahu announced those projects to possibly win more favor for a re-election bid, and Obama officials are in a “red-hot anger” over it. Pot, meet kettle. “There is a crisis with the Americans and it has to be treated like a crisis,” the Finance Minister for Israel, Yair Lapid, wrote. “Relations with the U.S. are critical and important to Israel, and everything must be done to resolve the crisis and restore good ties.” This tiff comes at a critical time, when the West is working on a nuclear deal with Iran. Unfortunately, Barack Obama seems determined to damage the U.S.-Israel relationship permanently. More…