... Netanyahu is no fool. Chickenshit or not, unlike Yaalon he is considered smart and intelligent. So what is he doing? There is method in his madness.

Netanyahu grew up in the US. When his father was boycotted by Israeli academia, which refused to take him seriously as a historian, the family moved to a suburb of Philadelphia. He prides himself on having an intimate knowledge of the US. What is he thinking about?

He knows that Israel controls the US Congress. No American politician could possibly be reelected if he voiced even the slightest hint of criticism of the Jewish State. AIPAC, the most powerful lobby in Washington (apart from the National Rifle Association) will see to that. The powerful grip the Jewish lobby has on the media is a further guarantee.

In Netanyahu's view, in any confrontation between Congress and the White House over Israel, the president is bound to lose. So there is nothing to be afraid of.

Netanyahu, in fact is playing roulette with all the capital of Israel in the vast casino called the US. Perhaps he has been infected by his mentor and protector, the Casino Czar Sheldon Adelson, who has a hand in conducting Israeli policy in the US.

In order to appreciate the magnitude of Netanyahu's gamble, with us as chips, one has to visualize the state of the union. The US is now a dysfunctional democracy.

In a normal democracy -- say the UK or Germany -- there are two central parties, or party coalitions, which face each other. They are both mainstream and the differences between them are minor. They succeed each other from time to time without much ado. The citizens hardly notice. Not in the US. Not anymore.

The American public is now deeply divided between two camps, which hate each other from the bottom of their hearts (if they have any). This hatred is abysmal. One is the party of the ultra-rich, who defend their privileges, the other belongs to the moderately wealthy and serves their interests.

The ideologies of the two camps are diametrically opposed. Therefore, they cannot agree practically on anything.

The Republicans, who control Congress (and may do so even more firmly in a few days time) are out to immobilize the administration. Once they even stopped all federal payments, making the running of the state impossible. A consistent joint foreign policy is out of the question. I am not sure that the situation on the eve of the great Civil War was much worse. Into this crazy situation Netanyahu has plunged. He has placed all his chips (us) on the Republicans.

During the last presidential elections, he almost openly supported Mitt Romney, the opponent of Obama, thus practically declaring war on the present administration. The radical anti-Obama statements made now by Israeli leaders are used -- and designed to be used -- by Republican candidates against their Democratic opponents.

The Democrats make strenuous efforts to woo Jewish voters and donors by flattering Israel in the most outrageous terms, promising to support each and every action of the Israeli government, now and for all eternity, be it what it may. Inadvertently, they stick knives into the back of the Israeli peace forces, making the fight for peace even more Herculean. But even if the mid-term elections make the House and the Senate even more subservient to the Israeli right-wing, Obama will be around for two more years. In a way, having no more elections to fear, he will be freer than before to obstruct Netanyahu.

I wish he would. But I do not entertain too much hope. Even as a lame duck, he will still have to consider the interests of the next Democratic candidate for the White House.

Obama could still do a lot for peace between Israel and Palestine, a peace supported by the entire pro-American Arab bloc -- something clearly in the US national interest, not to mention ours. For that, courage is needed. And -- yes -- a little more Obsessive Messianism.