Tom Friedman: "This has also left the U.S. government fed up with Israels leadership but a hostage to its ineptitude, because the powerful pro-Israel lobby in an election season can force the administration to defend Israel at the U.N., even when it knows Israel is pursuing policies not in its own interest or Americas...."Now do you believe Mersheimer and Walt? Times, September 18And Friedman concludes: ..."Unfortunately, Israel today does not have a leader or a cabinet for such subtle diplomacy. One can only hope that the Israeli people will recognize this before this government plunges Israel into deeper global isolation and drags America along with it."Now do you believe me?UPDATE: Stephen Walt comments on Tom Friedman's Sunday op-ed; here is Walt's conclusion: "The elephant has been in the room for a long time, but now it has the spotlights on it and it's wearing a pink bikini too. It's hard to miss, in short, which is surely why Tom Friedman wrote what he did." Headline: "Well, Duh..."MORE UPDATE: A blow-by-blow account of the Obama-Netanyahu relationship giving details on Obama's efforts to back Netanyahu. Bottom line: With a friend like Netanyahu, Obama doesn't need any enemies. New York Magazine.