While serving as US Ambassador to Israel, Martin Indyk rarely if ever missed an opportunity to attack right-wing policies. His gestures and statements as ambassador showed his true colors, usually favoring policy that was not beneficial to Israel. Mr. Indyk also served as special emissary from the White House to the ongoing diplomatic process between Israel and the PA (Palestinian Authority), making life quite difficult for Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu on a regular basis.

Now, out of the public eye, during an interview with PBS Frontline, Indyk said that during the funeral for Prime Minister Yitzchak Rabin, Netanyahu told him that if he would not have been assassinated, he would have defeated him in elections.

“I remember Netanyahu saying to me: ‘Look, look at this. He’s a hero now, but if he had not been assassinated, I would have beaten him in the elections, and then he would have gone into history as a failed politician,’” stated Indyk.

“So I think even at that moment of tremendous support, a tragic moment of support for Rabin, Netanyahu was thinking, well, politically he was on the ropes before he was assassinated. “He exploited that and ran against Oslo in the elections and beat Peres, but he only beat him by something like a half of 1 percent.”

Indyk also bashed Mr. Netanyahu’s actions as opposition leader.

In response to Indyk’s comments, the Prime Minister’s Bureau on Wednesday, 25 Teves stated the statements attributed to Prime Minister Netanyahu at the Rabin funeral were never made by him, accusing the former ambassador of making it up.

See the Frontline video interview online.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)