While he is officially still the head of the opposition, Binyamin Netanyahu is also the prime minister designate, and as such, he does have some responsibilities and a modicum of clout.

The interview that Netanyahu granted to the Washington Post is being disseminated to Israeli diplomatic facilities around the world to provide members of the diplomatic corps with ammunition to respond to various governments regarding the policies of the incoming administration.

The interview arms diplomats around the globe with statements and quotes from the incoming leader, permitting them to disqualify much of the hearsay being associated with fears of the new government, not in a small part the result of the public statements made by Netanyahu’s opponents in Israel who understand the democratic system as valid only when they register a win.

(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)