Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has learned his lesson from the previous US presidential election campaign. This time, he is trying to maintain a neutral facade regarding the bloody battle between presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump. Israeli Ambassador to the United States Ron Dermer received instructions to keep his distance from controversial territory, and Netanyahu instructed his people to be discreet. They are not to externalize the silent prayers emitting from the prime minister's chambers in Jerusalem for the defeat of the Democratic candidate. Clinton is the last person who Netanyahu wants to see in the White House — even less than President Barack Obama.
On Sept. 9, Netanyahu had a small "slip" that betrayed a fraction of his real emotions: In an English-language public relations clip that was disseminated on the internet, Netanyahu spoke about the Israeli settlements in Judea and Samaria and said that the casting of settlements as an obstacle for peace is "perplexing." He compared the presence of the Jewish settlers in the West Bank to the presence of "nearly 2 million Arabs living inside of Israel."
