Israel has accused the US Ambassador to Turkey and the American special envoy to Syria, Tom Barrack, of ‘defending Turkey’s interests’.
The Israeli news site Walla reported on Tuesday that a senior Israeli official said Tel Aviv is deeply concerned about Barrack’s statements.
The official said: ‘Barrack acts as if he is Turkey’s ambassador, and as such he is negatively affecting events in the Middle East.’
He added that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sees Barrack as ‘someone acting with hostility towards Israel,’ noting that he ‘is overly influenced by Turkish interests in Syria and behaves like an ambassador serving Ankara’s interests.’
The report also referred to comments Barrack made recently in Doha, Qatar, where he said: ‘Israel can claim that it’s a democracy, but in this region, what has worked best — whether you like it or not — is a benevolent monarchy.’
The report noted that Israel is investing in pro-Israel figures around US President Donald Trump, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and US Ambassador to the United Nations, Mike Waltz.