MK Eitan Cabel (Labor) blamed Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu for the White House's cold shoulder towards him Wednesday, after it stated that Netanyahu's invitation to speak to Congress was a breach of protocol.
"Bibi [Netanyahu's nickname - ed.] call for surveys, and in his usual fashion he reacts hysterically and ran to organize to get himself invited to speak in Washington," Cabel said.
"Unfortunately, the era of Netanyahu is ending, and in this condition even Congress could not help him," he continued. "This trip, made apparently without coordination with the White House, could further damage the already troubled relations with the administration of Bibi."
"However, for Netanyahu it has never been a problem to sacrifice the vital interests of Israel for a photo-op," he added.
The White House's acerbic response to the invitation seems to stem from a disconnect not between Netanyahu and US President Barack Obama, but between the Obama Administration and the remainder of Capitol Hill.
While it was House speaker John Boehner who announced Netanyahu's invitation to speak, calling the prime minister "a friend," White House press secretary John Earnest responded coldly to the invite.
"We haven't heard from the Israelis directly about the trip at all," Earnest said. "The typical protocol would suggest that the leader of a country would contact the leader of another country when he is traveling there... So this particular event seems to be a departure from that protocol."
The White House added it would "reserve judgment" on any possible meeting between US President Barack Obama and Netanyahu for now. The Obama administration, Earnest said, would want to hear about plans for the trip and Netanyahu's message "before we have a decision to make about any meeting."