PM’s new media czar criticized Netanyahu himself in 2014 post

Benjamin Netanyahu’s newly tapped media adviser criticized the prime minister himself in a post published on social media last year, adding to derogatory posts about US President Barack Obama, Secretary of State John Kerry, and President Reuven Rivlin that have landed him in hot water.

According to a Channel 2 report, Dr. Ran Baratz, who was appointed Wednesday as the PM’s new media czar — pending cabinet approval — wrote in a March 2014 post that “Netanyahu [of 2014] is maybe, possibly, vaguely starting to resemble someone like the Netanyahu of 1996.” The implication was that a weak Netanyahu was finally beginning to reassert himself.

Baratz was referring to Netanyahu’s first win as PM — on a separate ballot for the first time in Israeli history — when he beat Shimon Peres by a margin of less than one percent of the total votes cast. Israel at the time was in the midst of a wave of deadly suicide bombings and Netanyahu was seen as a strong alternative to the dovish Peres. In the months leading up to elections, Netanyahu led an intensive campaign promising to crack down on terror, with numerous media appearances and interviews.

In the post last year, Baratz also praised Netanyahu for “embracing his public side” by giving media interviews and holding press conferences.

At the time, the PM had been widely criticized for not having granted interviews or held press conferences with Israeli media for more than a year. That soon changed, leading to Baratz’s apparent praise.

“Nothing stresses out the Left more than a Netanyahu who is maybe, possibly, vaguely starting to resemble someone like the shadow of his 1996 self,” Baratz wrote.

Baratz came under fire this week for past posts criticizing Rivlin, Obama and Kerry, which emerged almost as soon as he was tapped for his new role. In one such message, he referred to the US president as anti-Semitic. He also called Rivlin a “marginal figure” and published several posts mocking him, and described Kerry as having the mental abilities of a 12-year-old child.

Amid the scandal, Baratz apologized for his past remarks on Thursday, but not before Netanyahu distanced himself from the “unacceptable” remarks.

“Those posts are totally unacceptable and in no way reflect my positions or the policies of the government of Israel,” Netanyahu said.

The prime minister noted that Baratz had apologized for his remarks and said he would discuss the issue when he returned from his visit to the US next week. He stopped short of announcing that he was freezing the appointment.

The White House also addressed the issue on Thursday with spokesman Josh Earnest saying the apology from Baratz was “warranted,” but that it was ultimately up to Netanyahu who he worked with and who he surrounded himself with.

Netanyahu is set to meet Obama in Washington on Monday for the first time in a year.