Jerusalem—Jeffrey Goldberg reported last week that former defense secretary Robert Gates thinks that Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu is “ungrateful” for all that Washington has done for Israel. The purpose of the story, leaked by senior administration officials, is to blame Netanyahu for the rift in U.S.-Israel relations.

Gates was well suited to deliver that message. First, he was a holdover from the previous—Republican—and famously Israel-friendly administration. Moreover, in the Obama White House, he was seen as the keystone of an enhanced security and military relationship with Jerusalem, providing the Israelis with “access to top- quality weapons, assistance developing missile-defense systems, high-level intelligence sharing.” So if Gates has a problem with Israel, it can only be Netanyahu’s fault.