Just days before Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu set off for an important meeting with US President Barack Obama, when it seemed there was no way to further aggravate the foul relationship between the White House and the prime minister’s office, the name of Ran Baratz popped up. Baratz, a conservative Israeli journalist, was appointed last week as the head of Israel’s public diplomacy campaign in the prime minister’s office, a position that effectively makes him Israel’s national spokesman. It took just seconds for a collection of his learned opinions on the issues of the day to begin making the rounds of the Israeli media. He likened Obama to the “modern face of anti-Semitism” and suggested that Secretary of State John Kerry take up a career as a standup comic. The only consolation for senior American officials was that this was nothing compared to his comments about Israeli President Reuven Rivlin (“I think he could be sent in a paraglider to the Syrian Golan [Heights] controlled by [the Islamic State]”).

As could only be expected, the appointment set off a scandal, which reached its climax in a blunt statement by US Vice President Joe Biden to the Union for Reform Judaism meeting in Florida on Nov. 8. He said, “There is no excuse, there should be no tolerance for any member or employee of the Israeli administration referring to the president of the United States in derogatory terms. Period. Period. Period.”

Netanyahu, who is an internationally acclaimed expert in creating international embarrassments, decided to leave Baratz in Israel instead of including him on the trip to Washington. On the other hand, Netanyahu did not announce that he was withdrawing the appointment or even reconsidering it. A political fight over Baratz’ appointment is already brewing in the Likud, while to the right of the Likud, HaBayit HaYehudi is adding fuel to the fire. Its leader, Education Minister Naftali Bennett, insisted that only Israel can decide who its national spokesperson should be.

Just a few years ago, an incident like this would have been over in half an hour. All it would have taken was the slightest hint from Washington to show Baratz the door. But Netanyahu shifted this balance of power. No matter how upset the president was, he sent a new ambassador who was persona non grata in Washington. Then he declared war on Obama over the Iran nuclear deal, refusing to put his guns down even when the battle was lost. Now he is going to Washington after a highly publicized yearlong disconnect from the most powerful man in the world, without even withdrawing the appointment of someone who ridiculed him.