“The person who has caused the greatest strategic damage to Israel on the Iranian issue is the prime minister,” argues Meir Dagan, former head of Mossad, Israel’s top intelligence agency. Dagan has become one of Netanyahu’s more outspoken critics from within Israel’s security establishment. The ex-spy chief is no dove, but in comments Friday, he insisted that Netanyahu was alienating his country’s most important ally at exactly the wrong time.

Dagan’s argument was echoed over the weekend by a group of almost 200 retired Israeli generals and security officials, known as the Commanders for Israel’s Security.

“The American people see the rift between Israel and the U.S. administration. The Israeli public sees it, and, more importantly, the mullahs in Iran see it,” said Amiram Levin, a former deputy chief of Mossad, at a news conference. “Iran wants Netanyahu’s speech. They understand that it will weaken Israel’s bipartisan bond with the United States.”

– Read more: The case against Netanyahu’s speech to Congress – Ishaan Tharoor/The Washington Post