5 Israeli ex-ambs urge Netanyahu to quit speech

Of 6 former Israeli ambassadors to US interviewed, 5 believe Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's trip to Washington will damage US relations as well as his own standing in the upcoming elections.

"You can take us out of the United States, but you can't take the United States out of us," says Itamar Rabinovich; and the other five interviewees – all of whom, like Rabinovich, served in the past as Israeli ambassadors in Washington.

Moshe Arens, the senior member of the group, was in the US in the early 1980s; Moshe Arad served in Washington in the late 1980s; Rabinovich did his stint during the course of the talks with the PA; Danny Ayalon went to America at the beginning of the 21st century; Sallai Meridor worked as ambassador to the U.S. from 2006 to 2009; and Michael Oren replaced him and returned to Israel in 2013.

Two additional ambassadors, David Ivry and Zalman Shoval, declined to be interviewed.

They're from the left, right and center; they were appointed by prime ministers from across the political spectrum; and some were appointed by a Labor prime minister and ended their terms in office under a Likud government.

The ambassadors have told Israeli media that Netanyahu would rather quit the trip in order to keep Israeli ties with the US from damages and also rescue his election standing.