Israel's PM criticised as "a wavering and weak leader" THE former head of Israel's internal security service has said prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu was a wavering and weak leader, in an unusually personal condemnation of the right-winger, who enjoys a strong lead in polls ahead of the 22 January election. Yuval Diskin, who retired as Shin Bet chief in 2011, last year warned that Mr Netanyahu sought a "messianic" war with Iran. His new criticism was potentially more potent given that Shin Bet duties include vetting civil servants" psychological fitness for security posts, though there was no indication Mr Diskin was citing any official assessment of the prime minister. "At play inside Netanyahu, in my opinion, is a mix of ideology, a deep sense that he is a prince of a "royal family" from the Jerusalem elite, alongside insecurity and a deep fear of taking responsibility," Mr Diskin said in a front-page interview published by Israel's biggest-selling daily, Yedioth Ahronoth. Ridiculing what he deemed Netanyahu's "zig-zag" style in decision-making, Mr Diskin added that the prime minister "has no strong core, no tough kernel about which you can say, "Know what? In an extreme situation, in a crisis situation, I can follow him. I can trust him."" Yedioth, which has often editorialised against Mr Netanyahu, published a response by the prime minister's office dismissing Mr Diskin's remarks as "fatuous." The statement accused Mr Diskin of being motivated by politics and resentment at not having been chosen to head the Mossad spy service when he left Shin Bet. A Diskin confidant, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed that he had sought the Mossad post, but argued that the former Shin Bet chief saw in it the opportunity "to ensure the right decisions are made on national security." Topping these concerns is the Iranian nuclear programme, in which Israel sees a mortal threat and against which Mr Netanyahu has threatened military strikes.