Special to WorldTribune.com

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama was said to be preparing to end diplomatic support for Israel by 2015, according to a leading U.S. journalist.

The journalist, who enjoys close ties to the White House, said the United States would reduce cooperation and relations with Israel after midterm elections for Congress in November 2014.

Writing for Atlantic magazine, the journalist, Jeffrey Goldberg, said Obama was expected to end U.S. support for Israel at the United Nations.

The Atlantic report was published amid daily criticism of Israel by the State Department. The State Department, which warned of an international backlash, has condemned Israeli reports that Netanyahu could approve the construction of 1,000 housing units in Jerusalem.

“Israel’s leaders have said they would support a pathway to a two-state solution, but moving forward with this type of action would be incompatible with the pursuit of peace, and that is certainly a message that we are conveying directly,” State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said on Oct. 27.

“The relationship between these two administrations — dual guarantors of the putatively ‘unbreakable’ bond between the U.S. and Israel — is now the worst it’s ever been, and it stands to get significantly worse after the November midterm elections,” Goldberg wrote.

In the Oct. 28 report,  Goldberg said relations between Israel and the United States were moving toward a “full-blown crisis.” Goldberg cited feuds between the two countries over a Palestinian state and a nuclear deal with Iran.

Goldberg, a former Israeli journalist, has been used to report personal attacks by Obama and senior aides on the Israeli leadership. Earlier, Goldberg wrote that Obama has ended expectations of a better relationship with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the main target of abuse by the White House.

The next confrontation between Israel and the United States was expected to be over a Western nuclear agreement with Iran. The White House has indicated that such an accord could be reached after the congressional elections.

“By next year, the Obama administration may actually withdraw diplomatic cover for Israel at the United Nations, but even before that, both sides are expecting a showdown over Iran, should an agreement be reached about the future of its nuclear program,” Goldberg wrote in an analysis titled “The Crisis in U.S.-Israel Relations Is Officially Here.”

On Oct. 29, the Wall Street Journal, quoting U.S. officials, said Washington was working with Iran on a range of regional issues. The newspaper said the cooperation also led to a softening of the U.S. stance toward Iran’s proxies, including Hamas and Hizbullah.

“The shift could drastically alter the balance of power in the region, and risks alienating key U.S. allies such as Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates who are central to the coalition fighting Islamic State,” the Wall Street Journal said.

Over the last three months, the administration has intensified criticism of the Netanyahu government while insisting that defense relations were strong. In August 2014, the White House suspended weapons deliveries to Israel amid its war with Hamas.

  Jeffrey Goldberg, President Obama seen curtailing support for Israel after midterm elections, WorldTribune.com