Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's attitude toward the Obama administration is causing Israel strategic damage, in the view of a senior Israeli diplomat in Boston, Channel 10 television reported yesterday.

Consul General Nadav Tamir's reported comment is a rare internal rebuke, highlighting the growing tension between Washington and Jerusalem.

Tamir is a highly regarded veteran diplomat whose opinions on foreign policy matters carry considerable weight.

Such blunt, pointed criticism of a prime minister's policies by a professional diplomat is considered unusual.

In an internal memo addressed to the Foreign Ministry in Jerusalem, Tamir wrote that the public spat with the United States over the issue of a settlement freeze has alienated a significant number of American Jewish supporters, Channel 10 reported.

"There are political elements in America and Israel who oppose Obama on ideological grounds and are ready to sacrifice the special relationship between the two countries for the sake of their own political agendas," he wrote.

While Israel and America have long disagreed over the settlements, "there was always a measure of coordination between the governments," Tamir continued.

"Nowadays, there is a sense in the United States that Obama is being forced to deal with obduracy from the governments of Iran, North Korea, and Israel."

"The administration is making an effort to play down the disagreements, and we are the ones who are actually making the differences public," Tamir added.

Tamir also accused Netanyahu of endangering American Jewish backing for Israel by publicly sparring with Obama administration's over the construction of Jewish housing in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

A spokesperson for Netanyahu said Tamir's comments were not worthy of comment. A senior associate of the prime minister said that "this is an unprofessional document ... reflecting the writer's personal political views. It's a pity that an Israeli diplomat should launch an attack like this on Israel's policy and try to cause deliberate damage."

The consulate in Boston said the memorandum was an internal Foreign Ministry document that was not for the media's consumption.

Several Foreign Ministry sources described Tamir as "highly intelligent," but others said he was too "ivory tower."