Israeli officials are, as is so often the case these days, furious at the US for what they say is an attempt to undermine their push for a war against Iran, with a number of officials taking shots at Gen. Martin Dempsey for yesterday saying he did not want the US “complicit” in such an attack.

The term “complicit” enraged a number of officials, who say that the word has “criminal connotations,” while Vice Premier Moshe Ya’alon bashed the US, accusing them of “undermining” the repeated Israeli threats to attack.

Ya’alon said he believed the US comments, which on occasion are less than enthusiastic endorsement for the attack on Iran, are “in part responsible” for Iran believing Israel’s threats are not credible, and also condemned UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon for visiting Iran to attend the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) summit in Tehran.

Israeli analysts predicted Dempsey’s comments might encourage Israel to attack unilaterally, by convincing them that the Obama Administration is unlikely to follow through on its own repeated threats to attack Iran.