Here's a conspiracy theory. And I don't claim to believe it. But let's give it a spin.
Why pick a fight with Israel at the end of the term?
That's not to say that Obama doesn't have plenty of motivation to hate the Jewish State and injure it as he heads out the door. But the high level pushback seems badly timed as it ends up playing into Trump's hands and poisoning Obama's last days in office as he leaves amid international quarrels.
But what would the media be talking about in internal affairs if it wasn't reporting on Obama's spats with Israel and Russia? Topics that Obama has made certain will dominate the news cycle.
They would be talking about Syria. They might delve into the fact that Obama's smart power meant standing back and allowing Iran and Turkey to carve up Syria. That Russia got its way and humiliated him utterly in Syria. That the outcome makes his claims to foreign policy acumen appear absurd.
And indeed some media types were discussing just that.
So the topic had to be changed. And it was.
Israel is always a useful scapegoat. And Americans have only so much attention span when it comes to foreign policy coverage. A high profile fight with Israel pushes Syria out of the headlines. Even wonks end up being sucked into the news cycle.
Mission accomplished.