If we needed any further evidence that President Obama has it in for PM Netanyahu — in a very special way, with a bitterness that he doesn’t express toward Vladimir Putin or Ali Khamenei — his administration’s behavior in connection with Netanyahu’s planned speech before Congress should provide it.
After White House officials said that the president was “furious” that he had received a “slap in the face” from Netanyahu when he accepted an invitation from Speaker Boehner “behind his back” it turns out that the White House was informed of the invitation before Netanyahu accepted it.
Michael Doran, in a fascinating and horrifying piece about Obama’s tilt toward Iran, writes that
Netanyahu accepted the invitation without first consulting the White House, which reacted in a storm of indignation, describing the move as an egregious break in protocol and an insult to the president. Instead of trying to paper over the disagreement, Obama has done everything in his power to advertise it. In making his personal rift with Netanyahu the subject of intense public debate, the White House means to direct attention away from the strategic rift between them—and from the fact that the entire Israeli elite, regardless of political orientation, as well as much of the U.S. Congress, regards the president’s conciliatory approach to Iran as profoundly misguided.
The White House outrage is manufactured, just as it was when an Israeli official announced that the housing authority was planning to permit apartments to be built in a Jewish neighborhood of eastern Jerusalem during a visit by Joe Biden in March of 2010. And how can we forget the phony contention that Israel was getting weapons from the Pentagon ‘behind the backs’ of the White House and State Department during last summer’s Gaza war?
The administration, it seems, can’t resist playing the ‘uppity Jew’ card whenever Israel doesn’t jump to attention as a good satellite should.
Netanyahu’s domestic opponents, too stupid (or more likely too cynical) to see that it plays into the hands of the administration, have been happy to chime in and say that Netanyahu is going to America as a pre-election stunt, and that he is sacrificing relations with the US for his own political advantage. This is precisely the what the administration would like Americans — including members of Congress — to think, so that they will not pay too much attention to what Netanyahu will say, which is that a nuclear Iran is a threat to the US and others as much as it it to Israel.
Netanyahu argues that the US is on the verge of making a very “bad deal” with Iran that will leave it a “breakout state” that can field a nuclear weapon in a matter of months. Such weapons in the hands of an expansionist nation which is the world’s greatest sponsor of terrorism would be disastrous, even if it didn’t intend (incidentally) to destroy Israel.
As Netanyahu will certainly say, this is a matter too important to be pushed aside for political reasons. And it is by no means certain that his visit to the US will help him at home, since the opposition has attacked him aggressively over this (their next biggest ‘issue’ is an alleged scandal about recycled glass bottles).
At this point, I think everyone knows that the malignant narcissist in the White House hates everyone other than himself and a very small circle of friends, but he does have a special hatred for Israel and the Jewish people. It has been obvious for a long time that he has no brain and no heart, and no scruples in throwing anyone who gets in his way under the bus. Israel is interfering with his love affair with Islam. Not only does he seem to want to see Islam overtake the world, but he hates everyone who would oppose that goal. He hates you, he hates us, he hates everyone, and he won’t be happy until he destroys us all. Of course that won’t happen. Israel will never fall or cease to be. I am looking forward to Netanyahu’s speech. If you think Obumbles is mad now, just wait. He will pitch an epic tantrum. We are getting very close to seeing a meltdown that can’t be contained. Even his most ardent supporters have to see that his attitudes about Israel go beyond those of a committed leftist: he hates her and he wants her destroyed.
Obama is one part of it. But the attacks on Netanyahu that come from so many sides, on so many different issues are for me the major concern.
The phony ‘Zionists’ who hate Hatikvah, who advocate refusal of service in Tsahal, who dream of handing over more territory to those who hate us and would destroy us- these are the ones who truly irritate me.
Netanyahu has become the symbol of Israel as a Jewish state capable of defending itself against its great variety of enemies.
Obama is a major danger but an even greater one is a possible coming to power of a Leftist- defeatist Israeli government.
Victor Davis Hanson recently noted the anniversary of the death of Winston Churchill by remarking that England had fought the Nazi scourge the longest and under the most dire circumstances of any of the Allies, primarily under Churchill’s urging and leadership. As marvelous an example of how leadership moves a nation, of how a martial vigor takes the place of pure opportunism and the desire simply to escape the responsibility that external danger imposes, the corollary is equally as true: A leader that actively debilitates military strength, shuns the duty to protect and does not inspire the citizenry to a larger cause, brings calamity inward.
We are all, apparently, along for the ride with the current commander of the ship of state, who bids to take us onto the rocks. The deck bells are sounding, the pundits are crying from the crow’s nest, officers are scampering along the deck and a giddy pilot pulls the wheel toward the greatest danger.
How did we elect such a leader? It is not in the average American’s DNA to despise the Jews and Israel this way. Several of the Founders read Hebrew, identified the enterprise of our country with the biblical Israelites. Where was this despicable outlook secreted away in our neighborhoods and cities and schools and local governments so that the American people could actually choose to promote a nondescript community organizer to the Presidency? Twice!
You had it right the first time Vic with regards to Bibi’s domestic opponents…..too stupid.
I just wish it was only their stupidity we had to deal with, as it is much more insidious…..outright self-hatred as Jews, which as potential future leaders (G-d forbid) is so much more dangerous that simple stupidity.