Times of London
For a head of government to visit the White House and not pose for photographers is rare. For a key ally to be left to his own devices while the President withdraws to have dinner in private was, until this week, unheard of. Yet that is how Binyamin Netanyahu was treated by President Obama on Tuesday night, according to Israeli reports on a trip viewed in Jerusalem as a humiliation.
After failing to extract a written promise of concessions on settlements, Mr Obama walked out of his meeting with Mr Netanyahu but invited him to stay at the White House, consult with advisers and “let me know if there is anything new”, a US congressman, who spoke to the Prime Minister, said. [...]
For a head of government to visit the White House and not pose for photographers is rare. For a key ally to be left to his own devices while the President withdraws to have dinner in private was, until this week, unheard of. Yet that is how Binyamin Netanyahu was treated by President Obama on Tuesday night, according to Israeli reports on a trip viewed in Jerusalem as a humiliation.
After failing to extract a written promise of concessions on settlements, Mr Obama walked out of his meeting with Mr Netanyahu but invited him to stay at the White House, consult with advisers and “let me know if there is anything new”, a US congressman, who spoke to the Prime Minister, said. [...]
Did you ever wonder what today's Jewish leftist bloggers, for whom Saint Obama can do no wrong and who is certainly NOT anti-Israel, would have been writing had blogs been around in the 1940's?
ReplyDeleteI wonder if, in their devotion to FDR, the Obama of their day, they would have written about how his turning back of the St Louis and his refusal to bomb Auschwitz were perfectly justified and not to listen to those scare mongers who were talking about concentration camps?
Whilst we should use this as political capital - and Obama is disrespecting all of America's allies, including England - whilst sucking up to dictators like Gaddaffi and Chavez ...
ReplyDeleteThere is a lesson to be learned - unfortunately, the Israeli bad manners has been on government level. Danon, disrespected the Turkish ambassador - by putting him on a low chair, and not posting the Turkish flag during a meeting. If that is the way Israel conducts diplomacy, then sadly it will come back to them.
The Torah tells us regularly that there is a link between military/political success and Torah observance. Even many otherwise righteous kings kept thei high places, and this led to foreign subjugation, and exile.
Many years ago, Bib was interviewed on TV, and asked what Israel would do without US support ($). His answer was an arrogant "we are a people who survive on our wits"
This may be the secular zionist perception, but not the T'NaKh perception.
We are a peopel who survive by G-d's promise and protection. We do not merit the Land for our righteousness, or even our intelligence.
The interesting twist is this: logically speaking, Israel would not have survived the last 60 years without Divine protection. I tried this arguemnt once with a secular Israeli who agreed with me.
Poor poor Netanyahu.
ReplyDeleteObama's point was that he got away with it.
ReplyDeleteAn American president has never been more insulting and rude to a foreign head of state.
AND HE GOT AWAY WITH IT!
No protest from congressmen, or political commentators, or even from the Israeli embassy. Very simple reason why, and this was Obama's main point: Israel doesn't have any more political capital.
Obama was teasing Netanyahu davka to show how weak our country is in the world today. Unless we pull out some serious pressure very fast, well, it's going to look like he's right.
I am no big fan of Netanyahu, but Eddie is blaming the victim.
ReplyDeleteSome people need to realize that a dignified world leader, the head of a country, cannot humiliate himself to the glee of hordes of other nations who want to see him beg and grovel (many of whom want to see his nation destroyed as well). This is not befitting ANY nation's leader, let alone that of the holy Jewish nation. For a leader to behave in such a way is a disgrace to that leader's nation, and it is a sign to the rest of the world that "We will be stepped on and we will allow it, readily." This is outrageous. Those who call for this message to be sent "or else" (fill in the blank) are similarly outrageous.
If we take all of these events on face value and assume it has happened exactly as reported publically, Bibi has not done anything outlandish or disrespectful in this entire affair. He has merely stated the position of his government, tried purposely not to step on toes and even regretted/apologized when something was erroneously perceived that way, and he has upheld his conviction to a particular stance on a particular issue (building in Jerusalem), which as Bibi himself points out, is no different than any Israeli PM since 1967. That Obama wants him to change this position, to beg, to grovel, and to subjugate himself... is not Bibi's concern, and it is not our concern. We do not have an obligation to suit the whims and fancy of every world dictator and head of state that wishes to see the Jews squirm. Bibi has already caved on the issues of Fakestinian state and a building freeze in Judea and Samaria. Is a foreign country's state dept now going to take over the leadership of Israel and Bibi is commanded to concede on every issue to the whims of that foreign nation?
In the end, Bibi has behaved with self-respect on the issue of Jerusalem, he has maintained his dignity and rightful standing as a world leader (being that he is the prime minister of the Jewish country), and in the end, this is a kiddush Hashem, and we the Jews win out from this. Not only will other nations feel less inclined to stomp on us and try their own hand at humiliating us, they will respect us more for our maintaining dignity (and our world leader certainly reflects on us whether we like it or not - and do not get me wrong, I am certainly no big fan of Bibi in normal circumstances), and the elected officials of the sovereign nation called Israel can continue according to the will of its voters rather than an outsider who wishes to dictate and supercede any notions of boundary. Or at least according to the will of its own nation's politicians, and not those of another country.
If roles were reversed, and it was suggested that Obama MUST accede to some outlandish demands of Saudi Arabia, the entire world would cry foul, including those who currently fear-monger with threats about the "dependence" on American goodwill that can't be violated and therefore is cause to humiliate oneself.