How Stupid Is Netanyahu?

Netanyahu
Israel Prime Minister

Netanyahu, prime minister of Israel is scheduled to visit Washington, again; he will meet Mr. Obama to discuss a wide range of issues but mainly Israel’s security and the need to advance a two-state solution between Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories. To date, Mr. Netanyahu is probably the most stupid and the most disrespectful head of state alive, roaming the face of this planet. Although he has the Republican Party as his accomplice, it is never acceptable under any circumstance for any foreign government to meddle in US internal affairs. Have Americans not been so obsessed with Israel as the birthplace of Christ, Israel would have been added to America’s enemy list. Then again, maybe not; Republican led Congress is so full of hatred for Obama its members are willing to hand over the international policy of the United States to a foreign entity. It started a while ago.

When Obama assumed the presidency of the United States, he made it clear his administration will be pursuing a policy of engagement with various players in the Middle East and even included plan for a resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. That didn’t sit well with Netanyahu. In regards to the conflict between Israel and the Palestine, Washington’s position has always been the same, to let Israel and the Palestine work out the details for a permanent solution with US as the broker (or the mediator). Israel has no intention to make that happen; US has no qualm with the status quo.

Needless to point out there is never a resolution to the conflicts; Israel has been mostly to blame. However, Obama’s determination to implement “his policy for the Middle East” proves he is different from previous administrations; Obama went on a trip to Egypt where in Cairo on June 4, 2009 (just a few months after assuming the presidency) he delivered a message which sent a clear signal he wasn’t giving lip service in regards to his policy for the region. Netanyahu immediately interpreted that as a threat to the status quo regarding Israel’s conflicts with the Palestine.

Since then, Mr. Netanyahu has been working diligently against Obama, against US interests. His distaste for Obama finally surfaced in 2012 when Obama bid for a second term as president. Netanyahu sided with Obama’s opponent Mitt Romney and wished for a Romney’s victory. Don’t take my word for it; Israel National News publication quoted Tzipi Livni, Israel Opposition Head, asking Netanyahu to stop meddling in US politics. According to a March 5, 2012 article published, Ms Livni said “Netanyahu is wrong to meddle in the U.S.’s internal politics… For the first time in a long time, Israel is a partisan issue in the U.S. election, and that is a mistake.” Even the people of Israel recognized Netanyahu crossed the line – by meddling in US politics – and yet the elected Republican Representatives in our country didn’t have the decency to figure out the same but worst they encouraged it, they facilitated it. It must have been nail-biting for Mr. Netanyahu to wait for the US presidential election results. It must have been awkward for Mr. Netanyahu to pick up the phone to congratulate Mr. Obama on his victory.

Yes, I said it and I’ll say it again, Netanyahu is probably the most stupid and the most disrespectful head of state alive. It didn’t matter that the Republicans are against everything Obama; it didn’t matter what they might have promised Mr. Netanyahu; it didn’t matter even if it were a sure bet that Romney could be elected president, no foreign government should meddle in US politics. It is disrespectful; it is an insult not simply to the sitting president but also to the country. Israel is an ally, not a state of the United States. Allies are much like neighbors you can rely on for help and can rely on you for same. You would not let a neighbor run your own house and dictate how you should raise your children, would you? Mr. Netanyahu is the prime minister of Israel, not an official of the US government.

As if he didn’t learn any lesson from the presidential election results – his horse of choice, Mitt Romney lost to Obama – Mr. Netanyahu came to Washington ( invited by John Boehner without any consultation with the White House, another blatant insult to the presidency) and on March 3, 2015 delivered a speech to the Houses (mostly a Republican audience) against an impending agreement US and five other nations were crafting to curb Iran Nuclear Weapon program. As I pointed out before, it is within Mr. Netanyahu’s purview to be against the Nuclear Agreement but it is not acceptable for him (or any foreign government) to come into our shores to dictate how we should conduct our business, much less would you accept a neighbor come in your house to dictate how you should raise your children.

However enticing it must have been to have received the Speaker of the House’s invite to express his disapproval regarding the Nuclear deal, Mr. Netanyahu should have been smart enough to foresee the danger of meddling in US internal politics. It really doesn’t take a genius to figure that out; a simple reversal of the table would provide the answer. Whoever are advising Mr. Netanyahu should either be fired or sent back to Diplomacy School; they suck. Israel Prime Minister speech against the Iran Nuclear deal to an overly crowded Republican audience was meant to sway Representatives in Washington to vote against the agreement and override the President. To a great extent, Mr. Netanyahu succeeded with the Republicans, all of whom voted against the agreement but fortunately – I emphasize fortunately – most Democrats sided with the President.

Here is why it is fortunate the Democrats didn’t vote against the Nuclear Deal with Iran; it would have been wrong to do so, not because it’s a great deal (this is not to imply it’s bad either), not because Republicans are wrong in their assessment (this is not to imply they’re right either) but because it is terribly wrong to invite a foreign government into our shores to influence our politics (however wrong our policies may be). Think of the repercussion! Not only have we set a precedent which says it’s okay to invite foreign government to speak against the sitting president – it’s immoral; it undermines our political system; it’s beyond partisanship; it undermines the presidency – but we are also okay with foreign influence in our internal affairs. Today it’s Netanyahu; who is tomorrow?

On November 9, 2015, Mr. Netanyahu will be back on US soil; this time, he will be in Washington to meet with president Obama. It will be awkward moments for Mr. Netanyahu; at least, it should be; once again, his horse – the Republican Party – lost to Obama with regards to the Iran Nuclear Deal agreement. How stupid can a head of state be to constantly meddle in US affairs? Well. Netanyahu will be in Washington not only to get better educated about the Iran deal but also to get re-assurance US has Israel’s back; when has it ever not be the case?

Despite Obama’s willingness to change the status quo in US policy vis-a-vis the Middle East, in regards to the Israeli-Palestino conflicts, Israel has always had US backing no matter what, irrespective of the political party in the White House; the reasons are as simple as they are complex a) US is a Christian nation whose belief that Jesus was born at Bethlehem in Israel makes it near impossible for any president to sever relationship with Israel – without some serious damage to his/her political career – b) for geo-political reasons, US government cannot afford to lose Israel as an ally. That of course is because there has not been any strategy put in place. Netanyahu may have made the calculation that it’s too early for any US president (including Obama) to consider a change of course in its relation with Israel, good for Israel of course but a big disadvantage for US in regards to the Middle East. In other words, as of this writing (it’s been for quite a few decades now), Israel holds all the cards which may explain Netanyahu’s obnoxious and insulting behavior towards the president (without any objection or push back from the Republicans) and also why we, the taxpayers, have to foot up three billion dollars ($3 billion with a B) gift (labeled Aid) to Israel every goddamn year, no question asked. In return, we have someone like Netanyahu who, at every turn, opposes and insults our president publicly and devalues the office of the presidency; boy have we gotten a great deal!

If I didn’t know any better, I would think Israel is a state adjacent to Washington, DC and Netanyahu is the governor of that state. According to jewishvirtuallibrary.org website, Israel has been receiving aid from US since 1949 (Israel’s birth year); as of 2014, total aid Israel has received from US taxpayers is $121 billion (with a B); other aids such as loans, loan guarantees, grants are not included in those figures. Clearly, the prime minister of Israel (whoever s/he happens to be) owes a great deal of respect to our president (whichever party he belongs to) and a great deal of gratitude to the American people. One must not bite the hand that feeds but Netanyahu has no qualm doing just that. How stupid must he be?

As the November 9, 2015 date is approaching, it is hopeful Mr. Netanyahu has wisened up; the previous attempts to meddle in US affairs, the previous attempts to pit the Republican Party against the Democrat’s should have not even thought of, let alone acted on. It is very shameful that the Republicans’ deep seated hatred for Obama clouded their judgement, preventing them from shielding the office of the presidency of an attack by a foreign entity; it is equally shameful Netanyahu’s advisors couldn’t see past “the tips of their noses” to warn him of the danger of meddling in US internal political debates. Netanyahu did come across as the most stupid and disrespectful head of state when he injected himself into US affairs.

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