Benjamin Netanyahu with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, September 27, 2012. Source: US State Dept
by Frank LoBuono
The United States will never allow Israel to fall. Never. Israel, despite Bibi’s claims, will never have to stand alone. Never. Israel is too important an ally to America and Jewish culture is too much a part of our own to allow that to happen. So, who was Mr. Netanyahu really preaching to? Or, was it just another grandstanding stunt from a master politician? We’ll see when the ISRAELI elections happen in a few weeks. Perhaps, President Obama should travel there and present HIS plan for future settlements in Israel.
Beyond the flaws or merits of Mr. Netanyahu’s speech (and I believe that there were many more flaws than merits), the very idea was corrupt from the beginning. Although invited by Speaker of the House John Boehner, the Prime Minister should have never accepted the invitation. With the Israeli elections just weeks away, he KNEW that by accepting the invitation he would be breaking with accepted protocol. US Presidents simply DO NOT meet with foreign leaders so close to elections in that leader’s country. None – regardless of the country. Why? For the most logical AND American of reasons: it maintains a level of neutrality that shows respect for the sovereignty of any other nation. And, much to his discredit, Speaker Boehner knew that as well.
Respect is certainly something President Obama expected from, and should have been shown by Mr. Netanyahu and Mr. Boehner.
However, “Bibi” saw his message as bigger than all that. He was so damned sure that he was right that his speech seriously undercut the delicate negotiations currently underway between the US and Iran. In fact, even as the PM was speaking, our Secretary of State, John Kerry, was deeply within the process with his Iranian counterparts. These talks have been ongoing and have reached a critical stage. Both Mr. Kerry and President Obama have assured the American people that they are doing everything within their power to reach an equitable solution to the question of Iran’s nuclear capabilities. This is the role of government and involves a certain level of trust. However, OUR Republican Congress decided to side with the leader of a foreign power, one with the most vested of interests, rather than our own President and government. I found that despicable and a classic case of this obstructionist Congress doing EVERYTHING within its power to thwart THIS President – OUR President. They allowed a foreign leader to back us into a corner. It’s outrageous.
The raucous reaction to Mr. Netanyahu by the Republican members of OUR congress speaks volumes and begs a question: did they react so because they love the PM and Israel that much? Or, is it that they hate our President more?
They would be the first to scream if the other side of the aisle would even dare to suggest such a thing happening.
Shameful. Simply shameful. Shame on him for grandstanding and shame on Congress for allowing it to happen. How dare they allow the leader of a sovereign country dictate the foreign policy of THIS nation – OUR nation?!
Frank LoBuono has lived in Nyack for over 30 years writing and covering Rockland County in print, on TV and online. He works as a cameraman and an editor for a major TV News organization. You can read his blog at Talk-Frank.blogspot.com.
