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| Photo: NBC Words: F LoBuono |
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?!
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.
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. Outrageous, isn't it?
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