Jerusalem – Benjamin Netanyahu’s decision to accept an invitation to address the U.S. Congress just days before Israel’s parliamentary election offers him invaluable pre-vote publicity, but may also have shaken the balance of U.S.-Israel ties.
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John Boehner, the Republican speaker of the House of Representatives, issued the invitation without consulting the White House, a breach of protocol since it is normally up to a head of state to invite a foreign leader.
It also does not appear that Netanyahu, a right-winger who has a testy relationship with Barack Obama, let the president know about the invitation before accepting it, underscoring their increasingly tense ties.
The upshot is that Netanyahu will address a joint session of Congress on March 3 – the third time he has had the honor – but will not meet Obama. He will also attend the policy conference of AIPAC, the influential pro-Israel lobby, a must for any Israeli leader.
From Netanyahu’s point of view, he achieves several goals, strutting his stuff in front of an applauding Republican-led Congress two weeks before Israelis vote on March 17.
While that may not swing undecided voters, it is the sort of primetime appearance that can shore up the base and help Netanyahu, currently neck-and-neck with his center-left rivals in most polls, pip the opposition on the day.
It also allows the prime minister, a staunch advocate of a tougher line against Iran, to beat that drum before a receptive audience and parade his credentials as a global security hawk, a message that plays well domestically.
Add the opportunity to sweeten his already close ties with the Republican leadership before next year’s U.S. presidential election, and the bonus of an AIPAC gathering, and it looks like a very worthwhile trip.
Even the fact he will not meet Obama could play in his favor. While it is a snub, past meetings between the two have been frosty and made Netanyahu look awkward or defensive. With less than two years of Obama’s presidency remaining, Netanyahu is hardly banking on rapprochement.
As his close confidant Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon said last month: “This (U.S.) administration won’t be around forever”, suggesting Israel’s leader is already looking to the next, possibly Republican, president for warmer ties.
“UNPRECEDENTED RIFT”
Yet while there may be good reasons for Netanyahu to go to Washington almost in spite of Obama – Israel’s Haaretz newspaper quoted an unnamed U.S. official as saying the Israeli leader had “spat” in the president’s face – there are risks too.
Obama’s presidency may be waning, but two years is still a long time and he has shown a willingness to take bold decisions when the moment strikes, such as on Cuba and immigration.
The U.S. administration has repeatedly expressed frustration with the expansion of Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank. Further steps in that direction could draw stronger U.S. responses, possibly in coordination with Europe.
More worrying, say Israeli commentators, is the way Netanyahu has buddied up to Republicans, creating a party political allegiance rather than one between two states.
“These relations are the greatest strategic asset that Israel has had since its establishment,” former diplomat Alon Pinkas wrote in Yedioth Ahronoth, Israel’s leading daily.
“Netanyahu has harmed, weakened and finally destroyed the interpersonal channel (with the US president) and created an unprecedented rift in the relations between president and prime minister.”
The facts in this article are all true. But I think a lot of people will have to agree that Mr Netanyahu is not looking…and never was looking to pick a fight with Obama. It’s that Mr Netanyahu has certain principles that he won’t back away from whatever the price. He feels the security of the State of Israel is paramount and will stay true to his convictions no matter the price. I really think it’s this president that while I don’t agree that he is a jew hater and all the rest…but I do not think he has Israel’s interest at heart at all. And Obama has always shown that it’s either ‘my way or the highway’ and I think Mr Netanyahu chose the highway. It’s that simple.
As soon as America is done with Obama, the relationship between the two countries will be as always. History will record Obama as bad as Carter. Both open anti-Israel.
So are the Israelis messing around in US politics or are the Americans messing around with Israeli politics? Why not both?
what ties?
On the contrary, if Bibi shows he is doing what’s best for all people that will bring forth respect and success. Bowing to a shmata who thinks he is the almighty does not produce anything positive.
He should not do it! He’s competing with Obama for the adoration of Congress. This is not good for Israel. Bibi – you have become too full of yourself! Time to leave office.
He is putting the lives of millions of Yidden in grave danger. The only thing Obama has to do that on the next UN vote to abstein, like France,Germany, England etc. No one will blame Obama just like Reagan before.
everyone knows and understands that it is the #1 goal from Iran to destroy Israel, so it’s BS from the obama administration to get offended by Netanyahu, because it’s his dutie to defend it in any possible way. Its just trying to find ways to rift any ties with Netanyahu
Nobody has more issues with Obam than I do, but Netanyahu must realize he can’t do it alone! He had estranged everyone else in the world and now he’s working on the USA. Not smart, he should apologize and recant
What you are all missing is that the U.S., UK, France and many in Israel (including opposition parties and the Israeli military and Mossad) believe that The neo-con/Republican/Likud approach will result in the end of all negotiation with Iran. In other words, the result will be war. I fail to understand why a war between Israel and Iran is in the best interests of the U.S. (hint to you posters- if you are a U.S. citizen, that is where your loyalty should be. You are free to make Aliyah if you prefer Israel). It is also not in the best interests of Israel in the long and short term. Bibi wants to win an election, Boehner opposes everything Obama says ( including things like creating jobs, equal pay, helping the disabled, helping the middle class). This is nasty politics by the Republicans and by Boehner and it turns m, and many other Jews completely off. Let Bibi go home and face his election and let the Republicans do something other than say no and go on vacations.
Netanyahu is a danger to Israel and to Jews worldover.
1) He antagonizes the Arab citizens of Israel by backing legislation that stresses that Israel is a Jewish country. At the same time he uprooted any vestigages of Jewish law and culture from the country by having given Yesh Atid a free hand to tear apart the Jewish fabric of Isreli society.
2) He links anti-semitism to the Palestinian – Israeli conflict. By showing up to the Paris rally he guarateed a front row seat for PM Abbas. By encouraging French jews to move to Israel he undermined their positions as citizens of France.
3) He has ruined the Israeli – American relationship. He should realise that America is a superpower and Israel is not. He deludes himself by thinking he can by bypass the President. Does he really want the world to see him as the cause for failed negotiations with Iran? Is he deluded enough to think he can handle the Iran issue alone?
Let us hope that Israeli voters recognize the disaster that Netanyahu is before election day.
I think you’re all worrying for No reason about any possible repercussions. The no-good obama has limited power to hurt. Israel, although he’s proven he’d love nothing better…because Congress will never let him get away with it. He still knows that although he’s so anti-Israel, pro-Arab, he still can’t completely and openly show his true anti-Semitic colors. Besides, Obama is the one who caused this rift between them, by treating him horribly disrespectfully in the past. This empty suit of a president is a shame to the presidency, and has nothing to show for all his years in office. He will go down as history, alongside jimmy carter, as THE WORST US presidents. 2016 can’t come soon enough.