International reactions to President Obama's re-election were quite positive -- there was a "sigh of relief" for many abroad -- but of particular interest was this awkward video of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who made an appearance yesterday with U.S. Ambassador to Israel Dan Shapiro.
The Washington Post reported that the meeting was "a touch uncomfortable," since Netanyahu was "not exactly rooting for the president's reelection, and there's real concern in Israel that this could cost Netanyahu political support or even damage the alliance so important to Israel's security."
It's a story worth watching.
Over the past several years, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has on several occasions confronted or even undercut President Obama, taking his message directly to the Israel-friendly United States Congress, challenging Mr. Obama's appeal to the Arab world, and seeming this fall to support his opponent, Mitt Romney.
Mr. Netanyahu woke up Wednesday to find not only that his Republican friend had lost, but also that many Israelis were questioning whether he had risked their collective relationship with Washington.
"This has not been a very good morning for Netanyahu," a deputy prime minister, Eli Yishai of the religious Shas Party, told journalists in Eilat.
The report added that the Israeli prime minister is now rushing "to repair the relationship," while Ehud Olmert pokes the wound, asking publicly, "Given what Netanyahu had done these recent months, the question is: Does our prime minister still have a friend in the White House?"
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He is lucky Obama is a better man than most. I do hope the President make this nincompoop grovel a little bit! :)
He should make "Bibi" grovel A LOT - it would serve as a lesson to any other foreign prime ministers that want to meddle in our elections!
It ain't over 'til it's over.
Every public officeholder swears an oath of office. Ask yourself, 'What's the point of ANY additional pledge?' Follow the money.
Any officeholder who genuinely believes in representative government should have already publicly denounced the Teaparty/Taliban's efforts to disenfranchise Americans.
If you stood in line to vote, write your STATE legislators an invitation to the 21st century. Washington state voters had their ballots weeks before election day.
The Teaparty/Taliban are still afraid of women making decisions. (John 8:3-11)
Trickle down not only doesn't spur economic growth, it stifles it. It’s what led to the American and French revolutions.
"Corporations are people" = "He with the most gold rules"
there's real concern in Israel that this could cost Netanyahu political support
We can dream .
Radicals breed radicals . If you want the Iranian people to be on the side of the Imams instead of the Arab spring , by all means attack them .
They have the technology for the bomb. You can slow them , but not stop them.
Bibi has lost a bunch of support in Israel, it's palpable.
Lebowsky, are you an Israeli?
LOL
think BiBi backed the wrong horse sore of speak, you think he know better then to wallow around with pigs.
What a load... This is just more mumbo-jumbo about Obama supposedly being anti-Israel, and the press from both countries trying to gin up the sheep. Nothing has changed as far as America is concerned, and Bibi is the next to fall down, hard.
President Obama may not hold this against you Bibi, but you need to turn down the bellicose rhetoric and act like you know which side of the bread is buttered and by whom!
BiBi is a neocon at heart and loves to rattle his sabre. We will support our ally but not blindly. There is nothing stopping him from trying to find allies in the Middle East. There are many nations there that are experimenting with democracy. They can use a good example in their midst.
Or maybe the neocons are Israelis at heart.
Our President has endured hate, obstructionism and racism from his own country and has not retaliated - oh waite yes he did he got re-elected. I never understood why Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu inserted himself into our politics - for a smart man it was a dumb move because there are no guarantees. Jewish American community seemed to only blame President Obama for the cool relationship between the two, it takes two to make a relationship succeed and two to make it fail. Netanyahu has to take responsibility for his contribution to the cool relationship.
Don't mistake Bibi for "the jewish-american community". He doesn't even hold the opinion of all of Israel. Just read their newspapers.
Good. The sooner Israelis vote Bibi out, the better it will be for the region. (And ditto Iranians getting rid of Amadinejad.)
Ahmadinejad is a lame duck. He's out in a few months.
I don't believe the perceived rift. Given what I have seen in the last 4 years of how Obama deals with the military necessity in "the war on terror" (stupid name) I believe its been a blind for preparation. Obama has said every time he is asked that Iran will not be allowed to possess a nuclear weapon. I think he held back so any action taken could not be called a political stunt by the right. Obama has a Chicago way amendment to Teddy Roosevelt in that the big stick is hidden from view so it cannot be seen as intimidation, but is ready at hand when needed. I think we'll see missile strikes in Iran before the new year. And I think you will see a partnership with Israel that has been going on for years.
This is good. Why would you need to use intimidation when you know you have the power behind you. I like Chicago thinking.
I guess it's not GOOD to be a condescending ahole towards your 'allies' huh Bibi? Good thing the President is a more gracious diplomat than you.
It's time Democrats, especially Obama, start making opponents pay a political price. Obama ought to milk this to make breathing for Netanyahu a little more constricted.
The tail shouldn't wag the dog. He has behaved badly as the representative of a client state.
Netanyahu and his Likud party have never been secretive about their preference for GOP presidential candidates. Every election, they try to tell us that Israel’s survival will be jeopardized if the Democrat wins. The US is Israel’s staunchest ally no matter who is in the White House. Netanyahu and his party know that. The games they play during our elections disgust me.
There has never been an Israeli prime minister, there has never been an Israeli, there has never been ANY foreign national who inserted him/herself more brazenly, more despicably, more openly into an American election than did Netanyahu this year. And he lost- BIG TIME! He continues his record of alienating other nations, of isolating Israel, of converting Israeli's friends into enemies of HURTING Israel in the international community. He has done damage to Israel in the world that will take many, many years to repair.
He's the Mitt Romey of Israel! He offends the nation that is their best Ally...Mitt. Interjects himself in foreign affairs he has no business commenting on...MItt. He has policies that hurt his country.....MItt
Hmmmm......Seems like if anyone ever wondered what a Romney presidency would look like they just need to look at Israel.
There might well be an opportunity here to press on the issues with the Palestinians. If Obama can even begin to make progress on that it would go a long way toward letting the air out of the tires of militants. Combine that with some deft handling of Syria and firming up relations with Lybia and he could very well be the man who sets the stage for a whole new middle east. There is still Iran to deal with but Ahmadinejad ending his term there my even be some room for improvement there.
Contrary to popular (Republican) belief there are actually methods of conducting foreign relations in the middle east that don't involve Guns and Bombs.
I think Bibi's problem is deeper than just Obama. As an American, I'm deeply offended at what was a clear attempt by a foreign leader to influence our elections. Israel depends on America as a backstop for its very existence; they're the junior partner in this relationship. Netanyahu's foolish decision to forget that could have long-term consequences for Israel's level of support in the United States. I'm not suggesting that Americans are ready to walk away from Israel (we are not, nor should we). But I think Americans are a little less willing to agree to everything Israel wants.
Likud has forgotten that Israel is the child of Great Britain and the United States. We have a moral obligation to their continued existence and independence, but they don't run OUR show.
Looks like he's up for re-election next year? is that correct? anyone know if he'd get booted for a more pro-obama administration?
A majority of the Isralei public is right wing to extreme right wing. There is a miniscule centrist population and essentially a zero left population. The chance of a non-extreme right wing PM is close to zero..
During the election everyone will try to be even more extreme than Bibi to try to get elected.
BTW - people vote for the party not the person. after the election the party with the largest number of votes is asked to form a government and to make that happen, the largest vote group usually has to partner with the even more extreme smaller parties.
There is very little chance any peace party will be elected.
Can't wait to see the news coverage of our proud US President next year in Israel. It will show him smiling and shaking hands with Netanyahu's election opponent. Love that smile...
There is no reason for Obama to ever go to Israel.