Cross Obama At Your Peril

"[I know my] comments last week offended some Israeli citizens and offended members of the Israeli-Arab community. This was never my intent. I apologize for this. I view myself as the prime minister of each and every citizen of Israel, without any prejudice based on religion, ethnicity or gender."
"I view all Israeli citizens as partners in the building of a prosperous and safe state of Israel, for all Israelis."
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu

Tensions between the two leaders, seen here in 2010, have grown in recent months 

Mr. Netanyahu is aware that he has affronted many Israelis, Jews and Arabs alike with his pre-election statements, and he has explained himself, apologized, invited leaders of the Arab community to his residence in Jerusalem to apologize in person. The head of the Joint List, the combined party of four small Arab parties which made significant inroads in the election has rejected the apology. "This is not a real apology. He incited against citizens who were exercising their basic right to vote for Knesset", responded Ayman Odeh.

What Mr. Netanyahu said in urging conservative Israelis to get out and vote, was that the Arab vote was doing just that, 'voting in droves'. And so, what is amiss in that statement? Don't ideological parties of one leaning or another, impress upon their followers the necessity to vote because the other parties are certain to? Isn't the name of the political game to get out the vote to ensure wanted election results? And isn't it revealing that the U.S. administration intervened in election proceedings in its zeal to have Mr. Netanyahu ousted by advising Israeli Arabs how best to present their parties as a cooperative bloc.

But then, because the Likud and the other conservative parties that will become part of the governing accommodation are loathed by the left, which is looking for a reason to reject them, American interference is overlooked. If rejection of Benjamin Netanyahu is good enough for the President of the United States it's good enough for the Combined List of Arab parties. Arab citizens represent 20% of Israel population with guaranteed equality. Accusing Mr. Netanyahu of "zig-zagging", stating one position, then retracting it another day is a rather wan accusation; it is what politicians do, particularly during election campaigns.

As for the statement that a Palestinian state would not see establishment on his watch IN THE CURRENT CLIMATE OF REGIONAL CHAOS AND VIOLENCE, is that not realistic? The current climate of regional chaos and violence threatens to slide over into nearby countries not as yet morbidly infected by the virus of deadly dysfunction. And whether from the Sunni side or the Shiite side, the one common enemy of both is Israel. For the West Bank to become a Palestinian state at this juncture with the withdrawal of IDF protective forces is to invite the lunacy of mass destruction next door.

But these statements represent the desired kindling of a righteous fire of sanctimonious reproach emanating from the White House with all of President Obama's official spokespeople speaking hugely disrespectfully of the head of state of another country, one long associated as a collegial democratic state whose interests have always been to maintain good relations with one another. It is only in the administration of this particular president that the relationship has nastily soured.

But then on the other hand, this administration has soured its relationship with its next-door North American geographic neighbour with whom it shares a long contiguous border and a robust trade relationship. Obama's America has soured with its traditional allies in the Middle East, spurning their legitimate concerns for the opportunity to placate a dangerously hegemonic state whose specialty is fomenting terror in the region and beyond, implacably set on attaining nuclear warheads.

Why just dawdle at the Middle East? Obama's America has offended relations with Europe as well. While now additionally accusing Israel of having spied in the U.S., and knowing this to be a fact because the United States has spied on Israel to obtain what they claim to be the evidence, Angela Merkel, Germany's Chanceller, has had to come to terms with the fact that American intelligence spied on her country, including her personal cellphone contacts.

"When the Supreme Leader of Iran [Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei] is continuing – in the middle of these negotiations is continuing to make statements like ‘death to America,’ how is that not problematic for you?"  
"How is that not something – why are you just willing to let that – let it slide, basically, and you are holding the prime minister of Israel to comments that he made and has since changed?"
"The Iranians can be trusted and the Israelis can’t? Is that what you mean?"
AP reporter Matt Lee

When Associated Press (AP is no friend of Israel) reporter Matt Lee queried State Department spokeswoman Jen Paski, her response was that the White House believes it can’t "just forget" what Netanyahu says "when it’s conflicting with past precedent and past policy for some time." As though she and the White House are in a time warp and the events of the last few years just didn't happen with one Arab/Muslim country after another impacted by the dysfunction of sectarian violence and threats, and Israel is sitting there, their eventual target.