Bibi in America
Photo: GPO
Did Bibi do his homework?
Netanyahu arrived at a different Washington than the one he was familiar with
Still intoxicated by the IDF's achievements in the Six-Day War and the army's deeds during the War of Attrition, I once faced an American General at the 81st Airborne Division's base in North Carolina.
"The initial force will arrive within two weeks," the general said, "and the other forces will arrive within three to six months." Still amazed by the IDF's maneuvering ability, and shocked by the general's words, I asked with contempt: "Six months? And this is a rapid intervention force?"
I was part of a group of Israeli military correspondents who arrived to observe the capabilities of the American rapid intervention force. To our right, to our left, before us, and behind us were hundreds and possibly thousands of jeeps. "How long would it take the force to reach the Middle East, for example?" my colleague Ze'ev Schiff, may he rest in peace, asked.
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"Indeed," said the general without flinching, and added: "We can erase a country the size of Israel within 48 hours." It was not politically correct for him to say this, yet it was also improper for me to show contempt. Nonetheless, these are the Americans: Aware of their power as an empire and superpower, belligerent when it comes to words and tanks, polite as long as it's possible, and incredibly hypocritical. They live, act, and feel like the masters of the world. On second thought: They truly are the masters of the world.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu feels like a fish in an aquarium in Washington. After spending some years in the US earlier in his life, he is more American than some of the Americans who will surround him at the Blair House. He is the only Israeli prime minister who fully understands what hides behind every polite and hypocritical statement. He cannot be fooled.
Yet Netanyahu would do well, and as quickly as possible, to note that the water in the aquarium had been replaced, and some fish were also replaced with it. It appears that the new fish refuse to recognize the food-distribution policy adopted in the aquarium in the past 40 years. Mostly they do not understand the language of winks adopted by Netanyahu the fish – a language that was in place for many years, even at the time of other Israeli prime ministers.
In other, most direct and blatant words: One needs to be deaf, foolish, and also blind in order not to see the barrage of messages conveyed by Washington since Barak Obama took office. The honeymoon that lasted for dozens of years has apparently reached an end, and now, only now, will the normal life of the American-Israeli couple get underway. And as we know, when it comes to everyday life, not everything is peachy. It's only that way in songs.
This doesn't mean that on Monday we won't see Obama and Netanyahu smiling from ear to ear, shaking hands warmly, hugging, and resorting to the nicest words ("continued commitment," "ally," "our gratitude," etc.) Yet beyond the words, we can paraphrase the statement made by former US Vice President Agnew: The bastards changed the rules – and informed us in advance."
If the Americans decide to be nice on Monday, Obama will tell Netanyahu that he should prepare his homework soon in line with the material taught by the new teacher, and return for another course in the summer.
And what should happen if Netanyahu decided to surprise Obama the teacher and arrived at the White House with his homework done more or less in line with the new teacher's curriculum (and this may indeed happen)?
If that should happen, we would be able to call Netanyahu, Begin, Rabin, Sharon, or Olmert, and rush police reinforcements to Ben Gurion airport ahead of BIbi's return to Israel; because at the White House it would be a big surprise, yet here it would be a historical tsunami.
