Left's shameless attacks on Netanyahu
Op-ed: Attacking messenger instead of message is an easy strategy when center-left camp lacks any credible alternative message or leader.
Attacking the messenger instead of the message is an easy strategy when the center-left camp lacks any credible alternative message or leader and is still perceived by most Israelis as too weak on security and too apologetic and appeasing on foreign affairs.
While most French Jews were cheering and chanting Bibi's name in the synagogue in Paris after the supermarket terrorist attack, the left began criticizing his so called "shameless" behavior in Paris.
When he received the great honor of being invited a third time to speak in front of an adoring US Congress, and was personally criticized by the shameless Obama administration, the left was eager to join in the personal attacks.
It should be clear by now that US President Barack Obama and Secretary of State John Kerry, as well as the French and the Europeans, wish to have an Israel without Netanyahu and want Tzipi Livni and Isaac Herzog, the leaders of the opposition camp, to be the prime ministers.
They desire their dream of a Palestinian state as well as a "make believe" negotiated diplomatic agreement with the Iranians over their nuclear program to become a reality, despite the fact that this dream will lead to another Hamastan and a threshold nuclear Iranian state.
Like all bullies, they know they cannot intimidate Netanyahu to fulfill their wishes, but they know from past experience that Livni and Herzog will be naïve and weak enough to follow in the footsteps of their previous leaders and mentors from Kadima and Labor, such as Prime Ministers Yitzhak Rabin, Ehud Barak, Shimon Peres, Ehud Olmert and Ariel Sharon.
In Paris, the only shameless party was the French government for its rude treatment of the prime minister of the only Jewish state following the brutal massacre of Jews. The clueless leftists embarrassed themselves by taking the side of the French and joining them in criticizing Bibi for "offending" the French.
The facts show otherwise. Initially, French President Francois Hollande suggested that Netanyahu, who has been at the frontlines of the international campaign against Islamic terrorism, absent himself from the global leadership gathering because his presence would introduce the "divisive Israeli-Palestinian" issue, while inviting the Turkish prime minister who has been the main supporter of the terrorist organization Hamas.
To make matters worse, when Netanyahu made clear his intention to attend, the head of the French National Security Council threatened that the Jewish state would face harsh consequences. Immediately, the French president himself, in the midst of a terrorist siege in Paris, found the time to personally invite Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas to demonstrate "even-handedness," the same Abbas who was the assistant to the notorious terrorist, Yasser Arafat, and who has been inciting anti-Jewish hatred and violence.
While the media complained that Bibi pushed himself to the front row, they ignored the fact that both the Turkish prime minster and Abbas were given the honor by the French to walk at the front of the demonstration. Moreover, Hollande subsequently was rude when he and his government delegation departed from the Grand Synagogue just prior to Netanyahu’s comforting address.
Since his acceptance of the Congressional invitation, the Israeli leftist media and opposition have criticized Netanyahu, saying that his acceptance of an invitation by Republican-controlled Congress shows that he is willing to meddle in US politics and undermine the strategic alliance with the US to win an election.
The leader of the Labor Party, Herzog, said that "Netanyahu is directly harming the president of the United States. What Netanyahu is doing with this thuggish behavior is to harm Israel's security interests?"
The facts show that these accusations are baseless and politically motivated. Netanyahu has long been loved by the bipartisan US Congress. It would be Netanyahu’s third speech in front of Congress and in 2011, after a publicly tense meeting at the White House with Obama over policy disagreements, Netanyahu got 29 standing ovations by both Democrats and Republicans.
Moreover, Netanyahu’s stand on additional sanctions is not partisan, and many Democrats in the Congress side with his position and against Obama’s stand. Just last week, Bob Menendez, the highest ranking Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, condemned President Obama’s State of the Union talking points on Iran, saying "The more I hear from the administration and its quotes, the more it sounds like talking points that come straight out of Teheran."
It was reported that the Obama administration is fuming over Netanyahu’s plan to address Congress regarding the Iranian threat, saying that "he spat in our face publicly."
On January 16, British Prime Minster Cameron admitted in a joint conference with Obama that he has been directly contacting some US senators to advocate against further sanctions on Iran. Cameron said that his calls were not "in any way to tell the American Senate what it should do or should not do." Instead, he wanted to tell the US Senate the UK’s opinion. Condemning Netanyahu for doing the same thing is shameless and hypocritical.
Anonymous White House threats that "Netanyahu ought to remember that President Obama has a year and a half to his presidency and there will be a price" will backfire. Israelis have only one Jewish state and they are not willing to rely on Obama or the French against Bibi to ensure its survival.
Shoula Romano Horing is an attorney. Her blog can be found here: www.shoularomanohoring.com .
