Netanyahu vs. Obama: Who’s dissin’ who?

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu schooled (hat tip) our celebrity President yesterday with a bit of a history lesson on why Obama’s call for Israel to return to the 1967 borders is unacceptable. Allahpundit sets the stage:

Normally these Oval Office grip-and-grins begin with a few minutes of blah-blah from the president about America’s enduring bond with the other leader’s country, followed by a minute or so from that leader about the β€œproductive discussion” they just had, and that’s it. Not this time: Netanyahu takes off here for a good seven minutes, parts of which are so cutting β€” the conclusion about history not giving the Jewish people another chance is simply devastating β€” that it’s hard to believe it was extemporaneous. In fact, by the end he’s facing Obama and addressing him personally, just to add to the theater. Bibi knew this would be his golden opportunity to pay Obama back for yesterday’s speech, and darned if he didn’t seize it. It’s riveting.

Indeed. You can watch the video at that same link.

In response to Netanyahu’s direct addressing of Obama, some prominent “friends of Israel” – some on the left and a few on the right – are ‘disturbed’ by the so-called level of “disrespect” shown to our President. Seriously? AmSpec’s Aaron Goldstein zings Netanyahu’s critics here:

If anyone is guilty of disrespect it is Obama towards Netanyahu. It was just over a year ago when Obama had Netanyahu over at the White House to dress him down over the settlements and to add insult to injury he told the Israeli Prime Minister to show himself out. And now this broadside?

As I have noted here, in a matter of seconds, President Obama went from stating the United States could not impose peace to demanding that Israel retreat to the armistice lines of the 1948-1949 Israeli War of Independence. Under the circumstances, Prime Minister Netanyahu would have certainly been taken aback. He is fully within his right to demand an explanation from Obama on behalf of the people of Israel.

Absolutely. And Netanyahu simply should not be blamed for the “smartest President evahβ„’!!!”‘s oft-demonstrated gross ignorance of history,especially when it comes to the issue of the Israeli/Palestinian stand-off.

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