Dear Mr. Netanyahu, Please Don't Speak to My President That Way

The Atlantic ^ | 5/20/11 | Jeffrey Goldberg

[Libloather]

Dear Mr. Netanyahu, Please Don't Speak to My President That Way
By Jeffrey Goldberg
May 20 2011, 8:05 AM ET

For whatever reason, I tend to react strongly when a foreign leader disrespects the United States, and its President. I didn't like it when Hugo Chavez of Venezuela insulted President Bush; I don't like listening to Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan lecture the U.S. on its sins, and I'm not happy when certain Pakistani leaders gin-up righteous indignation about American behavior when it was their country that served as a refuge for the greatest mass murderer in American history.

And so I was similarly taken aback when I read a statement from Prime Minister Netanyahu yesterday that he "expects to hear a reaffirmation from President Obama of U.S. commitments made to Israel in 2004, which were overwhelmingly supported by both House of Congress."

So Netanyahu "expects" to hear this from the President of the United States? And if President Obama doesn't walk back the speech, what will Netanyahu do? Will he cut off Israeli military aid to the U.S.? Will he cease to fight for the U.S. in the United Nations, and in the many international forums that treat Israel as a pariah?

[albie]

“I agree, I would greatly prefer foreign leaders treat our President with respect”.

...the kenyan deserves no respect from any foreign leader who’s an actual leader. He lied and cheated his way into a sacred place of honor he has no business occupying. Netanyahu proved the difference between leader and chumproast in that meeting.

[machogirl]

From seeing red az, a pic of Bibi and Barry. Around the same age. Very telling.

[GonzoGOP]

Did we have anything in the game in '67 or '73?

Well in 67 we didn't do anything.

In 73 we launched the largest airlift since the Berlin airlift in order to keep the IDF supplied with ammunition and weapons. We also stripped our own front line units of missiles to keep the IAF from running out. Finally when the Soviet Union threatened to send troops into Syria and Egypt to back up their collapsing armies the US put its nuclear forces on full alert, dispersing SAC units and sending nuclear armed bombers to the edge of Soviet airspace. We threatened to launch a preemptive nuclear first strike on the USSR if they landed any troops in Egypt or Syria. Kissinger made that threat convincingly enough to back the Russians down publicly. So in 73 yes the US did something.

[celtic gal]

THE RESIDENT squatter in the WH deserves no respect.He does not respect America..

[machogirl]

Also from seeing red az:

http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/US-Israel/presquote.html

An interesting compilation of US Presidents and what they had to say about Israel.

[aruanan]

Dear Mr. Netanyahu, Please Don't Speak to My President That Way

Jeffrey Goldberg: Blow it out your butt, buddy. Someone has to subject our befuddled leader to some reality therapy and drive him to a point that he'll either recant, crack up, or go so far that no amount of spin can ever help him recover. I don't think the first will ever happen, but we can always hope for the second or third.

[FatherFig1o155]

Please. Don’t tempt BHO.

[driftdiver]

So you like it when foreign leaders treat our President with zero respect???

Of course BO is a zero, you’re missing the point.

[mountainlion]

What is a Jeffery Goldbloom? He sounds like a drug addict.

[School of Rational Thought]

Blame the people who voted this child President into office.

It is the country’s responsibilty to place in office someone who garners respect. Obama’s lack of gravitas, personnal and achievement wise, is apparent to the world, but for idiots like Goldberg.

[SoConPubbie]

Poor wittle Jeffrey.

Did Bibi actually show your little wimp of a President what it means to be a leader?

Wah, Wah, Wah.

[TankerKC]

I didn't like it when Hugo Chavez of Venezuela insulted President Bush...

Does anybody have a link to that article. I want ot read it before I read this one. ;)

[piytar]

While I don’t like seeing any President disrespected, I make an exception in this case. Why? Because obama doesn’t deserve respect. He hasn’t earned it. Not even close.

[ransomnote]

the deadest eyes I’ve seen in that empty head of his...

[Sertorius]

You are forgetting who you are talking to. BO would be happy to oblige.

[OB1kNOb]

Go ahead Bibi and talk to him like the pathological liar and fraud that he is. He is NOT my President.

[wiggen]

He speaks. he uses grand phrase’s,catchy sound bites. The implementation of his thoughts,if thoughts they are and not mere empty phrases,is left to others.

[EternalVigilance]

What I wish Bibi would say to Hussein: “Shut up. We won.”

[ransomnote]

Well this means Obama will hide from him now - his ego can’t take another spankin’ and he can’t offer a rebuttal off teleprompter.

And is ‘disrespecting’ someone now a verb? Dissin’ is now in formal vocabulary?

[Murtyo]

“My President” that term always seems so 1st grade to me, or maybe more appropriate for a subject than a citizen, as in “My King”. Americans allegiance is to the constitution and flag, not a person. He’s the president of my country. You don’t hear people speak of My Congress, the 1st among equals of the 3 branches of the US Government.

Another thing libs love to say is the the “president runs the country” - which is idiotic. He runs, or presides over the executive branch of the federal government of the country, a subset of a subset of running the country.