Bibi’s Chutzpah

Benjamin Netanyahu doesn’t think much of diplomatic protocol. He invited himself to the recent solidarity march through the streets of Paris without further ado. During the summit meeting of the G-20 leading rich and developing nations in Cannes, Nicolas Sarkozy confided to Obama, “I cannot stand him. He’s a liar.” To which the U.S. president replied, “You’re fed up with him. But I have to deal every day with him.”

How true. Benjamin — “Bibi” — and Barack don’t really like each other very much. Netanyahu the bully added a new Obama snub to his already lengthy list when he bypassed the president in getting invited to address Congress for the purpose of “thanking the American people,” his third such address. Winston Churchill is the only statesman to have ever received such an honor. The March speech will come during the hot phase of the Israeli elections, and Obama did right in not receiving him in the Oval Office at that time. Let it not be said that chemistry plays any role in partisan politics.