Benjamin Netanyahu’s planned speech before the US Congress may cost him his position as Prime Minister, it turns out. For the opposition Labor-Hatnuah alliance, called the “Zionist Camp,” the speech could not have been better timed. The coalition, running in opposition to Netanyahu’s Likud Party, has jumped on the plan as another example of the embattled Israeli leader being, as some now call him, “the Republican Senator from the great State of Israel.”
In the latest polls, we find Netanyahu’s Lukid party coming in solidly behind Zionist Camp, with the other parties all gathering small pieces of the seats left over for Israel’s parliament, the Knesset. Of note, the Yisrael Beiteinu party, Lukid’s current partner in the ruling coalition, has lost so many seats in polling that it only barely qualified to even run a ticket, meaning that even if Lukid holds on to each seat it currently has, it still will lose power in the next Knesset. It is a major uphill battle for Netanyahu at this point.
The perception that the Prime Minister would cause diplomatic tensions in order to pander to a base in politics is not bolstering his position as hoped. Instead, Netanyahu is finding support waning, and he is now under strong pressure to postpone, or even cancel his speech entirely. But at this point, the damage may have already become impossible for him to repair.
Add to this situation, Mr. Netanyahu parading himself before a foreign government in order to incite another war? The Israeli people have simply had enough, according to the polls. A Zionist Camp coalition with the Arab List, Meretz, Kulanu and Yesh Atid, based on current polling, would be incredibly close to controlling the Knesset. The next few weeks are critical now, to see if they can indeed remove Prime Minister Netanyahu from office.
I have to tell you that it this Republican plan to embarrass the President costs Netanyahu the election, and a more reasonable, less war mongering, Prime Minister is elected who is willing to work with Obama, it will literally take me days to stop laughing about it.
Thank you Gryph for this post; it is worth reading. The link in the Addicting Info piece to the Forbes article, Bibi Netanyahu, aka 'The republican Senator from Israel' is a good read too.
ReplyDeletedowl
The gop keeps shooting themselves in the foot!! So happy about this. Trying to make the President appear incompetant has backfired on them and Bibi. Couple that with the outing of $carah as a complete dingbat, and the year has been GREAT so far. Maybe they could have HER introduce Bibi in the Senate?
ReplyDeleteGreat idea to have Sarah and her biggest Belmonts introduce Bibi to the Senate!
DeleteThey'd have to yell 'liar and fraud' at her!
DeleteWell, Netanyahu is with his American wingnut brothers who always seem to grandstand but end up with egg on their face.
ReplyDeleteI hope he is called on his pandering by the voters in Israel.
John Boehner, as a congressman should be recalled---if that was indeed possible. (Amazing that there is very little you can do in this country to get rid of a seditious ass who calls himself a congressman).
Boehner needs to be yanked off his pedestal in the U.S. Congress. Hope he has a lot of security because he is one disliked asshole throughout the country.
DeleteThe Palin Curse strikes again!
ReplyDeleteThe Republicans are like little girls in elementary school hating the most popular kid.
ReplyDeleteGET OVER IT!
THERE'S AN ELECTION IN 2016 YOU NEED TO WORRY ABOUT
PRESIDENT OBAMA IS A LAME DUCK PRESIDENT!
YOU CANNOT GET THE POTUS OUT OF OFFICE.
JUST ASK SARAH PALIN ABOUT HER IMPEACH OBAMA STRATEGY
The Republicans are like little girls in elementary school hating the most popular kid.
ReplyDeleteGET OVER IT, PRESIDENT OBAMA WON TWO TERMS.
HATING AND TRYING TO EMBARRASS THE POTUS IS SO JUVENILE.
THERE'S AN ELECTION IN 2016 YOU NEED TO WORRY ABOUT
PRESIDENT OBAMA IS A LAME DUCK PRESIDENT!
YOU CANNOT GET THE POTUS OUT OF OFFICE.
JUST ASK SARAH PALIN ABOUT HER IMPEACH OBAMA STRATEGY
Benjamin Netanyahu and Chris Kyle both love killing Arab's.
ReplyDeleteThis makes the GOP support and adore them.
My daughters in-laws aren't Israeli but spent a few years there. The M-I-L talks about how she'd love to kill Palestinians - men, women and children. It's chilling and makes me nervous about introducing her to the rest of our UN like family.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteAnd on top of that there's Bottle-Gate:
ReplyDeleteAttorney general mulls probe into Sara Netanyahu's bottle deposit scandal
http://www.haaretz.com/news/national/1.639717
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel has been reaching out to leading Capitol Hill Democrats to try to ease criticism over his coming address to Congress, but has made little progress.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/30/us/politics/benjamin-netanyahu-is-talking-to-harry-reid-and-leading-democrats-to-little-effect-so-far.html
Boehner: I Told Ambassador Not to Tell Obama
ReplyDeletehttp://talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/lol--3
Is the Net Tightening?
ReplyDeletehttp://talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/is-the-net-tightening
House Democrats Urge Boehner To Postpone Netanyahu's Speech
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/house-democrats-boehner-letter-netanyahu-speech
G.O.P.’s Invitation to Netanyahu Is Aiding Obama’s Cause on Iran
ReplyDeletehttp://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/29/us/politics/netanyahu-invitation-helping-obama-within-his-party.html
...If Mr. Netanyahu imagined that the speech, scheduled for two weeks before the March 17 elections in Israel, would bolster his status as statesman, the undiplomatic way it was arranged has instead given his challengers an opening to undermine his main campaign platform. The backlash, not only from the White House but also from congressional Democrats, has reverberated in Israe
ReplyDeletehttp://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/28/world/middleeast/israeli-opposition-takes-aim-at-netanyahu-over-planned-speech-to-congress.html
Israeli Center-Left Alliance Looks To Unseat Netanyahu
ReplyDeleteWhen Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dissolved his unwieldy coalition and called new elections last month, he appeared almost certain to be returned once more to office. But a new center-left alliance has surged past his Likud party in the polls, turning the March 17 contest into a toss-up.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/01/29/israel-left-netanyahu_n_6574974.html
Speaker Boehner, Cancel Netanyahu's Address to Congress
For the sake of diplomacy, peace, and respect for our ally Israel, to say nothing of stability in the Middle East, Speaker Boehner must cancel the joint session of Congress with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu. If he does not, I will refuse to be part of a reckless act of political grandstanding.
The Republicans may have read the Constitution on the House floor, but they don't seem to understand Article II, which vests the responsibility for foreign affairs in the president.
If the invitation was aimed to extract a better deal from Iran and protect our friend and ally Israel, then the speaker miscalculated, for it will do the opposite. If the invitation was aimed at scoring political points by undermining the administration, it's deeply troubling that the speaker is willing to undercut diplomacy in exchange for theatrics on the House floor.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rep-earl-blumenauer/speaker-boehner-cancel-ne_b_6570654.html
"If the invitation was aimed at scoring political points . . ." Of course it was. It had no other real purpose. Netanyahu & his ambassador as well as Boehner have put their own politics above the best interests of both countries AND the "special" relationship they share.
DeleteReality is, the Israelies need America way, way more than we need them. And even a large percentage of American Jews are tired of the non-stop, disproportional violence Netanyahu's govt unleashes upon Palestinians when there is any kind of incident. I truly hope he loses his seat over this. It is a low-class move.
Where Mr. Orange Face tries to justify his out and out treason.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.speaker.gov/general/background-invitation-prime-minister-netanyahu
Why isn't the nation going after John Boehner and yanking him from his position of Speaker of the House? You know the Republicans will want to keep him there - they have the majority - what can we do at this point?
Deletehmmmm.......
ReplyDeleteCIA Tried to Give Iraq Nuclear Plans, Just Like Iran
http://warisacrime.org/content/cia-tried-give-iraq-nuclear-plans-just-iran
America, where our motto is "we're with with you until we're against you".
DeleteObama to Netanyahu: Stop pushing Congress toward new sanctions on Iran
ReplyDeletehttp://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/.premium-1.638604
Is Netanyahu taking gurning lessons from Sarah Palin?
ReplyDeleteNetanyahu has done things way more evil than try to help Boehner cause trouble for the president to Palestinians and people in Israel.
ReplyDeleteAnd, now John Boehner needs to go to jail for his illegal behavior. He is the WORST Speaker of the House the US has ever had! I hope President Obama makes his life Hell!
ReplyDeleteAnd, I sincerely hope Netanyahu loses his upcoming election! He is NOT to be trusted!
Israeli 'Ambassador' (aka political operative) Throws John Boehner Under The Bus After Disrespect Of Obama Backfires
ReplyDeleteIn an attempt to justify and mitigate Prime Minister Netanyahu’s acceptance of an invitation to speak to Congress, Ron Dermer, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s ambassador to the U.S., basically threw Speaker Boehner (R-OH) under the bus.
Responding via email to questions posed by The Atlantic’s Jeffrey Goldberg, Dermer tried to backpedal for their egregious end-run around the U.S. President by blaming John Boehner for failing protocol.
In an article entitled, “Israeli Ambassador: Netanyahu Never Meant to Disrespect Obama”, Jeffrey Goldberg started off by asking, “It is widely believed (by, among others, me) that you and your government were making an end-run around the White House. Is this not the case?”
To this, Ambassador Ron Dermer rather desperately tried to appeal to the public, “The survival of Israel is not a partisan issue.” And then he got right to the point of tossing the hot ball at the U.S. House Speaker.
From The Atlantic:
http://www.politicususa.com/2015/01/30/israeli-ambassador-throws-speaker-boehner-netanyahu-speech-bus.html
http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2015/01/dermer-on-netanyahu-boehner-and-iran/385003/
I'm just glad we have a smart man in office. Mr Orange Weepy Cheetos lover man Boehner's going to have a private meeting after POTUS sends Bibi packing, and it ain't gonna be pretty.
ReplyDeleteThis, of all the GOP antics, is beyond the pale. Boehner did this for one reason only, because he could and he thought he'd embarrass the President. All the GOP wants is bloodlust and endless war, Bebe knows how politics works in this country, he'd be a fool to go toe to toe with POTUS.
Couldn't happen to a nicer guy..............
ReplyDeleteThe political ramifications are clear: House Speaker John Boehner and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made a colossal mistake by conspiring behind President Obama’s back, and the move has ricocheted on both of them.
ReplyDelete...But inviting a foreign leader to speak at the Capitol without even informing the president, let alone consulting him, is a bald-faced usurpation for which there is no recent precedent.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/eugene-robinson-boehners-invitation-to-netanyahu-backfires-on-them-both/2015/01/29/4636fbf0-a7f4-11e4-a06b-9df2002b86a0_story.html