When Binyamin Netanyahu began meddling in the U.S. election on Mitt Romney’s behalf, he began an unprecedented and brazen gambit that, this morning, has disastrously backfired.
And Israelis know it.
With Netanyahu’s own election only months away (set for January 22), pundits this morning in Israel recognize the clear damage Netanyahu has done to himself by disrespecting President Obama and betting on the wrong man.
Larry Derfner of +972 Magazine thinks last night may soon lead to Netanyahu’s demise:
If there is one loser in the U.S. election outside the U.S., it is Benjamin Netanyahu – and all of Israel knows it. No one is fooled by his denials that he backed Romney and opposed Obama as demonstratively as he possibly could. The widespread conviction, now that Obama has won four more years in the White House, is that Bibi has endangered Israel’s relationship with America in a way that is unprecedented in its recklessness. No Israeli prime minister ever took sides in a U.S. presidential election like Netanyahu just did, and his side lost.
If Romney had won, people here would be hailing Bibi right now as a genius, a prophet. But Obama won, which makes Bibi, in Israeli eyes, a screw-up of historic magnitude. He went and tracked mud on the Oval Office carpet right in front of the president’s eyes. The president couldn’t say anything during the campaign because of American domestic politics, but the campaign’s over and now Israelis are wondering when and how this newly-liberated president is going to take revenge on them for their prime minister’s spectacular arrogance. Conclusion: The only way to get America back on our side is to get rid of Bibi.
While Derfner may not be right that Netanyahu’s reckless and disrespectful treatment of President Obama will cost him his job, he is correct in noting how damaging this may be for Netanyahu.
In more measured tones, Haaretz’s Barak Ravid agrees:
The prime minister and his advisers followed Tuesday night’s developments on a split screen – on the left side, the U.S. elections, on the right side, the primaries in the Bayit Hayehudi party. The prime minister is fighting against both Obama and Naftali Bennett, and openly helped both of their opponents. In both cases, his gamble turned out to be wrong. Netanyahu woke up to a morning in which Obama is celebrating in Chicago and new Habayait Hayehudi leader Bennett is celebrating in Tel Aviv. For his miscalculations, Netanyahu will pay twice over – in the mandates that the Likud will lose.
Bottom line?
If you’re going to spectacularly and shockingly meddle in an election of your most critical ally, you’d better place your bets carefully.
Netanyahu didn’t.
As Matt Duss Tweeted through a grin:
Dear Bibi: Remember that time you lectured President Obama in the Oval Office? Because President Obama does.
– Matt Duss (@mattduss) November 7, 2012
You know who else remembers when Netanyahu lectured Obama in the Oval Office and in front of the U.S. electorate?
The Israeli electorate.
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Netanyahu read the American scene wrong from the start and thought all along that Obama was going to be a single term president.
By last summer, Netanyahu had little to lose by go overt in trying to trash Obama’s chances.
This election showed that the American people can and will – sep the ultra idiots from the people fooled with lies – America has grown some – to not take revenge on the children – fooled by lies of a selfish man or woman – No need to hide – in your house’s – come out children take your place – over that which made you hide your eyes ….
perhaps Netanyahu came to the US to thump his chest and make himself tough for his constituency at home, he hs an election comic top in January
As an american, I’m am very offended by Benjamin Netanyahu’s behavior 1st by the very stupidly outbust toward the U.S. that he made during September because our President (and yes he is Our President) because Obama is trying to keep Netanyahu from wanting to push the button and not just risk the lives of his own people, Israel, but he really stepped into “Stuck on
Stupid” mode when he put himself in “Our Election” by betting on Romney. I also have to add fuel to the fire by adding that Netanyahu reeeeally p*********ed me off when he blantanly disrespected our President by lecturing him. Where you get off doing something as disrespectful as that? The actions of Netanyahu just shows how much he as a man lacks character. Israel needs to get rid of him immediately because our President may as well just decide that he may need to severe ties with Israel because of Netnayhu’s stupendous stupitidy.
The US will not be severe ties anytime in the future.
I always thought that Bibi is a fascist.
Now it has become evident that he is a stupid fascist.
Otto, disagree or agree with Bibi, but calling him a Fascist only makes you look like a fool. fascists don’t stand for election. Think about it
Obama isn’t about to punish Netanyahu or Isreal for any such misstep. Obama is bigger than that. Too much rides on our relationship with the Iseaeli people to get stupid now.
Oh, Netanyahu is a fascist alright. Has been for a while too. And there are fascists that do stand for election. They normally use them to get to power if they cannot do it by an overt coup d’etat of some sort. Bush in 2000. And don’t give me the Supreme Court story. We all know. Since when does any court decide a democratic (…..) election?
I am afraid Netanyahu is not the only fascist and racist in Israel up for election. Makes me think….somewhere last century….
Abigail: I am afraid Netanyahu is not the only fascist and racist in Israel up for election. Makes me think….somewhere last century.
Wow! You are comparing a Jew to the leader of the Nazi party. Oh you’re not the first one to parade this perverted view of history here or elsewhere.There are this who would drink you kool aid and get intoxicated with your hatred. I think you would feel far more comfortable on a site run by Aryan Nation.