Flying 5817 Miles to File a Complaint

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin (Bibi) Netanyahu speaking in Washington yesterday

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made his much debated invitational address before a joint session of the U.S. Congress yesterday.  He spoke for 31 minutes and 37 seconds.  

what eye thynk:    I expect the debate over the right or wrong, the good or bad of his appearance will continue for some time; but I think the real question should be:  Why did he bother to make the trip at all?

During his time as a Washington headliner, he took a few minutes to praise President Obama and the United States' long support of Israel; but the bulk of his address was spent on carping about Iran.  

He listed problem after problem related to Israel-Iran relations, (without ever admitting that Israel shares at least some of the guilt for the enmity that exists between the two countries).  He re-stated all the reasons Iran should be prevented from developing nuclear weapons, (without acknowledging that Israel already has them and has no intention of dismantling  their program).  He cataloged all the reasons a U.S.-Iran nuclear treaty was wrong for Israel, (without offering any consideration that it might be right for the U.S. and the rest of the world).  He insisted that a "red line" must be drawn to halt Iran's nuclear program, (but offered no insight into how or where that line should be drawn, though he seemed to assume that we should wield the crayon). 

The right seemed to expect that Mr. Netanyahu would arrive with ideas and insights that would convince America and the world that the President's use of diplomacy in negotiating a nuclear arms treaty with Iran is wrong-headed and should be abandoned.  What Mr. Netanyahu offered instead was this tired retread of their essential complaint against Iran:  Israel hates Iran and doesn't want Iran to have a nuclear weapon. 

He came a long way to state the obvious.

He offered nothing momentous or meaningful, or even remotely useful.  He offered nothing new--no suggestions, no new insight, no hint of a willingness to engage in a diplomatic solution, no concessions, no compromises. 

Despite this, or more likely because of this, it is easy to see why Republicans like him.   His entire presentation was a mirror image of the GOP vs. President Obama playbook.  

• Position: We hate  Obama  Iran.
• Goal: Bring about downfall of  Obama  Iran.
• Strategy: a) Answer "No" to anything proposed by or for  Obama  Iran.
• Strategy: b) Offer no alternatives or compromises to anything proposed by or for  Obama  Iran. 

I'm sort of surprised the Tea Party didn't make Bibi an honorary member and send him home with a crate of Don't Tread on Me flags.

Benjamin Netanyahu, Prime Minister of Israel, stood before a joint session of the U.S. Congress for 31 minutes and 37 seconds and whined...period.  As mimicry of congressional Republicans, it was art.  As a profitable example of time well spent, it was farce.

He could have saved a lot of time  by simply airing his complaints on Facebook. Then we all could have chimed in and told him to get back to us when he had grown up and had something constructive to offer.  

We could even have included a reminder to check with the President first before scheduling his next flight.  After all, 5817 miles is a long way to come when all you have to show for it in the end is a box of yellow snake flags.