Bibi-Obama duel continues

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has maneuvered himself into a dangerous trap, just as he always does. If he gets off his high horse now by canceling his appearance before the US Congress, he will become the butt of jokes and an embarrassment in the Israeli political arena. If he insists on going, despite the fervent opposition of just about everyone, he could deal the final blow to his relationship with the Obama administration, which could result in immediate punitive actions. For now, Netanyahu still insists on going, even though one leader of the Zionist Camp, Knesset member Shelly Yachimovich, told me Feb. 7 that if Netanyahu abandons his speech before Congress, her party promises not to attack or mock him for that.

Meanwhile, the conflict between Netanyahu and US President Barack Obama reached Hollywood proportions Feb. 9, when each of the two men addressed the issue publicly at almost the same time. Netanyahu was speaking at an election event for the Likud Party. Obama was giving a news conference in the White House with German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

While Netanyahu announced that he's determined to go to Washington and address Congress March 3, and that while a bad agreement with Iran is taking shape, people are focusing on protocol, Obama commented on Netanyahu’s intentions: “What’s the rush? Unless your view is that it's not possible to get a deal with Iran and it shouldn't even be tested. … I don’t accept that.”

Obama added that he would not meet with Netanyahu during his visit, because the practice is not to meet with foreign leaders right before elections in their countries. “As much as I love Angela,” he said, “if she was two weeks away from an election, she probably would not have received an invitation to the White House, and I suspect she wouldn't have asked for one.”