The New York Times\’ dislike – even detestation – of Israel is well known and has been going on for a long time.
But now that Benjamin Netanyahu – which The Timesdislikes/detests even more than Israel itself – has been re-elected as Prime Minister, it is even more emphatic.
Today\’s paper has not one, but two Page 1 articles featuring what\’s wrong with Mr. Netanyahu and the country he leads.
-One is titled “At White House A Sharper Tone With Netanyahu” in the print edition and “White House Antagonism Toward Netanyahu Grows” in the online version. It discusses how President Obama is going to make Netanyahu (thus Israel) pay for his victory, and laments that he has been against the nuclear “deal” Obama is determined to strike with Iran – one which Netanyahu, correctly, sees as putting Israel\’s survival in danger. Its key paragraphs tell us that:
Ina congratulatory call to Mr. Netanyahu on Thursday that Mr. Obamawaited two days to place, the president chided the prime minister forhis pre-election declaration that no Palestinian state would beestablished on his watch.
AlthoughMr. Netanyahu has since tried to backtrackon those comments,Mr. Obama said that they had nonetheless forced his administration toreassess certain aspects of its policy toward Israel, according to aWhite House official who offered details of the call only on thecondition of anonymity.
In other words, Obama held off “congratulating” Netanyahu for two days, then, instead of actually congratulations he lectured him on a statement which – as has been shown clearly in a previous blog – he did not make (Netanyahu rejected a Palestinian state under the conditions which obtain today, under current conditions.)
-The other is titled “Israeli Leader Further Divides American Jews” in the print edition, and “Netanyahu Tactics Anger Many U.S. Jews, Deepening a Divide” in the online version. It attacks Netanyahu as “a polarizing figure among American Jews – which now, according to the article, is even worse than before. Its key paragraph tell us that:
Mr. Netanyahu\’s party won the election and cheers from hawkish American Jews. But in interviews this week, rabbis, scholars and Jews from across the country and a range of denominations said that with his campaign tactics, he had further divided American Jews and alienated even some conservatives, who had already suspected that he was more committed to building settlements than to building peace with the Palestinians.In other words, other than “hawkish Jews”, pretty much no one likes Netanyahu or his political stances. That should be quite a surprise to the Israeli population which surged in his favor over the last week of the election, and to the US congress which gave him 15 standing ovations when he spoke here earlier this month.
No wonder The Times and Barack Obama have had such a prolonged love affair. Look at what a strong common interest they have.
