No doubt Netanyahu gave a rousing speech. But will the speech have as much impact on the prospective nuclear deal with Iran as it will have on US-Israel relations? And will it ultimately help or hurt Netanyahu's re-election bid?
No one questioned Netanyahu's right or even responsibility to comment on the deal. The only thing questioned was the time and place of his remarks. It was a good speech. Who knows... Netanyahu might even be right that this deal is not wise. (Until a world government is established, we will go on walking through the minefield that is internationalism.) But no matter how things turn out, there will be no way to prove one way or the other that the world would have been better off with no deal rather than a bad deal.
A few days from now, Netanyahu's speech before the US Congress will be largely forgotten. In the meantime, Netanyahu returns home to a country with upcoming elections and pressing domestic issues (housing shortage, economic slowdown, and deteriorating medical services). On top of that, conditions with Israel's most reliable ally have now taken a turn for the worse.
Will Israelis welcome Netanyahu home as a hero and re-install him as their prime minister, or will they usher him into political retirement? To the extent that this even matters, we will know the answer in a few weeks. But while this almost certainly was Netanyahu's primary concern while standing before the US Congress, it probably makes little difference for Israelis as a whole or the people of the world collectively. Political democracy is all smoke and mirrors. At the end of the day, the rich get richer, and the poor get poorer – elephants romp, and the grass gets trampled.
No one questioned Netanyahu's right or even responsibility to comment on the deal. The only thing questioned was the time and place of his remarks. It was a good speech. Who knows... Netanyahu might even be right that this deal is not wise. (Until a world government is established, we will go on walking through the minefield that is internationalism.) But no matter how things turn out, there will be no way to prove one way or the other that the world would have been better off with no deal rather than a bad deal.
A few days from now, Netanyahu's speech before the US Congress will be largely forgotten. In the meantime, Netanyahu returns home to a country with upcoming elections and pressing domestic issues (housing shortage, economic slowdown, and deteriorating medical services). On top of that, conditions with Israel's most reliable ally have now taken a turn for the worse.
Will Israelis welcome Netanyahu home as a hero and re-install him as their prime minister, or will they usher him into political retirement? To the extent that this even matters, we will know the answer in a few weeks. But while this almost certainly was Netanyahu's primary concern while standing before the US Congress, it probably makes little difference for Israelis as a whole or the people of the world collectively. Political democracy is all smoke and mirrors. At the end of the day, the rich get richer, and the poor get poorer – elephants romp, and the grass gets trampled.
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