45 seconds of silence: Netanyahu stares down UN General Assembly over Iran's eliminationism towards Israel

Via the Free Beacon, I think this was meant to be reproachful in a sit-there-and-think-about-what-you’ve-done way. But this audience being what it is, most of them were thinking, “If Iran had gotten on with it already, we wouldn’t need to sit here and listen to this Jew talk.”

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The man for whom this message is most sharply intended wasn’t in the building today. And if he were, I’m pretty sure he wouldn’t be receptive either.

Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid on two different occasions this year went to White House chief of staff Denis McDonough seeking a public commitment from President Barack Obama that he would veto any U.N. resolution calling for an independent Palestinian state.

Both times, Obama did nothing.

The requests from Reid came as he was trying to line up Democratic support for the Iran nuclear agreement. If Obama explicitly sided with Israel against the possible U.N. resolution, Reid’s thinking went, it would give nervous Democrats cover to back the Iran deal, which Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vocally protested.

The repeated requests by Reid and Obama’s unwillingness to make a statement on the issue — confirmed by White House officials and Senate aides — highlights how wide the gulf between the Obama administration and Israeli government has become.

Look it at from O’s perspective. He knew that Reid’s caucus, ever fearful of being accused by the left of disloyalty to the King, would never cross him on the Iran deal no matter how little political cover he offered them to prove that they’re pro-Israel. Reid has been so dutiful in getting Senate Dems to line up behind unpopular initiatives like ObamaCare that he rode a filibuster-proof majority all the way down to minority status in the name of backing the president. He even blew up the filibuster to help Obama get his nominees confirmed. If he had crossed the White House once or twice on a big vote, O would have taken his concerns about the vote on a Palestinian state more seriously. As it is, he ended up treating Reid like — well, like Putin treats Obama.

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No worries, though. I’m sure there’ll be a moment of silence at the Security Council after the first Obama-enabled Iranian nuke hits Israel a decade or two from now. Unless Russia vetoes it, of course.

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Ed Morrissey 10:00 PM | November 21, 2024
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