Obama, The Party Crasher

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February 7, 2013, 5 PM ET

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United States President Barack Hussein Obama's surprise announcement that he's visiting is so badly timed that he's like some chutzpadik relative who always manages to arrive at the wrong time. Right now, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu is having an awfully difficult time putting together his third official coalition. One of the reasons is that the Likud is smaller than hoped for, so he does need thirty plus MKs to have just a minimal coalition. And the other reason is that the two main possible partners, Yesh Atid's Yair Lapid and NRP-Bayit Yehudi's Naftali Bennett are very new to the political business. The timing of Obama's announcement, that he is davka now accepting the long-standing invitation to visit Israel is worse than rude. He's interfering with internal Israeli politics by putting pressure on Netanyahu to come up with a cabinet/coalition he-Obama can feel would welcome him. I don't care and don't believe the statements from Obama's office that he doesn't plan on pressuring etc., because his visit would be pressure.

U.S. officials say no breakthroughs are expected during the president's trip and reviving peace process in the near term is not seen as realistic • White House emphasizes that the president's focus will be brokering a new beginning with Netanyahu. Obama reminds me of some obnoxious old relative who suddenly announces to a newly engaged couple that he's visiting on a certain date, and therefore that's the date they must get married, because it's convenient for him. He's the old crotchety "uncle" who thinks he can run the family, but he doesn't really have any authority. Netanyahu would have had been wiser just to send an official message that he is not making entertainment plans just right now. If Obama had no trouble waiting all the four plus years since his last visit, he can just wait a bit longer. I have no inside knowledge about the coalition negotiations, but it does not look good or easy for Netanyahu. That doesn't seem to be a secret. The only solution is to remember that the only real authority is G-d Almighty, so let's pray. Visit Shiloh Musings.