nyahu vs. Obama // (John Hinderaker)

An autobiography entitled Bibi – My Story was written by Benjamin Netanyahu, former Prime Minister of Israel. The Jerusalem Post reveals Netanyahu’s tension with Barack Obama.

Barack Obama threatened Netanyahu during their first meeting at the White House in 2009.

Obama stated, as the meeting was about ending, “You know, people sometimes read me wrong, however, I am from Chicago.” “I can deal with tough rivals.”

Netanyahu then said that Obama had done something else, which “deeply shocked me” because it was so contrary to his reserved character. It was clear that the message was intended to incite fear in me.

Netanyahu doesn’t mention what Obama did. However, a biography of Obama that was published recently contains this account.

[I]n a newly published biography of the prime Minister called Cracking The Netanyahu Code journalist Mazal Mualem stated that Obama gestured like he was cutting someone’s throat, while simultaneously claiming that he knows how deal with Netanyahu.

That’s all I can say. More from Netanyahu’s autobiography.

Netanyahu wrote after Obama was elected president that he felt the tension between the two was more than the usual pressure from the US presidents over the Palestinian question, but rather was “something deeper, ideologically and personally.”

Netanyahu expressed frustration that Obama could not support him when it came time to stop the Iranian nuclear program.

Former Obama chief of staff Rahm Emmanuel “tied America’s ability to stop Iran’s advances in the nuclear region to our advances on Palestinian track,” the ex-prime minister lamented. He stated that the equation was as clear as day. The US could not move to stop Iran without obtaining something in return for the Palestinians.

The Post article linked to talks in detail about Netanyahu’s speech before Congress, which was bitterly opposed by the Obama administration.

According to the autobiography, Joe Biden is portrayed as a friend in the generally hostile Obama administration. The Post comments

Netanyahu, who hopes that he will return to the Prime Minister’s Office after the November 1, election, was careful not to criticize US President Joe Biden and portrayed him as a friend to Israel.

This might be true if you compare it to Barack Obama.