WP: For Hillary and Bibi, a long and sometimes fraught relationship

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http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/for-hillary-and-bibi-a-long-and-sometimes-fraught-relationship/2015/03/01/fe6c7a26-bea9-11e4-b274-e5209a3bc9a9_story.html?hpid=z1

 

 

JERUSALEM — The phone call between Hillary Rodham Clinton and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu lasted 45 minutes. For 43 of them, she talked and he listened.

 

The U.S. secretary of state lectured the Israeli leader, accusing him of trying to do an end run around American opposition to settlement-building and embarrassing Vice President Biden during a visit to Israel, according to interviews with people present during the 2010 call or who were briefed on it afterward. She read from a script for part of the lecture, so as not to miss any key points.

 

“The word ‘humiliation’ appeared very prominently,” recalled Michael Oren, then the Israeli ambassador in Washington. “As in ‘You have humiliated the United States of America."

 

There probably aren’t many times in Netanyahu’s professional life when he has listened to anyone for 43 minutes. Netanyahu prefers to do the lecturing, as he will Tuesday when he addresses a joint meeting of Congress over the objections of the Obama administration.

 

And there aren’t many people who could make Netanyahu sit still for a tongue-lashing. Clinton is one of them.

[Slateman]

Bibi?

[Predicto]

Bibi?

 

 

That is the common nickname for Netanyahu, among his own supporters.

[The Sisko]

Netanyoohoo is a putz. Israel is willing to fight to the death down to their last American soldier/dollar. If they want to play the hard line, then let them go toe to toe with Iran themselves. Sure they'll ultimately win but at least we won't be the ones doing the dying and paying to cover the costs for a change. Let's see Bibi deal with and pay for the wounded vets, PTSD and figure out how to pay for things if it becomes a quagmire. I'm sick of us being Israel's proxy army in the region all the while covering for much of the costs on top of it.