Also, finding it really funny to see liberals and progressives sitting around discussing what the appropriate punishment is for a sovereign state refusing to oust its leader on the order of the US President.
A foreign government openly trying to push out a country's leader causes a backlash of nationalism. Water is wet.
What are you talking about? What did Obama do that was out of line? If Netanyahu doesn't like what Obama is doing he should cut Israeli military aid to the US. Oh wait, we send Israel military aid, so maybe respect is due.
Netanyahu has tried to strong-arm President Obama and flagrantly insulted him with that speech. And, don't forget, Netanyahu basically endorsed Romney and openly disrespects Obama. He acts like Israel defends the US, not the other way around. We are the superpower and we provide for Israel's defense.
Israel is acting like a trust fund kid that gets angry when their parent buys them a BMW in charcoal gray instead of black. What exactly has Obama done to hurt Israel? Nothing. Obama is pro-Israel and has held to the same position on Israel as previous Presidents. Certainly, Obama is more pro-Israel than George H.W. Bush or Bill Clinton.
Do I think Obama should punish Israel because Netanyahu is surly, right-wing egomaniac? No. The fundamentals of our relationship with Israel go beyond personality politics. And, Obama is a bigger man than Bibi. But, no US President has ever tolerated this kind of disrespect from what is essentially a country on the US trust-fund and no President has ever made our policy unconditional support for settlements in the West Bank.
To say nothing of Bibi's strategy of explicitly stoking fear and racial hatred to drive up his poll numbers, with the whole "vote for me because those ARABS are going out to the polls!" push. That, far more than his petty disrespect of Obama, is the serious betrayal of trust and democratic principles here.
