Bibi Netanyahu Takes Over America While Obama's Away
While Barack Obama was sharing fine teas and cakes with the Queen of England and Kate Middleton in London today, hawkish Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu swooped himself into a long, colorful address to a joint session of Congress. Everyone loved the guy, especially Republicans! Is there any sort of waiver or whatever that they can give him to run for the U.S. presidency? Some would hope.
It's an interesting speech to watch if only for the manner in which Netanyahu delivered it. The whole time he's leaning both arms on the dais, cracking jokes, telling old war tales — it's like grandpa moved into the Capitol Hill attic apartment and makes you stick around for pontification sessions each time you trek up the creaky stairs to bring him his fresh-squeezed midday lemonade.
And the fireworks! A Palestinian protester interrupted the speech at one point, and was immediately booed, subdued, detained, and finally drowned out by loud congressional applause. Bibi celebrated this moment as a proud exercise in free speech. Well, sure? Check it out in the clip up top.