Now admittedly the left of center Israeli newspaper Haaretz rarely has anything good to say about Bibi Netanyahu. But they really take him to task for not attending Nelson Mandela’s funeral.
Nixing Mandela funeral as too costly, Bibi shows world what he’s truly made of
In his eleventh-hour decision against attending the funeral of Nelson Mandela, Benjamin Netanyahu proved that he is not the smug, petty, vindictive, waffling, in-your-face insulting man he seems. He’s something worse.
The problem is not so much that the prime minister had first informed the South African government that he would, in fact, attend the ceremony, alongside Presidents Obama, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton, French President Francois Hollande, and scores of other world dignitaries, among them Iranian President Hassan Rohani, in what is expected to be a world gathering unprecedented in scope.
Nor is the basic problem the fact that the decision was made so abruptly and with such lack of consultation, that the office of President Shimon Peres was thrown for a loop, and it was unclear if arrangements could be made to have Peres represent Israel in Netanyahu’s stead.
The problem is the reason Netanyahu chose to give: Money. The trip would cost too much. The problem, then, is the message Netanyahu has chosen to send:
The article goes on to point out that Israel wants to be a a member of the world community but refuses to go to a function where nearly every other world leader is present. Is it because Nelson Mandela offered support for the Palestinians? Or perhaps because Iranian President Hassan Rohani was attending? It really doesn’t matter, Netanyahu has proved that his government has no interest in being part of the world community.
And as for the expense:
At home, the decision has been interpreted as Netanyahu’s response to recent reports of profligate household spending.
Bottom line, Netanyahu seems to be suggesting: I have learned my lesson from having lavish bedrooms installed in airliners for relatively short trips, and for overspending taxpayers’ money on flowers and candles and pool water for my three homes.
I will economize. No more empty frills. Like the Mandela funeral.
I used to be a strong supporter of Israel. In recent years not so much and I see a similar reaction from my Jewish friends here in the Portland area. Bottom line, the right wing government lead by Netanyahu continues to alienate and isolate itself from the rest of the world. Perhaps the greatest threat to the State of Israel is it’s own right wing government.
Update: