America: Netanyahu flying in on a wing and a prayer

Netanyahu’s address will fortuitously take place on the eve of the Jewish Festival of Purim when Jews remember the foiled plot in Persia (now Iran) in the 4th century AD.

By DAVID SINGER
Updated: JULY 6, 2015 18:01
Sara and Benjamin Netanyahu (photo credit: AMOS BEN GERSHOM, GPO)
Sara and Benjamin Netanyahu
(photo credit: AMOS BEN GERSHOM, GPO)
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s trip to Washington this week went ahead despite unsuccessful attempts from far and wide to shoot him down in flames before he is even airborne.
President Obama’s unsuccessful attempt to stop Netanyahu’s visit by claiming  breach of protocol  – represents an ugly attempt to deny Netanyahu his right to freely address the Congress – the very nerve center of the world’s leading democracy.
 
Netanyahu has not been deterred by many Democrats threatening to boycott his speech.
At least 30 House Democrats and four Democrat Senators will not be on hand to hear what Netanyahu has to say concerning the threat to world security and peace posed by Iran’s implacable march towards producing a nuclear bomb and its threat to use such a bomb to eradicate the State of Israel.
Netanyahu has ignored the entreaties of a panoply of American Jewish groups and Israel’s opposition parties pleading he cancel his visit:
“When there is something that is connected to our very existence, what do they expect the prime minister to do, bow his head and accept something that is dangerous in order to have good relations? I think the relations are strong enough to overcome the disagreements, and that Iran with an atomic bomb is much more dangerous than one disagreement or another [with the US].”
American-Israeli relations were irreversibly intertwined when the Congress - voting 407-9 – and the Senate – voting 95-3 - overwhelmingly endorsed the commitments made by President Bush in his letter to Israel’s Prime Minister Ariel Sharon dated 14 April 2004.
Among those commitments was an unequivocal declaration that:
“The United States is strongly committed to Israel’s security and well-being as a Jewish state.”
Netanyahu’s address will fortuitously take place on the eve of the Jewish Festival of Purim when Jews remember the foiled plot in Persia (now Iran) in the 4th century AD:
“to destroy, kill and annihilate all the Jews, young and old, infants and women, in a single day.”
Netanyahu has observed:
“it is the same Persia with a regime that is waving the banner of destroying the state of the Jews. The means by which they intend on implementing this threat is with many atomic bombs.”
Netanyahu flew into Washington accompanied by Israel’s ambassador to the United States – Ron Dermer – and all his top advisors.
They will – in the words of the World War II patriotic song - be:
Comin' in on a wing and a prayer
Comin' in on a wing and a prayer
With our full crew on board
And our trust in the Lord
We're comin' in on a wing and a prayer
As for trusting in the Lord, Obama and those churlish Senators and Congressmen who don’t have the decency to listen to what Netanyahu has to say, might well recall the following words from Psalm 83:
“O God, do not keep silence;
    do not hold your peace or be still, O God!
2 For behold, your enemies make an uproar;
    those who hate you have raised their heads.
3 They lay crafty plans against your people;
    they consult together against your treasured ones.
4 They say, “Come, let us wipe them out as a nation;
    let the name of Israel be remembered no more!”
5 For they conspire with one accord;
    against you they make a covenant
The Jews have long memories of past attempts over many centuries to exterminate them – as Jew hatred once again spreads its evil roots around the globe.
The ancient Jewish Book - Ecclesiastes – proclaims:
“there is no new thing under the sun."
President Obama – are you listening?