It seems that the leftist media and Obama’s supporters in the United States, Europe, and Israel have decided that the only way they can defeat Benjamin Netanyahu in the upcoming Israeli elections is through personal attacks to humiliate and ridicule him as well as by arguing that his allegedly offensive and embarrassing behavior will have harsh consequences for Israel.

Attacking the messenger instead of the message is an easy strategy when the left lacks any credible alternative message or leader and is still perceived by most Israelis as too weak on security and too apologetic and appeasing on foreign affairs. While most French Jews were cheering and chanting Bibi’s name in the Paris synagogue during his visit following the supermarket terrorist attack, the left began criticizing his so called “shameless” behavior in Paris. When he received the great honor of being invited a third time to speak in front of an adoring U.S. Congress, and was personally criticized by the shameless Obama administration, the left was eager to join in the attacks.

It should be clear by now that Obama and Kerry, as well as the French and the Europeans, wish to have an Israel without Netanyahu and prefer a government led by Tzipi Livni and Isaac Hertzog, the leaders of the opposition camp. They dream of a Palestinian state as well as a “make-believe” negotiated diplomatic agreement with the Iranians over their nuclear program, despite the fact that this dream will lead to another Hamastan and a threshold nuclear Iranian state. They know they cannot intimidate Netanyahu to fulfill their wishes, but they know from past experience that Livni and Hertzog will be naïve and weak enough to follow in the footsteps of their previous leaders and mentors from Kadima and Labor, such as prime ministers Yitzhak Rabin, Ehud Barak, Shimon Peres, Ehud Olmert, and Ariel Sharon.

In Paris, the only shameless party was the French government for its rude treatment of the prime minister of the only Jewish state following a brutal massacre of Jews. The clueless leftists embarrassed themselves by taking the side of the French and joining them in criticizing Netanyahu for “offending” the French.

The facts show otherwise. Initially, French President Francois Hollande suggested that Netanyahu, who has been at the frontlines of the international campaign against Islamic terrorism, absent himself from the global leadership gathering because his presence would introduce the “divisive Israeli-Palestinian” issue. At the same time Hollande invited the Turkish prime minister, who has been a major supporter of the terrorist organization Hamas.

To make matters worse, when Netanyahu made clear his intention to attend, the head of the French National Security Council threatened that the Jewish State would face harsh consequences. Immediately, the French president himself found the time in the midst of a terrorist siege of Paris to personally invite Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas to demonstrate “even-handedness” -- the same Abbas who was the assistant to the notorious terrorist Yasir Arafat and who himself has  incited anti-Jewish hatred and violence. While the media complained that Netanyahu pushed himself to the front row, they ignored the fact that both the Turkish prime minster and Abbas were given the honor by the French to walk at the front of the demonstration. Moreover, Hollande subsequently displayed rudeness when he and his government delegation departed from the Grand Synagogue just prior to Netanyahu’s comforting address. 

Since his acceptance of the Congressional invitation, the leftist media and Obama stooges from the Democratic Party have criticized Netanyahu saying that his acceptance of an invitation by the Republican-controlled Congress shows that he is willing to meddle in U.S. politics and undermine the strategic alliance with the U.S. to win an election.

The facts show that these accusations are baseless and politically motivated. Netanyahu has long been loved by the bipartisan U.S. Congress. It would be Netanyahu’s third speech in front of Congress and in 2011, after a publicly tense meeting at the White House with Obama over policy disagreements, Netanyahu got 29 standing ovations by both Democrats and Republicans.

Moreover, Netanyahu’s stand on additional sanctions is not partisan and many Democrats in the Congress side with his position and against Obama. Just last week,  Bob Menendez, the highest-ranking Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, condemned President Obama’s State of the Union talking points on Iran saying ”The more I hear from the administration and its quotes, the more it sounds like talking points  that come straight out of Teheran.” The administration is fuming over Netanyahu’s plan to address Congress regarding the Iranian threat, telling Haaretz that ”He spat in our face publicly.”  On January 16, British Prime Minster David Cameron admitted in a joint conference with Obama that he has been directly contacting some U.S. Senators to advocate against further sanctions on Iran. Cameron said that his calls were not intended in any way to tell the American Senate what it should do or should not do. Instead, he wanted to tell the U.S. Senate the UK’s opinion. Condemning Netanyahu for doing the same thing is shameless and hypocritical.

Anonymous White House threats that “Netanyahu ought to remember that President Obama has a year and a half to his presidency and there will be a price“ will backfire. Israelis have only one Jewish State and they are not willing to rely on Obama or the French to ensure its survival. 

Shoula Romano Horing blogs at: www.shoularomanohoring.com