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Mitt Romney’s trip to Israel, like his whole brief overseas tour, was initially viewed as just a box-checking exercise typical of any presidential nominee with no foreign policy experience. Yes, it’s especially important for a Republican candidate to show his party’s conservative evangelical voting base he’s got some Holy Land street cred, and it’s also worth remembering that Israel is about the only ally conservatives are particularly high on these days (all those other “allies” tend to be “socialist” by U.S. conservative standards).
But as it turns out, Romney’s visit was less noteworthy for his pandering to Israelis and their U.S. supporters than for his love fest with Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu, as Haaretz’s Barak Ravid explains:
The speech itself sounded as if it could have been written by Netanyahu’s bureau. So it’s no surprise that when the two met later for dinner, Netanyahu thanked him for his “support for Israel and Jerusalem.”
In general, Netanyahu embraced Romney as no Israeli prime minister has ever before embraced a candidate running against an incumbent U.S. president: Aside from their working meeting in the morning, Netanyahu also hosted Romney and his wife and sons for dinner at his official residence.
Romney’s entire visit to Israel was born in the Prime Minister’s Office. According to Tablet Magazine, those who cooked up the visit over breakfasts at the King David Hotel in Jerusalem a month ago were Romney’s adviser Dan Senor and Netanyahu’s adviser, Ron Dermer, who himself hails from a Republican family in Miami.
The two clandestinely planned the visit in order to preempt Barak Obama visiting Israel before the Republican candidate.
Mitt ‘n’ Bibi, of course, go way back to their days together at the Boston Consulting Group:
“We can almost speak in shorthand,” Mr. Romney said in an interview. “We share common experiences and have a perspective and underpinning which is similar.”
Mr. Netanyahu attributed their “easy communication” to what he called “B.C.G.’s intellectually rigorous boot camp.”
So the regularly embattled Netanyahu not only gave Romney over-the-top encouragement, but secured reciprocally respect from his American buddy, notes Ravak: Romney’s staff picked the 150 guests carefully. Religious American immigrants dominated the crowd; secular Jews and native-born Israelis were few and far between. Those present included Jewish-American millionaires, settler leaders like the former chairman of the Yesha Council of settlements Israel Harel, and former Netanyahu aides such as Dore Gold, Naftali Bennett, Ayelet Shaked and Yoaz Hendel.
But the chief symbol of the Mitt/Bibi alliance was the prominent presence of a certain common benefactor:
The best places at the center of the first row were given, as expected, to Sheldon and Miriam Adelson. The casino magnate and owners of the Yisrael Hayom newspaper is considered one of the strongest supporters of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The $100 million that Adelson pledged to donate to Romney in order to get Obama out of the White House is the oil in the wheels of Romney’s election campaign.
I don’t think it’s terribly unfair to suggest that in the event of a Romney victory and a continued Netanyahu government in Israel, the future of the Middle East is likely to be shaped according to the wishes of Sheldon Adelson. If you find that frightening, you are not alone.
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stormskies on July 30, 2012 12:57 PM:
“We can almost speak in shorthand,” Mr. Romney said in an interview. “We share common experiences and have a perspective and underpinning which is similar.”
and then reality:
July 30, 2012 08:00 AM
Bibi Netanyahu: No, Mitt Romney Isn't A Close Friend of Mine
By Blue Texan
Mitt Romney, who's currently in Israel holding secretive fundraisers out of the view of the press, loves to brag about his close friendship with with Bibi Netanyahu.
“We can almost speak in shorthand,” Mr. Romney said in an interview. “We share common experiences and have a perspective and underpinning which is similar.” [...] “Before I made a statement of that nature, I’d get on the phone to my friend Bibi Netanyahu and say: ‘Would it help if I say this? What would you like me to do?’"
And,
“Israel’s current prime minister is not just a friend, he’s an old friend,” Mitt Romney, with whom Netanyahu worked at the Boston Consulting Group in the 1970s, told aipac in March.
Mitt and Bibi: BFFs!
Except no one told Bibi.
“I remember him for sure, but I don’t think we had any particular connections,” he tells me. “I knew him and he knew me, I suppose.”
Yes, Bibi Netanyahu just called Mitt Romney a liar.
First of all, take a moment to imagine the howling by Jennifer Rubin and the rest of the right-wing smear machine if President Obama had bragged about being buddies with the Israeli Prime Minister in '08, only to have the Israeli leader say publicly, "Obama? Yeah. I suppose I've heard of him."
Now, it's easy to believe Romney's lying -- he lies about everything. But Bibi didn't have to throw him under the bus like that.
So what gives?
Either Bibi has concluded that Romney's going to lose in November, or he just doesn't like him. Can't think of anything else. Got any other theories?
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And, of course, you didn't see or hear any of this on CBS news last night that dutifully served up a propaganda piece to help the corporate automaton buffoon Romney.
leopoldvonranke on July 30, 2012 1:01 PM:
Just a suggestion, since "there should be no daylight" between Israeli policy and that of the United States. Should Romney be elected, why not just give Netanyahu dual citizenship ala Murdoch, and annoint Mr. Netenyahu Secretary of State. Serving in the dual role of PM of Israel and U.S. Secretary of State, Mr. Netanyahu could enforce even more strongly, the "no daylight" rule Republicans seem to favor.
Also, isn't it odd that Romney endorsed Israel's single payor plan with ragard to health care?
Mimikatz on July 30, 2012 1:07 PM:
Oh goody--war in the first 100 days of a Romney Presidency. Dan Señor as Sec of State. Horrifying. Bibi may not be Mitt's great bud, but the Adelson connection is glue enough for two consummate opportunists.
Adelson also cares about the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, as do many other Romney supporters.
c u n d gulag on July 30, 2012 1:10 PM:
From everything I've seen of him over the past few decades, Bibi's W with a slightly higher IQ, combined with a slightly softer version of Cheney.
Diane Rodriguez on July 30, 2012 1:22 PM:
Bibi is a true believer and a major national hero to the over 45-50 age group. Pretty sure Mitt is terrified of him and was holding his breath and covering his balls during his entire visit.
I have to reiterate N.Wells' comment from yesterday - lets hear a response about all that co-opting of Jews into Mormon church membership after death. Seems like it would be a major problem for followers of the Jewish faith. Secondly, why didn't Mitt leave a note at the Wall? Obviously, no one gave him a draft and he's really not capable of independent thought.
Al on July 30, 2012 1:25 PM:
Governor Romney is simply reaffirming America's support of or ally Israel.
Naturally liberals prefer BHO's kowtowing to Islamists in his tour of the middle east a year ago.
internet tough guy on July 30, 2012 1:29 PM:
Al's lost his touch.
Kathryn on July 30, 2012 1:42 PM:
While surfing the web last night, found some articles from Israeli paper. Apparently, Romney had scheduled a meeting with the Israeli opposition leader/leaders (two, I think) and abruptly cancelled a couple of hours before. Opinion in Israel was that Bibi and staff got to the ever malleable Romney, which of course they denied. So folks, it seems to me , that along with the pandering and over the top rhetoric, Romney just shown Netenyahu that he has no spine. So he can be controlled and played and basically told what to do by the self serving Netenyahu. Did he not just cede our policy in regard to Israel and the two state solution to a foreign country? Mr. Tough Guy should not be trusted to keep the interest of the U.S. his number one concern.
Bibi must be licking his chops.
stormskies on July 30, 2012 1:47 PM:
Thanks for that post Kathryn..........speaks for itself. s
Bokonon on July 30, 2012 1:51 PM:
Right, Al. Because Romney's not kowtowing to Bibi Netanyahu and the Likud Party - no, not at all! He is just relentlessly kissing ass in the most craven, pandering way possible. Kiss kiss kiss. Smack.
And Romney is undermining US foreign policy while he does so. But hey, it's all cool when a Republican does something like that ... anything that furthers the GOP, right? Romney raked in a lot of cash for exploiting that leverage!! Bucks, baby, major bucks!
I am sure you will hail all of this as a triumph.
davidp on July 30, 2012 1:59 PM:
If Romney is elected, it will become US policy to recognise Israeli annexation of the occupied territories. He has probably already promised this to Adelson.
exlibra on July 30, 2012 2:11 PM:
davidp, @1:59,
Never mind what he's "probably" promised to Adelson (in secret). He's *publicly* supported Jerusalem as the capital, to which he'll move the US Embassy. That, by itself, means he has no interest in negotiating a two-state solution with Palestinians and accepts Israel's occupation as permanent. No secret promises are needed; the implications are all there, in plain sight.
Texas Aggie on July 30, 2012 2:21 PM:
I had read the same quote that stormskies mentioned about Bibi not really being a good buddy of Mitt's. I had planned to mention it, but stormy did it first and much better than I could have.
Kathryn on July 30, 2012 2:22 PM:
In my group of contempories, most are progressive but a couple are sort of business conservative types. The conservative ones are very opposed to the war in Afghsnistan and want no more war in that region. I really do no see an appetite for attacking Iran and following Israel off the cliff. Seems to me, there is an opening here for Obama campaign to exploit his excellent record in foreign policy as well as his restraint and smarts as opposed to Romney's embrace of Bush/Cheney first term idiocy. Cheney is even showing his face again.
I'd play that up. You can bet I will mention the foreign policy issue to the semi sane conservatives I know.
jjm on July 30, 2012 2:30 PM:
Romney's mental apparatus is becoming clearer and clearer: he has a rigid grid by which he judges others: hierarchy of race, ethnicity, religion, but most of all their WEALTH.
But he has zero tact.
Israelis have been offended by Romney's remark: from today's DailyKos: "[...]] Said Abraham Diskin, a political science professor at the Inter-Disciplinary Center outside of Tel Aviv. But "you can understand this remark in several ways," he added. "You can say it's anti-Semitic. `Jews and money.'".
I'm sure this criticism could NEVER penetrate his rather thick skull, aren't you?
davidp on July 30, 2012 2:30 PM:
Thanks, exlibra. Excellent point.
boatboy_srq on July 30, 2012 2:56 PM:
@Diane Rodriguez: I can't remember where I saw it, but I did see a news item - complete with photo - that covered Romney's Wall visit, complete with prayer note. I imagine it read something like "Please, Santa - er, God - let me be (s)elected pResident!"
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I'm not entirely sure which part of Romney's Israel visit is worst: his ability to at once insult Palestinians for being underproductive (read: damned) and insult Israelis for being stereotypical wealthy/grasping Jews; his continual persistence in claiming relationships and common ground with foreign statespersons who don't share either his positions or his assumptions of mutual familiarity; his immediate and unquestioning willingness to trash Israel's Labor party on Bibi's suggestion/insistence; or the increasing obviousness of his being political gigolo for Adelson.
Dorothy on September 18, 2012 9:08 PM:
Frankly, it was unbelievably stupid of Romney to advertise that, as U.S. President, he'd effectively turn over U.S. control of its own foreign policy to a Head-of-State buddy in the area of involvement - that buddy would surely have the political smarts to deny even remembering Romney well.
But Romney's too self-absorbed and money-hungry to realize what normal standards are and will Rove where he pleases toward wherever profit can be smelt at a potential expense he'll never understand.
Loose cannons sink ships and states with equal indifference.