It's so funny, except it's so tragic. As national leaders go, there is no shortage of charlatans in the world, pompous hot-air balloons who believe the world spins around the sun of their greatness. There are plenty of purveyors of the Big Lie (War is Peace, Slavery is Freedom); most do it for money. Some leaders are ideologues, zealots who believe with all their hearts the most bat-shit-crazy stuff.
Then there is the Emperor Without Clothes. A buffoon, puffed up on vanity and sycophants. Emphasis on psycho.
Alas, the Prime Minister of Israel is one of these.
Whoever his audience was for his UN speech, the General Assembly or the people of the United States, whom he desperately needs on board for his mad-dash plans of glory – the Prime Minister of Israel thinks you're a moron. His speech was for gullible (but sweet) eight year olds on Halloween. He was the adult and everyone else in the room a child. The reason the Prime Minister of Israel must talk down to such a degree is because to him the truth is self-evident and to plead at the UN is to lower himself to discussion on a matter which is undebatable.
The Prime Minister of Israel spoke cartoonish words delivered in a cartoonish way, literally using cartoon graphics to belittle the gravity of a possible World War with the idea millions of human lives lost doesn't mean much more than whether or not Wily Coyote catches the Road Runner.
The ex-President of France, a staunch supporter of Israel, called The Prime Minister a “liar,” in a famously overheard conversation with the President of the United States who pretty much responded with an eye roll.
The Prime Minister of Israel wants to frame his world view as a battle against a primitive, savage, dark-age religion versus modern enlightenment and freedom – never mind the religion he claims gives him right to his land makes Islam look modern in a time-line comparison. Just saying. It is clear, because he does not distinguish, the PM of Israel is at war with all of Islam – not just Iran which seems more an addictive fetish. To him Al Qaeda, Taliban, Iran, Hizbollah and Hamas are the same; extremist terrorists. But in spite of his general antipathy toward Islam, the PM is hunting for big game in his clash of civilizations. Putting out gas fires in gaza is child's play.
Why is Likud afraid of Iran? Is it really Hiroshima/Holocaust inspired existential angst? Really? Adlai Stevenson brought recon photos of Russian missiles to the UN. Colin Powell brought bullshit to the UN but at least Cheney tried to pull a scam. What did the Prime Minister of Israel bring to the UN? A cartoon drawn by Boris Badenoff and a red Sharpie. I mean, come on! Try for heck sakes. A Boris Badenoff bomb and a red Sharpie is all you got? No faked photos of aluminum rods? No faked stolen documents showing Iran's driving a Greyhound to Topeka as we speak? Babies in incubators? Nada?
Why was the Prime Minister of Israel left with his proverbial thang dangling in the wind with no help from those folks who could help him with that sort of thing? You know, whatever is Israeli for C.I.A.
My take is this: The Prime Minister does not hold a majority opinion in his own right-wing government. There's been high-level leaks at opportune moments to continually take the wind out the Prime Minister's sails for attack on Iran now because the fuse is lit and there's no stopping it unless they get bombed to smithereens. And these forces (military, intelligence and other Serious people) who don't want war know exactly how to handle a large, Greekly tragic personality like the PM. Give him what he wants to get what you want.
The Prime Minister is so vaingloriously over-the-top cartoonish it betrays the enterprise – to get war with Iran. Let's be honest here, the shenanigans of the current Likud government, with US compliance, perpetrated against Iran, has the Islamic Republic mad as hell on a hair trigger. They've already turned their Jesus cheek like a million times. They have tens of thousands of sophisticated missiles aimed at Tel Aviv and Dimona. The Israelis might well win the war but lose the battle which makes winning the war moot – the security of Israel. A massive Iranian counter-attack will take out much more than the Israeli PM and Defense Minister can admit – or not even the craziest person would support them.
But because the Israeli Prime Minister is clownish, he can't be taken seriously. And therein is hope for peace. And frankly, he was set up by his own people, within his own government, who do not want war with Iran, especially unilateral war, even though they agree with the unconditional policy of a nonnuclear Iran. Those who agree with the Red Line set by the President of the United States. The President of the United States said 'no' to the pesky PM's plea for a Red Line on his bomb. So, the PM, said, fine, I'll take my dog and pony to the UN and prove what any moron already knows: I am right.
But he's not. And everyone who is anyone knows it. The Prime Minister of Israel, with his bomb/ fuse, Red Line cartoon was made a buffoon by his own people who supplied him with the words and pictures for his low-tech, Rocky and Bullwinkle power-point presentation for war with Iran and derision against that ol' fashioned religion, Islam.
The Prime Minister's performance at the UN virtually assures there is no war to come, in the short-term, unilaterally against Iran. Not because he said he won't wait any longer than next summer before his red line is crossed. But, he's had his Queeg Moment. He's the one who is unhinged. Irrational. Flying off the handle. On a short fuse. In front of everyone.
It was hardball politics at its finest. Mission accomplished.
So, if and when, the Israeli PM has another Queeg moment behind closed Cabinet meeting doors, and he is quietly relieved of duty, we'll all know why, with a sigh of relief.
The Prime Minister of Israel is not ready for Prime Time.