Benjamin Netanyahu is all-over geopolitical news. Like a Kardashian or a Bieber, the world can’t seem to get enough of the world leader with the diminutive nickname of “Bibi”. True that more than half the planet hates the man but that just propels his interweb notoriety so much so that he is sort of the star of the greatest reality show ever, Geo-political TV.
Netanyahu has a cool origin story ripped out of an action movie, a former special forces operative that took place in several well known operations even being wounded in the shoulder on one of them before later becoming Prime Minister.
Netanyahu rules the Arab encapsulated state of Israel. Israel, formed in 1948, is the greatest ally of the U.S in the war-torn region known as the Middle-East and the purported War on Terror.
To some, Israel represents an oppressive bellicose, theocratic state. Israel, a Jewish nation-state has occupied the mostly Arab Muslinm region known to many as Palestine for close to 50 years, leading some human rights experts to call the Israel-Palestine relationship that of an apartheid state and the people they oppress.
Mr. Netanyahu is under scrutiny in his own country as evidence of his exorbitant spending is brought to light during the electoral season happening now in Israel. It is purported that he and his entourage have spent over $24,000 on take-out and delivery food orders alone, earning him a place in history that would make any reality TV show star envious.
Being that it is election-season in Israel, which is kind of like pilot-season in L.A., Netanyahu has made a bid to speak at the United States Congress. Congressional leader Speaker John Boehner (R) broke U.S. protocol by inviting Bibi to speak without White House approval. Traditionally it is the U.S. President who is solely authorized to initiate contact with a foreign head-of-state. President Obama responded to this “Oh no he didn’t” moment by further distancing himself from the Israeli PM by swearing off from any meetings with Bibi citing his practice of not meeting with heads of state during their election period. Bibi could afford to learn a lesson or two from reality TV and would be best to “Save the drama for Obama”.
Bibi and his Likud Party (The Consolidation Party) are taking a page from the U.S. play book of politics by following the right-wing mantra of running on a platform of national defense despite their own nations financial woes.
Israel and the Middle-East may just be due for change of leadership. Israeli elections are set to take place in March 2015.
