Trumpenyahu — The Day the Music Died

It is entirely possible that May 28, 2019 will be remembered as the day that marked the undoing of both President Trump and Prime Minister Netanyahu.  If it plays out that way it will be both ironic and appropriate.

More that two years ago, I coined the term “Trumpenyahu” to emphasize the almost spooky way that the elected leaders of the two countries I love most in the world bring a combination of shared toxic characteristics to the most important jobs in the world of many American Jews.

Each has repeatedly proven himself to be a pathological liar and massive egomaniac who has shown a willingness to put their personal wealth and self-interest far above what is best for the people of the countries they lead.

That fact has been obvious for a long time.  But on May 28, each suffered a legal and political setback that will be looked back on as a major turning point that led to his ultimate demise.

In the case of Netanyahu, Israelis and the world were shocked to learn that after decades of political bobbing and weaving to stay in power. the curtain was pulled back to reveal that the man who has been nicknamed “The Magician” ran out of tricks and deceptions and proved to be unable to form a government.

Not only will that lead to new elections in Israel just a few weeks after the last elections but, more important for Netanyahu is that it means he will almost certainly be indicted on multiple charges of fraud, bribery, and abuse of power as was recommended by the Israeli attorney general whom Netanyahu himself appointed.

Netanyahu had already shown his willingness to bring the most horribly racist Israeli Jews into his government in exchange for their help in changing the laws to make it unlawful for a sitting prime minister to be indicted.  In other words, Bibi would be beyond the law in exchange for his willingness to support the illegal annexation of the occupied West Bank.

Israeli journalist Bradly Burston told it exactly as it is in the minds of the minority of Israelis who fully appreciate the depravity of their elected leader in an insightful opinion piece that captured the views of many.

What makes him a loser is that he is a man with no honor. None.

Here is a man whose every word, every facial expression, every argument, every belief, is a false front. There is not one cell of principle in him.

You needn’t look any deeper than his eyes: His life is falsehood and hatred. His work is falsehood and hatred. His legacy is falsehood and hatred.

The vast majority of American Jews read those words and believe they could have been written about our own President Donald Trump.

On on the very same day the ineptitude of King Bibi was put on full display, the perpetual self-serving lying of our own president and his lapdog attorney general and his band of Republican enablers was revealed as well.

Lifelong Republican Robert Mueller felt compelled to correct the lie that Trump and his spin masters (led by Attorney General Barr) have spread that the Mueller Report had cleared and exonerated King Donald from any and all charges of collusion and obstruction of justice was clearly a lie.

That of course was stated clearly in Mueller’s own report but as we all know most regular citizens are too busy or lazy to read a 400-page report and are therefore vulnerable to believing the words of a ruthless and vindictive president who is willing to lie so frequently and shamelessly.

After all, Trump himself publicly confessed to obstruction of justice when he told NBC News reporter Lester Holt that he had fired FBI director James Comey because Comey wouldn’t abandon his investigation of former Trump campaign aide and security chief Michael Flynn and his collusion with the Russians.

Maybe I’m wrong and as has happened so often the political obituaries of these two disgraceful criminals may prove to be premature.  They have both shown themselves capable of surviving seemingly fatal revelations.

But it is hard to escape the irony of the fact that two people who have behaved like twins separated at birth would be so publicly and clearly revealed as slimy and sleazy frauds and criminals on the very same day.

The Netanyahu Syndrome continues!