Trumps Obnoxious Insult of Pres. Herzog  

And the word about Prime Minister Netanyahu’s pardon came down from on high out of mouth of the President of the United States on February 12^th in a press gaggle at Mount Olympus, colloquially known as the Oval Office, as he opined about an Israeli pardon for Bibi…..

Trump said:  “You have a president (Herzog) that (sic) refuses to give him (Bibi) a pardon.  I think the man (Herzog) should be ashamed of himself.  This pardon over this trial that’s going on, the President of Israel, uh the primary power he’s got is the power to give pardons.  He’s not …you know he said he’s giving it five different times but he doesn’t want to do it because I guess he loses his power.  I think the people of Israel should really shame him for this.  He’s disgraceful for not giving it….he should give it.”

The video of the event can be seen here…..

What chutzpah!!!! What unmitigated gall to (a) get involved in the internal judicial proceedings of another country, (b) to then suggest a remedy by passing personal and uninformed judgement on the case, (c) to then insult the president of an allied country because he has not listened to you and (d) to tell the population of that country that they should shame their president!!!

Of course, Trump’s supporters will simply say, as they have for 10 years or longer, this is just Trump being Trump which then, in their minds, excuses all the disgusting remarks he makes presumably because he has done so much good for the country.  Frankly, if the citizens of the US choose to look the other way and say its all ok because their 401ks and IRA are doing so well, while innocent civilians are being killed in the street by federally financed goons, that is their choice, although the negative side of all of this ultimately affects everyone worldwide.

However, the citizens of Israel do not have to buy into the emanations of the white house just because the US generally supports us at the UN and provides significant military support and coordination as well.   Nevertheless, there is no reason for the President of the United States to impugn the reputation of the President of Israel, the country about which he likes to claim he is the best friend Israel has ever had in the White House,  simply because Israel’s president has not acted on a directive from Washington that has no legal standing in the protocols of diplomacy which govern relations between friendly nations.

As for the issue itself, as I and others have written previously, President Herzog would do well to hold back any movement on a pardon that does not include Prime Minister Netanyahu’s full agreement not to seek public office ever again after the current Knesset adjourns.  Eighteen years in office is already too long for any one person to be the political head of a democracy if that democracy is to survive, regardless of how well he or she is doing the job.  His running again and possibly continuing in a role to which he may very well be re-elected once again, continues to discourage anyone else from being seen as a successful replacement and is both in the best interests of the survival of Israel as a democratic country.

Frankly, President Trump owes President Herzog an apology.  Of course, as everyone knows, that will never happen. When everything you do is perfect, as Trump likes to describe his work, there is never a need for apology is there?

Narendra Modi, the Pime Minister of India has said:  “I believe mutual respect for one another and cooperation should be the basis for relationships with foreign nations.”  A lesson yet to be learned by those who serve in the American Olympus.