Why ‘Crazy’ Isn’t the Worst Political Insult

Recently, there was a rather unpleasant one-sided conversation between the leaders of the two most important countries in my world: Israel and the United States. I am happiest when Israel and America are on the same page. I am deeply troubled when they appear to be at odds. Lately, I’ve been troubled.

According to reports, and later confirmed by President Trump, there was an unsettling phone call between the two leaders in which President Trump did not hold back in criticizing Prime Minister Netanyahu, accusing him of acting too aggressively toward Hezbollah during his negotiations with Iran. It was a conversation that included “You’re f***ing crazy!”

For me, the silver lining in the above castigation was that President Trump used the word crazy rather than insane. While it is true that crazy and insane can be used as synonyms, as far as l am concerned, in politics it is far better to be called crazy than insane.

Understand, “crazy” can mean different things — reckless, cunning (i.e., crazy like a fox), or simply unpredictable. But “insanity” is something else entirely. In this regard, I am not referring to the clinical definition of insane but to the familiar saying concerning insanity; that entails doing the same stupid thing over and over again and expecting different results.

Whether one agrees with Netanyahu’s approach or not, his strategy reflects a belief that “rinse and repeat” will never succeed. Rather than continuing the cycle of ceasefires, negotiations, rearmament, and renewed conflict, Bibi appears determined to weaken – or even eliminate – those dedicated to Israel’s destruction: Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Iranian regime. President Trump may view that approach to be crazy, but at least it is not insane.

In my ideal world, President Trump would have phrased things differently in their phone conversation and told the leader of our best ally in the Middle East, “I believe you’re being f***ing unwise!” Come to think of it, the removal of vulgarity would be nice too. But who am I kidding?