Bibi turns on the charm

In the fight over Israel's borders, Netanyahu takes the upper hand

Edward Morrissey

When Israel's Benjamin Netanyahu spoke to Congress this week, he started the speech by congratulating President Barack Obama on killing Osama bin Laden. He bookended the remarks by expressing his appreciation for Obama's position that peace could not be imposed in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. In fact, the address was peppered with compliments to the American president, who was traveling through Ireland and the United Kingdom, and to the American people.

Yet the speech, and its reception, deftly shamed Obama for his rush to show up Israel and pressure the U.S. ally into concessions. It also established the Israeli prime minister as the real statesman in the conflict.

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Edward Morrissey

Edward Morrissey has been writing about politics since 2003 in his blog, Captain's Quarters, and now writes for HotAir.com. His columns have appeared in the Washington Post, the New York Post, The New York Sun, the Washington Times, and other newspapers. Morrissey has a daily Internet talk show on politics and culture at Hot Air. Since 2004, Morrissey has had a weekend talk radio show in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area and often fills in as a guest on Salem Radio Network's nationally-syndicated shows. He lives in the Twin Cities area of Minnesota with his wife, son and daughter-in-law, and his two granddaughters. Morrissey's new book, GOING RED, will be published by Crown Forum on April 5, 2016.