The so-called Bibi-gate continues to flame in the fight between Congress and the White House over the snubbing of Obama with a direct invite from Speaker Boehner to the Israeli Prime Minister.
Since there is no statutory requirement that Congress work through the executive branch in coordinating events with foreign dignitaries, the White House’s response can only be rhetorical.
Given that the relationship between the Obama administration and the Israeli government has never been a good one, the White House isn’t too worried that Vice President Biden is threatening to skip Benjamin Netanyahu’s address to Congress next month.
What’s more, some Democrat members of Congress are quietly threatening to boycott the March 3rd address in hopes that it might serve as payback for the Republican’s alleged political gamesmanship.
However, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) will attend the speech. “The leader attends every joint meeting and, of course, will attend should this speech take place,” said her spokesman Drew Hammill.
Some analysts point out, however, that this controversy is much ado about nothing. Given the ongoing tumult in the Middle East, whether with ISIS on the march, or the civil wars in Iraq and Syria, or the uncertainty concerning Iranian nuclear capability, Israel and the U.S. can only afford discord for so long.
The U.S. will always need a strategic partner in the Middle East, so the argument goes. And when the dust settles after Netanyahu’s address to Congress, we’ll still be holding hands in solidarity against a common radical enemy.
