Something about this news item bothers me..
US President Barack Obama called President Shimon Peres Wednesday night and congratulated him on a "successful democratic elections."
----YnetNews, but it was also on other news sites..
I am not sure what Barack Obama thinks of Israel, but you don't have presidents calling Obama and wishing him congratulations on a successful democratic election. They called to wish him success and congrats for his victory and inauguration.
It sounds like he considers us an African tribe or a Middle East Islamic regime just trying out democracy and going through our first elections. Yet we have been doing this for 60 years, encompassing 18 democratic election experiences. We are an established and successful democracy.
If you read between the lines I think he is really thanking Israel for allowing the Arabs to vote.
ReplyDeletethe article is shtuyot! Obama called Peres bacause he wants to try to influence Peres' decision as to who should be given first crack at making a coalition. Now the president of the US can't exactly call Peres in secret so they made up the story about Obama congratulating or it was Peres's way of telling Obama to buzz off by making a public press anouncement about what was supposed to be a confidential call and downplaying the whole thing
ReplyDeleteinteresting theories
ReplyDeleteAfter most elections a foriegn leader will congratulate the winner. Since here there was none to date, they had a need to make an amorphous statement. I don't think it would be different if Canada had an election with inconclusive results.
ReplyDeleteI'm not so sure eliduker. If these elections took place in England or France, Obama wouldn't make such a call. He might call the winner to congratulate him/her on his/her victory, but not about the country's "successful democratic elections".
ReplyDeleteBut what do you expect. We all knew this from the get-go, that Obama just knows how to talk like a "rock star", but has no "seichel" of his own.