Esceptico: excellent analogy.

Nah, meant that they seem to practice like that is all we have (the few surface ships in the Gulf).

Temlakos: I agree. Maybe this administration is losing its usual attempt at concealing or shadowing their objectives. They have passed to open anger and denouncement...
Well that I would consider progress down that road of disintegration- just like in AS, when you lose control it is difficult to fake it!

Great comments. I will add that I find it absolutely chicken shit, disrespectful, and completely unprofessional for the 50 some odd House democrats to not attend the speech. This is history unfolding and to shirk ones responsibility as an elected official by petulantly refusing to be part of it all? Unbelievable. Whether one agrees with Netanyahu or not, there is diplomatic stature regardless.

And Obama's reply? I just have no words for the disgraceful amateur.

If I see the US Navy move all their carriers and support in range of Iran's Russian cruise missles it would give me pause. (Clearly the Navy has more 'military intelligence' assets than I do, but it would still concern me.) I don't expect that to happen.

Democrats are understandably angry at Netanyahu for telling the truth, but most of all for accepting the invitation to address the congress without first asking Obama's permission. Obama has gone out of his way to humiliate Netanyahu and offend the Jewish state so why would Netanyahu cow tow to someone who has shown such disdain for the Jewish state. I remember seeing a tape of Obama talking about his Islamic faith, but no one wants to think that bears any importance. Obama is a fraud and I wish Netanyahu was my president. At least I could be proud of him.

Great speech. Reminds me of:
I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him.
The evil that men do lives after them;
The good is oft interred with their bones;
So let it be with Caesar.

They (Iran) always do their drills against "1" US carrier... I don't think they realize that we have a dozen of them, plus their support groups, and fleets of destroyers, cruisers, subs, etc. They would really be facing a force at least triple in the Gulf that they do mock drills against.

The Iranians have an ancient Air Force... air superiority would not be an issue. As a former Air Force troop, I'd also add that "having" an Air Force, and having sufficient spare parts, maintenance crews, and pilots to keep it in the air is a very different challenge.

Air superiority (including defense against cruise missles) is essential for the naval force to continue to exist. However, if Iran didn't learn from Japan's experience with Pearl Harbor and the eventual response, they will suffer for that oversight. I am certain that the US navy remembers.

Hey, ya got THAT right!!!

I loved the speach as well, but was sickened by the responses. obviously written before he evendors spoke. There's no such thing as an exchange of ideas in pursuit of solutions in Washington anymore. It's just a team sport.

He did exactly the thing he needed to do. Obama is rather inept and irrelevant anyway to the security of Israel at this point. As long as Iran remains in check, and the money keeps flowing from Congress to Israeli defense aid, there isn't anything Obama can do. He's not going to challenge the Defense Bill for a couple of billion to Israel out of a $700 billion authorization... either for the waste of time it is, or the fact that it would be a very public and very bloody fight for him in the news media.

I agree with Bibi's appraisal of Iran more than Obama's, we have no reason to trust the Persians, they have never given us an adequate cause to do so (trust them).

I guess I'm basically fine with 'talking' to the Iranians, I don't think that the current state can go on indefinitely, but warming relations with them is ignorant to do. The people that overran our embassy and took its occupants hostage are the leaders in their government right now. We really need to wait another generation... kind of what we did in Cuba, wait them out, they die off soon enough.

Any threat to Israel would be answered, regardless of who is in the Oval Office at the time. That is a certainty of our unique relationship, as it is with Britain and NATO.

The only thing the Israelis really need from us is for us to just look the other way while they mop the floor with the Gaza Strip and occupied territories. Admit that there is going to be some political damage, but let them solve the problem rather than continuously playing Tiddly Winks with it. Much like they did last year, but 'finish the job'.

I do disagree with Bibi on one point - there really isn't anyone in the Middle East that is an existential threat to Israel. Even if Iran was armed, so are the Israelis. Iran will never seriously try anything directly, as they would be flattened by the US. They know that. Their Ayatollah spits off his mouth all the time in an attempt to remain relevant in their political structure, convincing the army that the prophet commanded them to start Armageddon is very different... We're talking about the most inefficient and under-equipped army on the planet. Israel would do better to openly have a dialogue with its less-than-hostile neighbors - Jordan, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Egypt, etc. They don't "like" Israel, but offering to share intelligence on terrorism, offering trade of Israeli manufactured products, firearms, etc., in exchange for goods from those countries might help to improve their place in the middle east. Even it is regularly "no", making the offer every few months shows an interest in being a good neighbor and you can not like your neighbor, but show respect for them. In the last conflict, we actually saw a lot of Arab countries supporting Israel as it was obvious they were defending themselves and they showed reasonable restraint.

I've always admired Bibi, he's a very capable leader. His only priority is always the safety of Israel.

It was nice that he acknowledged America's support (Iron Dome is just a Patriot Missile Battery with some source/vector launch point determining software).

Those Democrats made fools of themselves, in a way I never would have predicted.

I would have expected some kind of wishy-washy, mealy-mouthed reply, calculated to give no offense I could put my finger on. What I got was a brazen slap in the face.

Gracious, humble, yet stern and determined to stand up for what's right. Signs of a good leader.

for "domestic," they would have to choose suicide. -- j

Well johnpe1 reads WND and IJReview.
I, sometimes, read alArabia and Al-Jazirah

http://english.alarabiya.net/en/views/ne...
http://www.memri.org/report/en/0/0/0/0/0...
who both think that Netanyahu makes more sense than OB.

Quotes-
Middle Eastern countries are collapsing and that “terror organizations, mostly backed by Iran, are filling in the vacuum”

Netanyahu managed to accurately summarize a clear and present danger, not just to Israel (which obviously is his concern), but to other U.S. allies in the region.

Since Obama is the godfather of the prefabricated revolutions in the Arab world, and since he is the ally of political Islam, [which is] the caring mother of [all] the terrorist organizations, and since he is working to sign an agreement with Iran that will come at the expense of the U.S.'s longtime allies in the Gulf, I am very glad of Netanyahu's firm stance and [his decision] to speak against the nuclear agreement at the American Congress despite the Obama administration's anger and fury. I believe that Netanyahu's conduct will serve our interests, the people of the Gulf, much more than the foolish behavior of one of the worst American presidents.

True but seeing Obama's reaction to it all was also telling of where his loyalties lie. He will always side with his Muslim friends and never have any sympathies for Israel. While I question whether we should have anyone over there at all, it is true that Israel has been a long time ally. Meanwhile, our esteemed leader couldn't take the time to meet with Netanyahu or see his speech...

D.C. = Dark Center
I got it from Star Wars lore. There was a planet Byss where "Emperor Palpatine's dark side energies were everywhere, corrupting not only the inhabitants, but the planet itself."
It was described by Luke Skywalker as "If there is a Dark Center of the Universe, this is it."
Apparently Luke had not been to Earth's Dark Center (or George Lucas was having a laugh behind the scenes.)

johnpe1:
Yes, a fine speech.
Where else could Israel go to be heard outside their own country? And what better place than Washington to make your statement to the world (still good for something). If this was an embarrassment to the current administration they had their chance to turn it into a more favorable event but they just damn refused- so they got what they deserved...

I commend Netanyahu for going forward under such conflict and condescension that he encountered in D.C.
You have to take your hat off to him- he dominated the American news scene for awhile which also got him world coverage. Smart.

I hope that we will not see the day that there be a destruction of Israel... it will be a turning point for not only America but for mankind.

The world still makes it an advantage not to be one- a Jew.

what is a dark center? my frustration comes because people are focused on a sidehow and not on their own soil. IF Netanyahu is a strong leader, he will do what he must when he needs to to. Soverign nations do that. We do not rule over ISrael. and Obama is weak anyway. I predict while everyone is focused on this, you lost several freedoms quietly done by executive order on Friday night. wait for Monday

Did you notice how Netanyahu went out of his way to acknowledge Harry Reid?

He obviously knows who really runs The Senate.

“My speech is not intended to show any disrespect to President Obama or the esteemed office that he holds,” Mr. Netanyahu said, according to the NY Times. “I have great respect for both.”

With all due respect, obviously, Netanyahu is also an accomplished liar ;^)

Israel has every right to defend itself against foreign powers.
I only wish that there was a leader in the Dark Center who cared as much about American security against real enemies foreign AND domestic.