Netanyahu Brags How U.S. Cable News Let Him ‘Influence’ America Into War With Iran
By Prem Thakker Photos: Wikimedia Commons Benjamin Netanyahu has spent decades pushing U.S. presidents to attack Iran. He asked four presidents point-blank to do so. Three refused, over and over. With Donald Trump, Netanyahu’s luck finally changed. Now, as the Israeli prime minister scrambles to hold onto his job in election season, he is going around Israel bragging about how exactly he convinced the world’s most powerful military to bend to his will. On Sunday, Netanyahu sat for an interview with the genocide-inciting Israeli TV network, Channel 14. There, he appealed to Israeli voters about why they ought to continue supporting him. “I’ve been against Iran for almost 40 years,” Netanyahu said, adding that “it took a long time to bring the United States to its senses.” He was able to do it, Netanyahu said, because he had “close to 1,000 hours on American television with the ability to influence the United States – with the intimate knowledge of all its leaders, both those who support us and those who don’t support us – the ability to navigate this field, through it.” The gall. In English, Netanyahu lavishes praise on U.S. leaders. In Hebrew, he boasts of how he manipulated them. That’s not all of it, though. Some of you may not remember, but the following is forever seared in my memory. On my first day at Zeteo, two years ago, Netanyahu came to Washington. While he delivered a speech that had members of both parties applauding with a level of zeal they don’t show even for a U.S. president, the Israeli prime minister also attacked Americans protesting his visit outside. I want to underline this: A foreign leader, whose entire project benefits from billions of U.S. taxpayer dollars each year, came to U.S. soil, and slandered U.S. citizens – and U.S. representatives clapped like seals in response. There is a straight line between that moment – and the U.S. continuing to unconditionally fund Israel ever since, despite it killing tens of thousands of Palestinians and several Americans – and today, when Netanyahu feels so comfortable bragging about how he asserted his will over the U.S. Think what an indictment this is. Netanyahu explicitly cites how the U.S. media has served as a compliant springboard, a vessel for his influence operation on, if not the populace, at least the consultants and members of Congress who engage with cable news more than their actual constituents. And as for the American leadership class: You have unconditionally given this man more than $20 billion, at a conservative estimate, in the past three years. Even as he and his soldiers and his terrorist settlers have killed and brutalized and bullied a double-digit number of Americans, you have given him more and more. And anytime someone has gained enough momentum to criticize that dynamic with enough gusto to resonate with the people you’re supposed to represent, you either willingly or reluctantly scramble to defame them. And as for the rest of us, the collective“we”: Do we have an ounce of self-respect? As the polls have shown, definitively, American public sentiment towards Israel has plummeted. Despite mainstream media’s insistence, it’s not even a question of divides over Israel in the Democratic Party – it’s nearly unanimous opposition. And independents are not far behind. Even in the Republican Party – home to the Christian Zionists and the Trump-First MAGA movement – opinion on Israel has become split, with no sure sign of it firming up again. Still, one may hope that the level of condescension, power concentration, and weaponization expressed by the U.S. political class in order to shield its undying support for Israel will prompt something beyond earth-shaking public opinion. Yes, pro-Israel politicians are beginning to pay the price, particularly in the Democratic primaries. And yes, tens of thousands of Americans, particularly young people, have put themselves on the line and protested against the parasitic U.S.-Israeli relationship and in support of human rights for Palestinians – and subsequently, of course, been viciously targeted by the ruling party, and smeared by some members of the “opposition” party and their mainstream media allies. There comes a point when every dam breaks. It should’ve happened decades ago. Years ago. Months ago. Every single day delivers another reminder of how heartlessly violent the Israeli state is, and how that behavior is carried out on the U.S. dime. Most Palestinian children killed by Israel are not like Hind Rajab, whose name is now known around the world. In the global mind, most remain nameless. Americans have been killed, defending our Palestinian siblings or while simply trying to live their own lives in Palestine. If it has not already completely lost its meaning, without action, the promise of American patriotism will ultimately come to be void. With each crime committed against an innocent Palestinian; with each American humi
Black News 
By Prem Thakker
Photos: Wikimedia Commons
Benjamin Netanyahu has spent decades pushing U.S. presidents to attack Iran. He asked four presidents point-blank to do so. Three refused, over and over. With Donald Trump, Netanyahu’s luck finally changed. Now, as the Israeli prime minister scrambles to hold onto his job in election season, he is going around Israel bragging about how exactly he convinced the world’s most powerful military to bend to his will.
On Sunday, Netanyahu sat for an interview with the genocide-inciting Israeli TV network, Channel 14. There, he appealed to Israeli voters about why they ought to continue supporting him.
“I’ve been against Iran for almost 40 years,” Netanyahu said, adding that “it took a long time to bring the United States to its senses.”
He was able to do it, Netanyahu said, because he had “close to 1,000 hours on American television with the ability to influence the United States – with the intimate knowledge of all its leaders, both those who support us and those who don’t support us – the ability to navigate this field, through it.”
The gall. In English, Netanyahu lavishes praise on U.S. leaders. In Hebrew, he boasts of how he manipulated them.
That’s not all of it, though.
Some of you may not remember, but the following is forever seared in my memory. On my first day at Zeteo, two years ago, Netanyahu came to Washington. While he delivered a speech that had members of both parties applauding with a level of zeal they don’t show even for a U.S. president, the Israeli prime minister also attacked Americans protesting his visit outside.
I want to underline this: A foreign leader, whose entire project benefits from billions of U.S. taxpayer dollars each year, came to U.S. soil, and slandered U.S. citizens – and U.S. representatives clapped like seals in response.
There is a straight line between that moment – and the U.S. continuing to unconditionally fund Israel ever since, despite it killing tens of thousands of Palestinians and several Americans – and today, when Netanyahu feels so comfortable bragging about how he asserted his will over the U.S.
Think what an indictment this is.
Netanyahu explicitly cites how the U.S. media has served as a compliant springboard, a vessel for his influence operation on, if not the populace, at least the consultants and members of Congress who engage with cable news more than their actual constituents.
And as for the American leadership class: You have unconditionally given this man more than $20 billion, at a conservative estimate, in the past three years. Even as he and his soldiers and his terrorist settlers have killed and brutalized and bullied a double-digit number of Americans, you have given him more and more. And anytime someone has gained enough momentum to criticize that dynamic with enough gusto to resonate with the people you’re supposed to represent, you either willingly or reluctantly scramble to defame them.
And as for the rest of us, the collective“we”: Do we have an ounce of self-respect? As the polls have shown, definitively, American public sentiment towards Israel has plummeted. Despite mainstream media’s insistence, it’s not even a question of divides over Israel in the Democratic Party – it’s nearly unanimous opposition. And independents are not far behind. Even in the Republican Party – home to the Christian Zionists and the Trump-First MAGA movement – opinion on Israel has become split, with no sure sign of it firming up again.
Still, one may hope that the level of condescension, power concentration, and weaponization expressed by the U.S. political class in order to shield its undying support for Israel will prompt something beyond earth-shaking public opinion.
Yes, pro-Israel politicians are beginning to pay the price, particularly in the Democratic primaries. And yes, tens of thousands of Americans, particularly young people, have put themselves on the line and protested against the parasitic U.S.-Israeli relationship and in support of human rights for Palestinians – and subsequently, of course, been viciously targeted by the ruling party, and smeared by some members of the “opposition” party and their mainstream media allies.
There comes a point when every dam breaks. It should’ve happened decades ago. Years ago. Months ago. Every single day delivers another reminder of how heartlessly violent the Israeli state is, and how that behavior is carried out on the U.S. dime. Most Palestinian children killed by Israel are not like Hind Rajab, whose name is now known around the world. In the global mind, most remain nameless. Americans have been killed, defending our Palestinian siblings or while simply trying to live their own lives in Palestine.
If it has not already completely lost its meaning, without action, the promise of American patriotism will ultimately come to be void. With each crime committed against an innocent Palestinian; with each American humiliated or killed with no justice; with each boast Israeli leaders like Netanyahu let loose about how they successfully manipulated the foolish Americans, despite it all; with each such step, any semblance of “pride” in being American is more and more unearned.
As far back as 2001, Netanyahu was caught on camera as he spoke with Israeli settlers during the second intifada. “I know what America is,” he said. “America is a thing you can move very easily, move it in the right direction.”
“They won’t get in the way.”
Looks like he was right.
