Are Mitt Romney and Bibi Netanyahu friends? Mitt seems to think so:
Romney to the New York Times:
We [Mitt & Netanyahu] can almost speak in shorthand. We share common experiences and have a perspective and underpinning which is similar.
Romney, in December GOP Debate regarding how America should handle Iran:
I’d get on the phone to my friend Bibi Netanyahu and say, ‘Would it help if I said this? What would you like me to do?
In April 2012, Romney said:
Israel’s current prime minister is not just a friend, he’s an old friend.
But here is what Netanyahu says in the July 2012 issue of Vanity Fair, middle of page 4:
I remember him [Romney] for sure, but I don’t think we had any particular connections, I knew him and he knew me, I suppose.
(via Daily Kos)
What I find most troubling from a presidential candidate is that Romney’s plan for middle east diplomacy comes down to asking the Israelis what they want him to do.
Yes, it is as if he believes we should turn over management of our foreign policy, at least in the middle east, to Israel. The US has its own distinct interests in the region.