Funny friends

TRYING to send out a message that relations between them are chummy, both Netanyahu and Obama repeatedly employed humour during last week’s visit.

The banter started a few minutes after Obama stepped off Air Force One. Netanyahu said that perhaps he wanted to see a bit of Israel without getting noticed, and said he was happy to organise a visit to some good bars and cafes in Tel Aviv. “We even prepared a fake moustache for you,” he said.

When he was being directed to see a battery of the Iron Dome missile defence system, an Israeli official told him to follow the red line. Of course, this reminded Obama of Netanyahu’s United Nations speech in November that reportedly caused anger in Washington – the speech during which he drew a red line on a picture of a cartoon bomb, calling on the international community to set a “red line” for Iran. “Bibi’s always talking to me about red lines,” Obama joked after hearing the directions to the Iron Dome.

At a dinner hosted by Netanyahu, Obama said: “I want to express a special thanks to Sara, as well as your two sons, for their warmth and hospitality. It was wonderful to see them. I did inform the Prime Minister that they are very good looking young men who clearly got their looks from their mother.”

Netanyahu interjected: “Well, I could say the same of your daughters.” Obama picked up the theme: “This is true. Our goal is to improve our gene pool by marrying women who are better than we are.”

During later comments Obama joked that reports of disagreements between him and his “friend” Netanyahu have been a “plot” to generate material for a popular Israeli satire show.

It is difficult to know how much of the joking, which went along with lots of back patting and arm touching, was for the benefit of cameras, and how much of it denotes thawing relations between them. But what’s almost certain is that not all the banter was for the sake of appearances, as there was one priceless comment that was picked up by a microphone which they didn’t realise was open. “It’s good to get away from Congress,” Obama said quietly to Netanyahu as they stood together on a red carpet, causing many a raised eyebrow back in Washington.

NATHAN JEFFAY