Mr Bibi Goes To Washington

Bibi Netanyahu's recent decision to accept an invitation to address Congress during the current Israeli election campaign has certainly generated a lot of attention and controversy.  Time was that a visit by the Israeli prime minister was eagerly anticipated, especially Bibi due to his eloquence.  Like him or not, the man can speak well in English and knows how to connect with his crowd.
Due to my political bent I'm all for anything that pokes a prominent Democrat in the US in the eye.  I should be excited, therefore, that Bibi is coming to the US to remind people just how ruinous the current US administration's foreign policy with its near capitulation to Iran and timidity just about everywhere else is.
Having said that I don't think Bibi should take up the invitation.  It simply doesn't have much of an upside for him.
Consider what's happened so far.  Despite having told the White House about the visit before accepting the invitation publicly he has been lambasted for breaking protocol and insulting President Obama.  If that isn't a set up and obvious show of contempt by the White House I don't know what is.  What's more, he's coming to talk about something Obama really opposes him on.  It's been clear for several months that Iran's biggest ally in its race to become a nuclear state is the current US President himself.  Short of smuggling American nukes to the mullocracy, Obama has done whatever he can to buy Iran time and come up with a deal that will amount to an unconditional surrender to Iran's demands.  Obama does not want Bibi showing up and explaining, on national television in front of the nation's lawmakers, that Iran isn't an American ally-in-waiting.
Given that most major US networks are lapdogs for the Democrats Bibi will have a hard enough time getting favourable press coverage in the US.  What's more, he's in the middle of an election campaign back home.  How does it look to have him gallavanting to North America and acting as if he doesn't need to pay full attention to the campaign back home?  It's not as if Likud is a runaway in the polls and doesn't need his presence.
For these reasons I think it's better that Bibi perhaps take a rain cheque and stay home for now.