Netanyahu to Vanity Fair: 'I'm not naturally manipulative'

[bemildred]

Vanity Fair has published an in-depth profile of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in its upcoming July issue, in which Netanyahu emphasized that he is "not a natural politician."

In the article, David Margolick explores Netanyahu's effort to "vanquish his domestic foes" such as the Israeli media and the political opposition.

In an interview in Jerusalem, Netanyahu echoed recent statements by U.S. President Barack Obama to Orthodox movement leaders in Washington. Obama then said that he personally gets along well with Netanyahu, and Netanyahu told Vanity Fair that the "relationship with Obama is friendlier than it has been portrayed" and that they are “two people who appreciate the savviness and strength of the other.”

On the other hand, he did downplay the reported friendship with the Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney. “I remember him for sure, but I don’t think we had any particular connections. I knew him and he knew me, I suppose," he said regarding the period they both worked at the Boston Consulting Group in the 1970s.

http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/netanyahu-to-vanity-fair-i-m-not-naturally-manipulative-1.435055

[King_David]

1. Vanity Fair ?

Not exactly the most credible source,past and present.
Look what they said about the Hamas coup.

[bemildred]

3. This is not a serious piece, is it? So it fits right in?

Vanity Fair is sort of like Rolling Stone in my mind, basically show business babble and marketing "stories", lots of advertising, with the occasional serious piece thrown in.

I posted it for the unintentional humor, a politician, any politician, going on about what a simple honest soul they really are underneath.

[azurnoir]

2. He's not 'naturally manipulative' so he had to learn or what?

but I will bookmarking this thread till July's issue of Vanity Fair comes out

[bemildred]

4. Yep, went to manipulation school. Got a Ph.D in it.

But it just never really felt like the real Bibi, who is just a simple man of the earth really. (Did I get enough "really"'s in there?)

Lot's of unintended irony too.

Seriously, we seem to have a charm offensive here, from which I infer that it dawned on someone that one was needed, which is not without interest, that.