Bibi to Vanity Fair: ‘I’m Not Manipulative’
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 largely successful 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.
The Israeli prime minister who makes many people wonder who “the real Bibi” is was also eager to clarify how he sees himself. “I’m not naturally manipulative,” he told the magazine. “I’m not a natural politician. I’m not consumed with political machinations.”
For more, go to Haaretz.com
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