By Paul Eidelberg

One very profound and personal reason for Obama’s hostility toward Benjamin Netanyahu is the latter’s all too obvious intellectual superiority. As every envoy knows, a wise and experienced diplomat will never display intellectual superiority vis-à-vis another country’s representative. Like a good teacher, he must not overawe a student intellectually if he wants to obtain the student’s candor and insights.

The wise diplomat will therefore suppress his ego to facilitate amenable and frank dialogue with his vis-à-vis. The trouble is that Obama is so much an ignoramus that it’s almost impossible for Bibi to talk intelligently and candidly in Obama’s presence without offending that narcissist.  Therefore, whenever possible, Bibi must use an intermediary who knows how to play mediocre. This may be one reason why Henry Kissinger was not a very successful negotiator in Egypt and in Syria.