John Oliver Hits Netanyahu’s ‘Michael Jackson-Level’ Walking Back on Two-State Solution
Matt Wilstein
Before he dove into America’s municipal fine fiasco, John Oliver spent a couple of minutes tackling last week’s Israeli prime minister election and specifically Benjamin Netanyahu’s apparent flip-flop on a two-state solution for Israel and Palestine.
Oliver posited that Netanyahu’s victory may have been due to his “last minute swing to the even-farther right,” saying in an interview that he would not support the formation of a Palestinian state on his watch. But then, in his first post-election interview with NBC News’ Andrea Mitchell, Netanyahu reversed course, saying he still supports a two-state solution.
“That is a Michael Jackson-level of walking backwards,” Oliver said, comparing Netanyahu’s “verbal gymnastics” to a “guy caught being too honest on a first date.” What’s “so amazing” about the whole thing is that Netanyahu had left himself “almost no wiggle room.”
If he emerges unscathed, Oliver suggested the prime minister go on the road as “Netanyahoudini”: “Words cannot hold him!”
Watch video below, via HBO: