Sunday, October 14, 2012

Israeli leaders in the US: a record

"According to U.S. State Department data covering the period from 1874 to the end of 2011, Israeli leaders – meaning prime ministers and presidents only – hold the record for official visits to the U.S. Eighteen of our leaders have landed in the U.S. a mind-boggling 106 times. Israeli leaders have overtaken the British leaders, who visited the new continent 103 times, including Winston Churchill's visits to coordinate the war effort against the Nazis...Netanyahu flew in seven times in his first term and nine more this term, up to the end of 2011, giving him the Israeli record with 16  prime ministerial visits. Ehud Barak, who made the trip seven times, holds the visits-per-day-in-office mark: He flew to the U.S. once every 85 days. Ariel Sharon had 11 official visits, one of them to President George W. Bush's ranch in Crawford, Texas. Ehud Olmert went to the U.S. eight times as prime minister  It may come as a surprise to learn that other states have managed to secure a deep and fruitful relationship with the United States without dropping by every three months or so. In 138 the leaders of Canada and Mexico, who happen to share borders with the U.S., came to call only 91 and 54 times respectively. Germany, with Europe's strongest economy, has 84 visits, Japan 73 and Ireland 45."