In a move that stunned just about everybody, President Obama dropped by the Knesset, Israel's Parliament, for a surprise visit Wednesday on his way back from Saudi Arabia.
On the tarmac Ben Gurion Airport, with Air Force One as a backdrop for the hastily called press conference, Jay Carney, Obama's press secretary, explained how the visit came about.
"Well, we were leaving Riyadh and the President was looking out the window and said, "What happens if we turn left?"
And someone said, "Israel."
So the President said, 'Tell them we're dropping by."
Apparently inspired by Israel Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu's bizarre acceptance of House Speaker John Boehner's invitation to address the joint body of Congress without prior consultation to the White House, President thought since we was in the neighborhood, it might be a good time to reciprocate.
Although he didn't have a formal invitation to address the Israeli Parliament, when the motorcade whipped through Jerusalem and pulled up at the Knesset, President Obama was greeted by a huge crowd of both citizens and legislators from the full spectrum of parties, and the President was whisked inside.
In spontaneous remarks to almost the entire legislature, the President remarked that he was speaking to the body "Completely off the record," since the United States is scrupulous in remaining neutral during a close run-up to elections in any democracy.
But reliable sources quoted the President as saying, "But of course if, God forbid, Bibi is not reelected, I can assure each of you, privately of course, that our two great nations will share our regrets and somehow manage to move on. To a better partnership."
And with a trademark Obama grin and a wave, the President swept out of the Knesset. The entourage stopped by a deli for what Obama called his 'blintz fix' to take back to Air Force One, and they were gone.
(This post is satire.)