Sources in the Prime Minister’s Office said the crisis appeared to be orchestrated by the U.S. administration, as Netanyahu apologized to U.S. Vice President Biden and believed that the crisis was behind the two allies. – Haaretz
Prime Minister Netanyahu seems to want to continue to tweak their friend. But the notion that we orchestrated the crisis is complete fantasy floated by someone wanting to make even more trouble. The latest provocation from Israel makes their bravado about Iran seem hallow. I don’t see anyone else working overtime to resolve the Iranian nuclear issue and get stronger sanctions imposed.
The Washington Post today asks: Are America and Israel drifting apart? They have several people answering the question, never mind it’s a silly question. Hey, but it’s the Post op-ed page, so what do you want? They include opinions by Elliott Abrams, David Makovsky, Aaron David Miller, Danielle Pletka, and Hussein Agha and Robert Malley. Here’s how Mr. Abrams begins:
The current friction in U.S.-Israel relations has one source: the mishandling of those relations by the Obama administration. Poll data show that Israel is as popular as ever among Americans.
This is the theme of the AIPAC conference, which will convene this time next week.
Then, of course, there’s Sect. Clinton taking it to PM Netanyahu.
Daniel Levy, who also writes for the new Middle East Channel over at FP, wrote in the Guardian on Friday something he’s said on many occasions over the last yeat. That Netanyahu “may be our last, best chance for a two-state peace deal.” Here’s a snippet of Daniel’s piece:
Mainstream Israeli commentators were apparently shocked to discover the power of the settler momentum. Pundits such as Ari Shavit, known for their staunch nationalism and vilification of human rights groups working in the territories, had a rude awakening. In Ha’aretz he described “the settlements in the West Bank that serve the centrifuges in Natanz [Iran]. If sane Israel does not wake up, it will be defeated by the metastasising of the occupation and the lack of the central government’s ability to stop it.”
And that, in a nutshell, is why Benjamin Netanyahu may be our last, best chance for a two-state peace deal.
The extremism and excesses of his government may finally open enough eyes and lead to enough local and international action to roll back this settler behemoth. More moderate Israeli governments, even those perhaps sincerely committed to a variation on the de-occupation, two-state solution theme, have definitively failed to halt the settlements march. When Ehud Barak and Ehud Olmert were negotiating on paper potential Israeli withdrawals, the settlements and the occupation were being expanded and entrenched on the ground. Even when Ariel Sharon was removing 7,500 settlers from Gaza, he was adding a greater number to the West Bank and East Jerusalem. But under Netanyahu, what you see is what you get.
Laura Rozen has some of the best coverage on this around, which regular readers around here know.
MJ Rosenberg writes on the “US-Israeli Crackup,” also taking a strong, firm shot at AIPAC.
It is now clear to me that Netanyahu and company are only pretending to be worried about the “existential threat” posed by Iran. If they were really worried, they would not have forced a confrontation over settlements at the time they claim to need America to help them deter Iranian nukes.
Obviously, that issue is a fake or they would not have told Obama to go to hell when he will be President for another 3 or 7 years.
The other thing is my fear that Obama will back down as the Democratic party’s top donors start screaming. AIPAC is coming to Washington in a week or so for the annual grovelfest (see the grovelfest video). It is hard to imagine Democrats standing up to the lobby and its subsidiary among House Democrats (see Hoyer, Steny — and the NY, FL and LA delegations).
Matt Duss over at the Wonk Room recently called out Abe Foxman’s Huffington Post rant, saying Mr. Foxman “deployed one of the most serious weapons in the Israel-debate-policeman’s arsenal,” which was dead on.
While much of this is understandable, there needs to be some stepping back so that there are no long-term deleterious results from this contretemps. The vice president’s comments in his Tel Aviv University address softening the U.S. response was helpful. Less helpful were his comments that Israel’s announcement on building in East Jerusalem was endangering American troops in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan. This is the kind of rhetoric that does exactly what Mr. Biden has studiously avoided doing, linking the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to America’s larger Middle East challenges, and it unnecessarily calls into question Israel’s role as an ally and the impact on American interests. The Mearsheimer and Walts of this world will delight in this kind of criticism of Israel.
ka-BOOM!
Take that you who dare to want to hold Israel accountable for making moves that endanger regional stability.
Rachel Tabachnick at Talk2Action covers the strong evangelical ties between Netanyahu and Rev. Hagee.
In 1998 Netanyahu had traveled to the U.S. to meet with President Bill Clinton concerning peace efforts. However, before meeting with Clinton, Netanyahu spoke to hundreds of Christian Zionists assembled by Jerry Falwell and John Hagee at the Mayflower Hotel. In a blatant snub of Clinton and the peace efforts, John Hagee led the crowd in chants of “not one inch,” referring to no withdrawal from the West Bank settlements. With little fanfare and almost no press coverage, Netanyahu and Hagee have pulled the same stunt again. …
Max Blumenthal has the videos of Netanyahu – Hagee, 2010.
Lots in the news this Sunday. You all take it from here.
Great coverage, Taylor, thanks.
“The Mearsheimer and Walts of this world” would delight in a civil discourse about the issue of Israeli policy, a discourse based on intellectual honesty, which excludes ugly epithets like “jew hater.”
Abe Foxman is incapable of such intellectual honesty.
Pretty harsh, that’s for sure.
Mornin’ to you all.
Thanks for chiming in, Noogan. Big week for this subject with aipac coming up.
Thanks, Noogan. Big week for this subject with aipac coming up.
Feel free to chime in on other items in the news.
Yeah, AIPAC. Ugh.
There have been a lot of “conferences” lately, apparently; good reading about a recent one here:
http://mondoweiss.net/
I’ve said it before but it is worth repeating…the cynical manipulation of all stripes of religious zealotry for purposes of holding on to power will come to no good end.
http://readersupportednews.com/off-site-opinion-section/72-politics/1227-palin-with-a-pedigree
Obama is going to regret not doing the right thing and going after Cheney for war crimes. He is allowing the neocons to rehabilitate themselves.I see Liz Cheney as a far greater threat than Palin.
Helena Cobban at Just World News reports on the same conference. We’ll hear more of the same at AIPAC. Along with Laura Rozen, Cobban is thoroughly knowledgeable on this subject, and should be regular reading, along with Tony Karon at Rootless Cosmopolitan, for those interested in learning the historical and political influences.
http://justworldnews.org/
THIS is another farce. Just like the Public Option. All talk. Smoke & Mirrors.
The thug Netanyahu and company have nothing to fear for their egregious conduct. I don’t care how livid Obama’s people say he is, its all BS; and this “insult” will not be “corrected” with any meaningful action or payback to reinforce his displeasure.
Moreover, when AIPAC comes to town we will witness the nauseating spectacle of every spineless Democrat kowtowing to these people as if the incident never took place. One would never guess that the leader of their party, their own President was highly insulted by these very people.
Insult? What insult?
It’s time we recognize the game. The Israelis know it better than we do. They know they’ve got the Dems by the nuts and they can get away with anything they damn well please.
“They know they’ve got the Dems by the nuts and they can get away with anything they damn well please.”
They’ve got the professional politicos by the nuts. At least the rank and file Dems are at BEST embarrassed and more likely sickened by this farce. The repug base is howeling at the moon, shit house rat crazy for unquestioned support for Israel.
I would love to see an honest poll on support for this no matter what they do support Israel stance America addopted so long ago.
I say screw em all, CUT OFF the money and just pull back and watch the show. Go back after 10 years and deal with whoever is left alive but in the meantime divert all the billions dumped down that rat hole in the sand to energy indepenance research and tell them to drink their oil.
Hard-hitting article in Haaretz:
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1156251.html
Noogan says:
14 March 2010 at 1:03 pm
The Israeli papers and commentators will always be tougher on the Israeli Gov’t than the US media will ever dare to be. Having said that, everyone should know by now that Obama’s “stern warnings” mean nothing, because they are nothing more than hot air.
It was Natanyahu himself who tested him and decided that BO was not strong enough to confront his enemy . . . hence the settlements.
I don’t believe that the United States will ever stand up to Isreal. I am surprised that VP Biden and SOC Clinton actually did stand up and said something about the Isreal settlements that there building in the west bank. Prime Minister Netanyahu knows what he is doing. He has powerful allies in the United States in both parties and the media as well as lobbyist such as AIPAC. We could never quit giving Isreal money because the Jewish American Community would be in a uproar over it, and the parties would never cut money to Isreal. I do support Isreal and want it to be a great country that can live in peace with its neighbors, I just want things to be fair and I want peace in that region but I don’t believe that is going to happen. I hope I am wrong !! It seems some of americas close allies are ticked at us right now. Isreal because the administration was against the news settlements that Isreal is planning and building in the west bank and the United Kingdon because of the administration not taking up for Britain for there claim to the Falkland Islands and Turkey because the administration view on the Armenia geneocide issue. I guess we will have to wait and see where all this does if anything.
Yes yes, more lovely conspiracy theories above on the Jews controlling American foreign policy. Truly sickening from the above posters who I’m not sure are quite as “progressive” as they think.
President Obama and PM Netanyahu will work this out and some good may come out of it in that Israel will think twice before building in East Jerusalem while peace negotiations are at hand.
Nonetheless, this is all a distraction compared to the HUGE ELEPHANT in the room named Hamas, even if Israel makes peace with Abbas and the PA, how does Hamas, which does not recognize the legitimacy of either Fatah or Israel, fit into negotiations? Do you honestly believe that they are for a peaceful two-state solution?
And what about that huge elephant called pshyco fundamentalist settlers, which is a nice way to refer to murdering land thieves.
Gee, didn’t they like KILL Prime Minister Yitsak Rabin(I think he was out of office at the time he was murdered)because he was speaking out for a two state settlement of the problem?
But they’re OK with you, THEY’RE Israeli and it’s ONLY those ARABS who are a problem huh?
Secularhumanizinevoluter, you are just plain scary, and slightly deranged, I must say—over-the-top racist rhetoric is what I have come to expect from you and the Pat Buchanan admiring right-wing funadmanetalist, Imhotep.
Israel is not made of angels, for sure. However, it did evacuate all of the “pshyco [sic] fundamentalist settlers” from Gaza, a very painful national action, in order to further peace, only to be blistered with rockets sent by Hamas that landed in Israeli kindergartens in Sderot. Israel also evacuated all of the “”pshyco [sic] fundamentalist settlers” from Lebanon, only to be greeted with kidnappings and a war started by Hezbollah with their Katyusha rockets.
Nonetheless, Israel will in the end make painful decisions to give up much of the settlement blocs, in return for peace. Will Hamas and the PA?
Judging by the Palestinians honoring a square after an individual who blew up an Israeli schoolbus in 1978, I think we have our answer. http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/313611,palestinians-hold-muted-ceremony-to-name-square-after-fatah-militant.html
Very entertaining if somewhat factually chalanged typical kneejerk reaction from your side of the pshyco isle.
racist? what have I ever posted that was racist? You are what we call a garden variety LIAR.
The FACT is I don’t care one way or the other who kills off who in the cesspool of the middle east. OIL is the name of the game and frankly all those billions that go to the murderers in Israel and the Murderers in the PLO, HAMAS and any other terrorist or nationalist or whateveralist group there should be CUT OFF IMMEDIATELY and put into research on alternative energy. We can come back in ten years and deal with whoever is left. But we STILL won’t buy their oil. They’ll just be another country out there we deal with.
And you don’t have to tell me that Israelis aren’t angels, you just have to ask the survivors or the families of the dead from the USS Liberty. Israel has NEVER hesitated to kill Americans when they thought it suited ther purposes.
As for the Palistinions and their ceremony, gee, seems that the guy who murdered Rabin is considered a HERO to quit a few in Israel.
secularhumanizer, I am amused at your inability to spell the word “psycho.” And I’m sorry that facts tend to get in the way of your warped version of the Middle East
Are you aware that Israel dos not sell or produce oil? Are you aware that Israel is one of the leading innovators of electric cars and green energy in the world? Israel has not been holding the U.S. hostage to oil, my friend.
Israel killing Americans? You are more paranoid than I thought.
And “the guy who murdered Rabin,” Yigal Amir, is in prison for life right now, and is not getting public squares named after him, as is being done for suicide bombers in the Palestinian territories.
While this is all quite entertaining we all know that Big O & Co will ultimately do as AIPAC tells it. All this does is point out to the rest of the world how totally “ball-less” and “owned” the folks in DC are. Anyway, it now appears that AIPAC has spoken, see Laura Rozen over at Politico, so we won’t here much more about it from O’s folks. AIPAC’s press release starts with the following line, all in capitals so emphasis theirs not mine, -
“AIPAC CALLS RECENT STATEMENTS BY THE U.S. GOVERNMENT “A MATTER OF SERIOUS CONCERN” URGES OBAMA ADMINISTRATION TO WORK TO IMMEDIATELY DIFFUSE THE TENSION WITH ISRAEL”
Please note that nowhere in this press release does it say that the settlements should stop or that Israel should change any of its “behaviors” – as always it is up to the US to adapt to what Israel is doing. Its clear where AIPAC’s loyalties lie – with Israel not the United States.
Again – nothing new here folks – time to move on!
“secularhumanizer, I am amused at your inability to spell the word “psycho.” And I’m sorry that facts tend to get in the way of your warped version of the Middle East”
Always convieniant to try to divert attention with smarmy elitest snarks about spelling.
“Are you aware that Israel dos not sell or produce oil? Are you aware that Israel is one of the leading innovators of electric cars and green energy in the world? Israel has not been holding the U.S. hostage to oil, my friend.”
Never said Israel was an oil producer, oils why we play footsy with the oil producing countries, misplaced guilt, wack job fundamentelists and lobby money are why we are held in a stranglehold by Israel. And in case it escaped ya, I ain’tcher “friend”
“Israel killing Americans? You are more paranoid than I thought.”
Are you REALLY dumb enough to make such a blatantly dishonest stetement here?!
“And “the guy who murdered Rabin,” Yigal Amir, is in prison for life right now, and is not getting public squares named after him, as is being done for suicide bombers in the Palestinian territories.”
Do you deny there haven’t been demonstrations by settlers, and not JUST settlers where this murder was hailed as a hero of the people for killing Rabin? That he’s gotten MARRAIGE proposals while he’s in prison? Dipshit the internet sort of renders apologists like you obsolete.
This will certainly make the upcoming AIPAC conference a bit more interesting given HRC is speaking. AIPAC is so tedious in its predictability – their statement condemning only the Obama admin. is par for the course for them. Had a group like AIPAC come out and urged Bibi to perhaps ALSO reign it in, that would be one thing, but of course they didn’t.
According to Haaretz, Ambassador Oren was given his marching orders from Bibi to work around the administration by going to members of Congress and the media directly to “make the case” for Israel. There’s something kinda creepy about that strategy. Not to mention arrogant. But perhaps creepier still is that it just may work. Bibi has always used political triangulation as a weapon but the last time he did this in the 90′s it backfired big time.
Also, it’s really ballsy of Bibi to claim this is all “orchestrated” by the U.S.- does this guy ever take responsibility for ANYTHING? He makes it sound like some grand Obama conspiracy against him which is ridiculous.
Okay, “secularhumanizer”–a marriage proposal to Amir by a whacked out woman is not exactly the same as the PA naming a public square after a woman who suicide-bombed a bus full of Israeli schoolchildren. When Israel starts naming public venues in honor of terrorist Baruch Goldstein, then you have a case. Until then, you can remain in conspiracy-tea partier land/the Jewish lobby is after me land/your parents basement.
secyclintonblog says:
15 March 2010 at 6:08 am
Congress has *always* been the problem with progress on the Middle East. Most of the people there are too ignorant and/or too scared to stand on principle. They simply see dollars march out the door when they dare to consider doing what’s needed.
Taylor, again, it seems to you, everyone is an obstacle to peace in the Middle East other than the Palestinians/Arab states/Iran. Were it not for Congress, AIPAC, Obama, Clinton, Bush, Bibi, Olmert, and three Jewish voters in South Florida, there would undoubtedly be a two-state solution right now with Israel and Palestine living side by side in peace and security. To you, the Palestinians, particularly Hamas, is just clamoring for a peace deal with Israel and are willing to negotiate in good faith, but are being thwarted constantly by those obstinate Israelis. Eespecially Iran, they are surely in favor of a peaceful solution and in making peace with the Israeli people…
Liberastheycome, secular is a “racist,” Taylor is misguided and in the tank for the Palestinians and Iran, I’m a “Nazi?” Are you saying that anyone who takes a position which is oppostite to your own on Israel, “hates Isreal?” Is it as simple as that? Peace
Well, Bibi’s full court press to triangulate Congress against the administration and the recently released AIPAC statement criticizing Obama appears to have emboldened Israel further. Despite Clinton’s request that Israel reverse the housing decision that was announced during the visit, they have announced they will continue to keep building just as they have done for over 4 decades now:
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1156570.html
Methinks I sense another 43 minute phone call from Hillary in his future.
Honestly, he really could be overplaying his hand. Hillary is a strong supporter of Israel but she’s not head-injured- she has to remember how difficult and disingenuous Bibi was during negotiations involving the Clinton administration. In fact, as one story goes, after Pres. Clinton met Netanyahu for the first time, after the meeting between the two ended in the WH Pres. Clinton allegedly turned to his staffers and said “who the f*ck does he think he is?!?!?!?!” Heh.
Steve Clemons rewrote the AIPAC press release in order to point out what it SHOULD have said (but naturally didn’t):
http://www.thewashingtonnote.com/archives/2010/03/the_aipac_state/
Haaretz: Netanyahu will continue settlements:
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1156570.html
SHOCKED!
Ramsgate put up a diary on this topic for those interested:
http://www.taylormarsh.com/2010/03/15/obama-has-failed-to-bring-peace-to-the-middle-east/
Imhotep says:
15 March 2010 at 10:55 am
Liberastheycome, secular is a “racist,” Taylor is misguided and in the tank for the Palestinians and Iran, I’m a “Nazi?” Are you saying that anyone who takes a position which is oppostite to your own on Israel, “hates Isreal?” Is it as simple as that? Peace
Imhotep: Why am I talking about a peaceful two-state solution and you are only bashing Israel and wishing for its end? I respect valid disagreements, but I urge everyone on here to be a bit more evenhanded in their analysis of the Israeli-Arab dispute. There is more to this conflict than just the “Jews” controlling the U.S. Congress and Israeli settlements. There are other obstructionists to the peace process than the Israeli government, namely Hamas, Iran, and the PA which refused to negotiate with Israel for 10 months, despite Israel’s offer to negotiate without preconditions.
Imhotep, You however I do consider to be an anti-Jewish bigot. You posted that Jews have been responsible for all of their suffering, exiles, and pogroms over the past couple thousand years. This is straight out of David Duke’s playbook and I understand where your sympathies lie on this issue.
Rather than the vitriol against Israel, let’s all hope and promote a 2-state solution between Israel and Palestine, in which both great cultures can live in peace together.
“Until then, you can remain in conspiracy-tea partier land/the Jewish lobby is after me land/your parents basement.”
BWAHAHAHAHA! Kneejerk drones like yourself are a big part of the reason so many folks are just turned off to fed up with Americas blind support of Israel.
Like I said, many times. I don’t particularly care one way or the other about Israel. Palistinians use suicide bombers in buses and Israelis use White Phospherus on civilians and run bulldozers over Americans protesting the aparthid like treatment of Palistinians.
But to YOU anything other then on our knees subserviance to Israel and shut up about how much they want is antisemitism.
secularhumanizer, your last sentence makes no sense whatsoever, I’ve read it three times and am still confused. I don’t think “most Americans” are against Israel, a recent Gallup poll put U.S. support for Israel at an extraordinary 65%, higher than it has ever been.
How many times have I said that I speak in the interest of peace, balance, and a 2-state solution. You seem to wish to get out of the way and let both sides kill each other. Very progressive of you. Did you support Ron Paul in the last election?
In addition to my Talk2action.org article referenced by Taylor, I have written another and more detailed article on Netanyahu’s attendance at the Hagee/CUFI event, held on the Monday that Biden arrived in Israel. The article is posted at Zeek, an online publication of the Jewish Daily Forward. http://zeek.forward.com/articles/116518/
In my opinion, Christian Zionists are more influential and the situation more complex than generally acknowledged. They are “pro-Israel” in the sense that they are trying to advance a prophesied Christian Millennium. The prerequisites include expanding the borders of Israel, but they also include terminating Rabbinic Judaism. The movement is becoming increasingly aggressive and is also spreading globally. I wrote about this transition at The Public Eye at http://www.publiceye.org/magazine/v24n4/jews-new-christian-zionism.html