What happened to Vice President Biden this week in Jerusalem was egregious but hardly new. Right-wing governments in Israel have regularly embarrassed high-level U.S. officials by making announcements about new settlement activity during or just after their visits. But it usually happens to secretaries of state. It infuriated James Baker, confounded Condoleezza Rice, and appalled Madeleine Albright.
When I served as Albright's ambassador in Israel, during Bibi Netanyahu's first term as Prime Minister, he announced a major extension to an existing West Bank settlement as she departed Israel after one of her efforts to move the peace process forward. When she heard the news, she called me on an open line and shouted: "You tell Bibi that he needs to stop worrying about his right wing and start worrying about the United States."
The excuse that Netanyahu was blindsided by settler gremlins in the Interior Ministry strains credulity.
It was good advice, but it went unheeded. Antagonizing the Clinton administration eventually contributed to Netanyahu's downfall. Israeli voters punished him for mishandling the relationship with Israel's only true ally.
The second time around, one might have expected Netanyahu to be more circumspect about his relations with the Obama administration, especially because Israel is now so dependent on the United States to deal with the growing threat from Iran.
• Eric Alterman: The Only Hope for Mideast Peace • Reihan Salam: Biden’s Disastrous Israel Trip But three developments seem to have emboldened Netanyahu. First, Obama lost the Israeli public by convincing them—through his Cairo speech and customary cool—that he wanted to distance the United States from Israel in order to curry favor with the Arab World. For the first time, Netanyahu found himself in the unusual position of being more popular at home than the U.S. president (Clinton and Bush enjoyed 70-80 percent public approval ratings in Israel).
Second, the Republicans have started making a comeback in Washington, raising the possibility of using Congress to constrain the president. That was something Netanyahu deployed to considerable advantage once Clinton lost control of the House to the Israelis' close friend Newt Gingrich. He probably savors the opportunity to do it again.
Third, Obama purposely delinked the peace process from Iran, making clear to Netanyahu that, despite their deep differences over settlement activity, they would be completely coordinated on the strategic issue of curbing Iran's nuclear program.
So my guess is this fortuitous combination generated sloppiness in the prime minister’s office. That's the only way I can explain the humiliation of the vice president of the United States on the very day that he came to Jerusalem to try to persuade the Israeli public, using Biden-esque hyperbole, that the Obama administration really does love them.
The excuse that Netanyahu was blind-sided by settler gremlins in the Interior ministry strains credulity. That's because his aides have spent a good deal of time lately reassuring Washington that Israel would avoid provocative actions in Jerusalem that might sabotage the indirect Israeli-Palestinian negotiations that were launched this week.
View as Single Page 12 Back to Top March 11, 2010 | 10:52pm Facebook | Twitter | Digg | Share | Emails | print (–) Show Replies Collapse Replies Sort Up Sort Down sort by date: 12 Biddut
Obama is really good at bombing Muslim countries. When it comes to Israel, I guess he is a toothless rabit. Shame on him. I wish I could get a refund from his campaign.
Flag It | Permalink | Reply | (–) Show Replies Collapse Replies 3:04 am, Mar 12, 2010 balobalito
Toothless rabbit? I'll take that one over the Rabid Republican one who egregiously bombed his way into the financial and global mess we are in today. Maybe you can get that refund by way of Iraqi WMD's? Remember?
Flag It | Permalink | Reply | (–) Show Replies Collapse Replies 5:31 am, Mar 12, 2010 case1234
What is striking to me is Netanyahu (and Likud in generals) willingness to place all their eggs in one basket, that of the American Neo-Cons. Given the US position, 2 wars and struggling economy. Is that really the best policy? What leverage are they giving themselves with rising powers like China or Brazil regarding Iran? They are still behaving like it is 1994.
Flag It | Permalink 9:42 am, Mar 12, 2010 galeso
The premise is that Israel should return all of the occupied territories to the people who massed troops and were about to try to wipe out the state of Israel when Israel acted to stop that. This would give the wipe Israel off the map people reason to believe that the next time they try they will have nothing to lose except for some lives. On the other hand, stealing land from individuals is not good either.
Flag It | Permalink 11:00 am, Mar 12, 2010 sangha774
Biddut: Don't try that Obama blame crap. America has long ago created a monster in Israel because of its unqualified political and financial support at the expense of creating terrorism in the Arab world. AMERICA IS NOW ISRAEL'S BITCH.
Flag It | Permalink | Reply | (–) Show Replies Collapse Replies 9:37 am, Mar 12, 2010 liberatorquest
I demand a 50% cut in aid to Israel, effective immediately!!!!!!! Let's see who is who's daddy then!!!!! The help often has to be reminded, who the boss is, it's no different in this case, it's just a matter of tightening the loose screws!!!!! Israel has to simply be reminded that they are OUR correspondent in the Middle East!!!!!!!!
Flag It | Permalink 11:09 am, Mar 12, 2010 Frenchmanaz
Liberatorquest, I agree full heartedly. Enough Israel with your expansion or we will only give you one teet. We all suffer the consequences of our partnership with Israel. I have nothing against Israel and fine, you won the original land fair and square. Stick to it ! This isn't about running out of land so much as it is about the religious freaks over there who believe that they have a God given right to take it. You want land because your running out of it, ask Palestine and then buy it or lease it. Tired of this festering wound that keeps so much hate alive. If my neighbor, without even asking me, took even a sliver of my land to expand his garage, I would go ballistic. If he asked I might actually give, but to take, sorry. I have no side in this battle but it is impossible to ignore the Palestinian anger. As far as I have heard the suicide bombings have halted, even if those idiots at Hamas refuse to recognize Israel, unless they act on it, these are words and very conveniently the only excuse Israel has left to keep acting with such insolence. No people should ever have to endure what the Jews did during the Holocaust and no one is asking anyone to ever forget but enough's enough's. That suffering does not entitle anyone to stomp around in the backyard of others. Biting the hand that feeds you is only stupidity, the rest is thugery plain and simple. Israel will never go for the two state solution because if they sign on the dotted line it will become international law and legally binding. The perpetual thorn in all of our sides. My only advice to the Palestinians try as best you can to endure it, because when you don't react with violence the world starts to mad dog Israel. One suicide bomber and the sympathy shifts back to Israel which, sadly, is exactly what they want. When the world feels sorry for Israel they feel entitled to do whatever they please in retaliation. I repeat, my comments are about Israel and it's policies, not Jews. So unless your going to come at me with reasonable arguments as to why Israel is somehow entitled, please don't bother with your blind defense of Israel simply because you happen to be Jewish. I am Roman Catholic but it doesn't stop me from being absolutely appalled by the Vatican.
Flag It | Permalink 12:07 pm, Mar 12, 2010 JerryIzzo
Conversely, the PA should glean that chewing up and spitting out Israeli dove governments entails consequences, as well.
Flag It | Permalink | Reply | (–) Show Replies Collapse Replies 4:28 am, Mar 12, 2010 sangha774
Netanyahu knew exactly what he was doing by publicly pissing on America. As I've said above, we've created the monster Israel and now America is its bitch.
Flag It | Permalink | Reply 9:42 am, Mar 12, 2010 AuntBarb
This isn't the first time Israel has responded to peace overtures by announcing new settlements. It's a way of assuring the peace process goes nowhere. This kind of nonsense will not end until the American public realize that Israel has milked us decades for economic, military, and intelligence aid. Unfortunately, the average American is afraid to question or criticize Israel, and our average politician is absolutely terrified of doing so.
Flag It | Permalink | Reply | (–) Show Replies Collapse Replies 6:54 am, Mar 12, 2010 scott1607
It's nuts, isn't it? For some reason we have swallowed this bs for far too long that blindly supporting Israel is the right thing to do. Meanwhile, nothing is ever accomplished beyond writing them checks.
Flag It | Permalink | Reply 7:46 am, Mar 12, 2010 connie47
It won't end until the we stop basing any part of our foreign policy on what fundamentalist Christians think the Tanach and the New Testament say.
Flag It | Permalink | Reply | (–) Show Replies Collapse Replies 8:27 am, Mar 12, 2010 liberatorquest
What in the hell are you talking about again woman???? The only religion those Jews practice is Money!!!! Take that away and they will implode!!!! It's all about money and only money!!!!! Jews and Arabs are cousins, their love and worship of money alone should bring them together!!!!! Hmmm , I might have stumbled onto the solution right here, make them partners in their individual economies, yes , shareholders in each other's businesses. We can work out the details, but the solution is definitely monetary in this case!!!! Have a nice weekend all of you!!!!!
Flag It | Permalink 11:33 am, Mar 12, 2010 TOMMcG
Liberatorquest I too am a critic of Israel and its ruthless treatment of the Palestinian people who were driven from their land by Israelis. And I would have written more in criticism of them had I not spotted your blatantly anti Semitic statements. Either you are stupid or you are a bigot or both. Your statements reflect age old shibboleths dripping with anti Semitic history and sentiment. You should appologize to all readers here.
Flag It | Permalink 12:28 pm, Mar 12, 2010 JohnConnughton
AuntBarb, scott1607, you are both completely right. It's time to pull the financial plug on Israeli intransigence.
Flag It | Permalink | Reply | (–) Show Replies Collapse Replies 8:39 am, Mar 12, 2010 GeneTouchet
Hear! Hear!
Flag It | Permalink 9:01 am, Mar 12, 2010 wareagle82
Israeli intransigence? Try reviewing history. EVERY time a peace proposal has been put on the table, regardless of which administration laid it out and even regardless of whether it was the US doing it, it is the Arabs who have scuttled it. Period. Exclamation mark. Time and again, a two-state solution had been brokered, needing only an Arab signatory. Problem is, the Arabs have no interest in a two-state anything, not as long as one of those states is Israel.
Flag It | Permalink 9:56 am, Mar 12, 2010 JohnConnughton
wareagle82, you are right that the Arabs have also screwed up many, many chances at peace. They have allowed themselves to be led by warrior extremists who killed any would-be leader speaking of conciliation. This does not excuse the Israelis, who are doing exactly the same thing. After 5,000 years these tribes are only slightly more sophisticated than the Pushtans of Afghanistan, and I'm tired of being pulled in the middle. I condemn them both.
Flag It | Permalink 10:17 am, Mar 12, 2010 gak001
Why should they want peace? Israelis and the Jewish diaspora have a rabid hate for the Palestinian Muslims who have a rabid hate for the Israelis. It's a vicious cycle and it doesn't seem like either side is truly interested in peace. Granted I don't know any Palestinians, so I haven't had the opportunity to hear their opinions, but several American Jews I have met have said some of the most racist and bigoted things imaginable. I just don't know how we can get past that anytime soon except to keep bringing Israeli and Palestinian youths together and teaching the next generations that there really isn't that much difference between their two cultures at the end of the day - they're still all humans. Either way, while it's probably good that we're helping one of the only democracies in the Middle East, I think there are certain areas where we need to rethink our strategy and policy.
Flag It | Permalink | Reply 10:28 am, Mar 12, 2010 robjh1
Another indication someone got it wrong. A President Obama did not equal peace in the Middle East. As for the Israelis, it would be in their best interest to work out a deal each day the number of Arabs grow. Wake up!
Flag It | Permalink | Reply 7:46 am, Mar 12, 2010 Austerlitz
Why Dumb America continues to tolerate this sort of insulting and contemptuous treatment by Israel continues to amaze me. What is it, again, that the United States gains from its unquestioning support of Israel? I know, I know, they are a strategically placed democracy who share western values and provide us with whatever intelligence Israel believes is in its best interests to give us. Now, what benefit has that provided us in America, exactly? The only certain result of our obeisance to Israel is the assured enmity of most of the Muslim world. Can't we at least cut off their allowance for two weeks, and, like chump parents, warn them to never, never misbehave in this manner again?
Flag It | Permalink | Reply | (–) Show Replies Collapse Replies 7:47 am, Mar 12, 2010 Banjo1
Earth to American Jews: The left and its useful idiots are your enemy. Continue voting and funding Democrats and you doom Israel. Then, as Stalin showed, they will come for you.
Flag It | Permalink | Reply | (–) Show Replies Collapse Replies 8:28 am, Mar 12, 2010 benp1986
I think its a little bit of a stretch to even compare Stalin to the democrats
Flag It | Permalink 8:53 am, Mar 12, 2010 sangha774
Oh shut up Banjo1. Keep your ignorance hidden.
Flag It | Permalink 9:45 am, Mar 12, 2010 Austerlitz
As a point of argument, it is conceivable that the failure of Israel is unrelated to the fate of the United States. In other words, so what with Israel. But you seem to believe that exercise of imagination impossible. The clear implication of your comment is that you value the interests of some other nation (Israel in your comment) more than those of our own. I suppose that too is imaginable, but I believe most Americans wouldn't agree with you that their own country's interests weren't paramount to all others. Our job as Americans is to decide what is best for America. It is not reasonable that the survival of every current national state is something America must assure at all costs to itself.
Flag It | Permalink 9:56 am, Mar 12, 2010 DakLak
Little wonder anything gets achieved when the US acts like a toothless lion and the Israeli's ignore every undertaking they've ever made. It almost makes a person write a check for Hamas. Does anyone have an address for them?
Flag It | Permalink | Reply | (–) Show Replies Collapse Replies 7:48 am, Mar 12, 2010 galeso
Hamas c/o Federal Bureau of Investigation J. Edgar Hoover Building 935 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, D.C. 20535-0001
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