Netanyahu Speech To Congress: Many Will Watch For Signs Of U.S.-Israel Rift

May 23, 2011 10:21:46 PM

By Susan Cornwell and Jeffrey Heller

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - When Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addresses Congress Tuesday, many will be watching to see whether he escalates a war of words with the White House over how to make peace in the Middle East.

Netanyahu has a mostly sympathetic ear in the U.S. Congress, where few lawmakers in either party speak up for the Palestinians, hewing to decades of close U.S.-Israeli ties.

But the Israeli prime minister has had a rocky relationship with President Barack Obama, and last week said the president's vision of a Palestinian state based on the borders of 1967 could leave Israel ``indefensible.''

Obama articulated that vision Thursday in a major policy speech on the Middle East. His position essentially embraced the Palestinians' view that the state they seek in the West Bank and Gaza should largely be drawn along lines that existed before the 1967 war in which Israel captured those territories and East Jerusalem.

On Sunday Obama seemed to ease Israeli anger somewhat when he made clear that the Jewish state would likely be able to negotiate keeping some settlements as part of a land swap in any final deal with the Palestinians.

Netanyahu voiced appreciation for those comments, and some analysts think Netanyahu will not further escalate the quarrel with Obama in his remarks to Congress Tuesday.

``Netanyahu will most likely try to tone down any perceived differences between his position and the president's, because his disagreements with President Obama have become counterproductive for both and ultimately undermine Israel's own interests,'' said Haim Malka, of the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

But Republicans in Congress, including House leaders, are not about to drop their criticism of the Democratic president's newly articulated Mideast vision.

House Republican Leader Eric Cantor said Monday that Obama's comments on Middle East borders left ``most Americans ... just questioning what kind of strategy there is. It doesn't make sense to force a democratic ally of ours into negotiating with now a terrorist organization'' about land swaps.

Cantor was referring to a unity deal last month between Western-backed Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah movement and Hamas, an Islamist group viewed by the United States as a terrorist organization.

Republican Senator Orrin Hatch's office says he will introduce a resolution that it is not U.S. policy to have Israel's borders return to the boundaries of 1967.

ISRAELIS SAY TO EXPECT SOME SURPRISES

Israeli officials said they expected Netanyahu to deliver several ``surprises'' in his address to Congress on Tuesday, but they declined to elaborate, saying he would likely be working on a final draft up until the last minute.

Speculation had been high in Israel that Netanyahu would offer new ideas on peacemaking to try to display flexibility and rally opposition to the Palestinians' plan to ask the United Nations to recognize a Palestinian state in September.

The official Israeli statement on Netanyahu's speech noted that he is ``among the few world leaders, who include Winston Churchill, Nelson Mandela and Yitzhak Rabin, invited to address Congress for a second time.''

Netanyahu first addressed a joint meeting of Congress in 1996 during his first term as prime minister.

Netanyahu will speak about recent changes in the Middle East, Iran and the principles for a peace accord between Israel and the Palestinians, the statement said.

Peace talks are frozen, largely over the issue of Israeli settlements in the West Bank. Neither Obama nor Netanyahu have offered a concrete plan to try to revive them.

IMPACT ON U.S. POLITICS

Cantor said he believed most U.S. voters agreed with his criticism of Obama's Middle East policy. ``Just responding to the pressure of the Palestinians, and some of their supporters around the world, is not leadership. That's not what people I think in this House and their constituents want to see out of our president.''

But Daniel Levy of the New America Foundation in Washington isn't so sure Obama will pay a political price for his comments about Middle East borders, even in the 2012 re-election campaign just ahead.

``There is this perception that there is a huge political price to be paid (for upsetting Israel), which I don't think is borne out in reality,'' Levy said.

He said Obama had done a good job blunting criticism with his clarifying comments on Sunday, which were made to Washington's most powerful pro-Israel lobbying group, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee.

``I don't think that the extreme positions taken by Congress on this issue -- which are really extreme, often more extreme than Israel's parliament itself -- I don't think they are reflective of American broader public opinion,'' Levy said.

(Editing by Cynthia Osterman)

Copyright 2011 Thomson Reuters. Click for Restrictions.

Comments

[JsrRoger]

03:54 PM on 06/16/2011

Daniel Levy of the New America Foundation in Washington should check the polls....current ones show 65% of the American people side with PM Netanyahu and his principles. While he spoke at AIPAC2011 many there were tweeting his words to the rest of us anxiously awaiting feedback from them as we watched the broadcast live. We applauded along with Congress--tears streaming. And still, we talk about his inspiring words, strong convictions and unwaivering principles....feeling closer in spirit to him than to our own president. So Levy should not underestimate the bond the American people feel for Netanyahu. We are proud of his love for Israel. We believe he is doing the right things for Israel...not giving in to the pressures of the opposition, within or without. He is holding to the conservative values we share...and has the insight and wisdom to know that moving borders or backing off expectations that the Palestinians must commit to the Quartet Principles, will not alter the Palestinians' hearts filled with uncompromising hate and desire to destroy Israel and the Jews....and still there would be no lasting peace. Sometimes a line must be drawn in the sand.

[JoshuaIanLee]

05:13 PM on 05/24/2011

This is the problem with the Middle East, more religious zealots per square mile than anywhere on earth.

[emma richmond]

05:03 PM on 05/24/2011

Netanyahu is using the United States and playing these fools in Congress against the President we say that's a no no, President Obama don't play this kind game, Netanyahu don't want Peace, this man want war, this anyone notice what we saw this morning, was trying to declare war and using the US, to declare war against some other country on the American Soil, he's drawing the US into something where they don't need to be this guy is very hateful. Our question, why was he hanging around hear in the US, Netanyahu calling others Terrorist maybe he should look at himself. We see trouble and the President also see trouble. For what happen in Washington today will be a sad day for the Jewish People, President Obama trying to help the People.

We couldn't believe John Boehner how he introduce this man and how they treat our President, we call them traitors, if the President would have done something like this they would be calling him Unamerica, this is what we call them Anti-America and Traitors, we see there will be a big price for this country to pay, the President know's this.

[emma richmond]

04:40 PM on 05/24/2011

Today is an Embarrassing day for America and it's people, what we see we have become a country of suckers, hateful and a bunch of Anti-America Congress, they deisresected the President for some PM, where is own people don't trust him in ISRAEL, but he come to the United States and play these fools against they leader, they are so use to being sucker so it have become a habit. We just don't trust this Netanyahu, we don't know if anyone notice they was so busy Praising and Clapping and Cheering this man on something that they don't give him at home, Netanyahu don't want Peace he want "WAR," notice his Rhetoric, We are a shame of what happen today in this country, we're going to say again Netanyahu don't want Peace, he's Hateful, he exaggerated what he and President Obama Conversation, this is the Reason the President called him out. To us Netanyahu is an Unorthodox Jewish Christian, he don't won't peace for his people People in ISRAEL Probably know that, this is why he come to this country and Prey on these Suckers, and play them against they own President, because the President don't take his BS, so he use these weak minded fools. We don't know if Congress know if Netanyahu was using the US to Declare War on other country on US soil, Netanyahu is going to start something and get the US Involved, President Obama is the only Adult.

[suchabigmouth]

02:01 PM on 05/24/2011

Every day I watch America sink into the same anti-Jewish rhetoric that has dominated the Middle East for years. Israel is the only democratic country in the Middle East. The rest are military and religious dictatorships who have repeatedly tried to rewrite the facts. I remember the pre-1967 borders and how the Arabs (they weren't called Paelstinians then) fired down from the Golan heights on children in schools and farmers tilling the soil. Ask yourselves how many Arab Muslims go to schools and are treated by hospitals in Israel, then ask yourself what happens if an Israeli wanders into the wrong West Bank neighborhood? He gets lynched. Which government do you want to support? The autocractic ones or the only democracy?

[oldlib127]

02:32 PM on 05/24/2011

Democracys allow everyone the same human rights!!!

[StJames]

03:01 PM on 05/24/2011

Why are you living here?

[Cynthia Rays]

01:39 PM on 05/24/2011

Netanyahu and Obama don't go anywhere near the human rights issue.
" Obama does not call for a morally correct solution: equal rights for all who live within the territory and all who have been unjustly excluded from it on the basis of ethnicity...

Instead, the president exhorts Israel to rush to create a truncated Palestinian statelet in the false belief that a Palestinian mini-state on a fraction of historic Palestine can fulfill the rights of some 11 million Palestinians denied their human rights, and right to self-determination

Obama’s use of demographic scare-mongering indicates an acceptance of the fundamentally racist view that the mere existence of certain categories of humans (in this case non-Jewish Palestinians) in a country is unacceptable and dangerous – even if they or their parents or grandparents were born in that country. Palestinians “west of the Jordan River” are not interlopers or intruders. They are indigenous people of the country. Instead of searching for ways for Israel to escape them by gerrymandering a bantustan, Obama should be calling for full and equal rights, nothing less.

Obama’s failure to call on Israel to respect the full and equal rights of the 1.4 million Palestinian citizens of Israel, will also be taken as a signal by Israel that the president is fine with the growing raft of racist legislation directed against this indigenous community."
http://electronicintifada.net/blog/ali-abunimah/obamas-speech-aipac-affirms-commitment-israel-and-us-policies-doom-it

[sexywhiteboy53]

12:25 PM on 05/24/2011

God bless Israel!!

[sunshine14]

11:53 AM on 05/24/2011

God made that bound and gave the land freely but it came with stern laws commandments. If one does not obey those laws God said himself what would happen. HE who gave, is the very ONE who can break that bound and took it away. They have yet not learned and Israel should of never been divided that land, maybe if not divided they would of learn to live in peace with all. HE knew what HE was doing and HE said I WILL not man. Love thy neighbor as you love yourself. pride, egos, vanity, boasting is not humility is it, but serves the flesh only, not in obedience to God or his laws. God is a God of all human beings, when will all learn to change their hearts and love all?

[divadocsa]

11:50 AM on 05/24/2011

Reading these remarks makes me realize how little people know about the history of that region, and thats scary. Journalists do little to enlighten us when they strategically leave out important pieces of information. The writer of this piece makes it clear that Israel "occupied" the territories in 1967...does she bother to mention that it was during a war in which Israel was attacked by multiple neighbors at once and that in the discussions for withdrawal afterwards, Israel laid down two requirements: Stop attacking us and Recognize our right to exist. Because th Arabs refused to do that, they sacrificed the Palestinians to live in perpetual occupation; a condition that neither the Palestinians or the Israelis wanted. Its time that people learned the history of the region and realized that the Palestinians were offered their own state in 1948 when Israel was founded and their "Arab brothers" refused it; because they couldn't tolerate the idea of a Jewish state. How many US liberals know this? Criticism of Israel's reluctance to allow a UN resoluation for Palestinian statehood currently (after 70 years of war) is, of course, rampant, among people who will not allow Israel to have the same rights that other nations have; who would force them to accept a state that is headed by a terrorist group who has sworn to destroy them. We liberals are trying to force Israel to accept a Palestinian state; but aren't putting as much effort into urging the Arabs to accept Israel

[sunshine14]

12:31 PM on 05/24/2011

Romans either remember wanted a Jewish state, lets go all the way back , for the Romans conquered that land did they not by military forced. Roman had power over the Jews, which Romans maintained their conquering power over them, by  their military rule right?

[oldlib127]

02:30 PM on 05/24/2011

Wikipedia: "The war began with a large scale air strike by Israel."

[llrobjr]

05:02 PM on 05/24/2011

Do you just believe anything you hear? You have no facts to support this because it didn't happen. Give your news sources, if you have any. Here is a comment that is similar to yours--U.S wasn't first to the moon, other countries did it much earlier. Just some wild statement without any basis whatsoever. Wikipedia is not an authoritative source. Anybody can post anything to it! Come on; get real and join in an intellectual debate without running your mouth on anything you read or hear.

[sunshine14]

11:46 AM on 05/24/2011

Was it not because of their own disobedience to the laws that got them all in trouble? Read OT. All there and foretold.  Were they not warned by Moses told the great importance to be obedient to all Laws, if not, for  this means your very life the great importance to obey all laws? That in obeying all Laws given great blessings would come and  HE would never leave them?well sadly what took place?
What sadly took place? And have they still have  not learned, takes no ones advice till this day yet?  Love your neighbors as you love yourself?Told them even sent HIM even, to repeat the laws. But what happened?
  If no past Pres ever could solve Israel problem then this sitting Pres is NOT Israel problem either. God bless all. For God said. IF he is for you who dare be against you?  Well? Why no peace today still? God is God and the God of all who believe and obey all his laws. Some did and some did not.

[gvari]

11:46 AM on 05/24/2011

There is this perception that there is a huge political price to be paid (for upsetting Israel), which I don't think is borne out in reality,'' Levy said.
Don't dare upsetting them! WOW

[Vlady]

01:39 PM on 05/24/2011

Keep it in your mind gvari

[Billy Fritts]

11:38 AM on 05/24/2011

Why dont Obama keep his nose out of the affairs of Israel--They are our Ally-Have been for years but Obama treats them like they are our Enemy--Israel gives us a lot of secrets on what is going on in the Mid East-Hey every thing Israel has is what they had to fight for--They have a right to Exist as any in the Mid East--

[oldlib127]

02:34 PM on 05/24/2011

They could not have won it or keep it without the support of the US>

[steelydave99]

11:34 AM on 05/24/2011

show me the shekels

[Vlady]

01:48 PM on 05/24/2011

if you have diarrhea you can access lavatory on EgyptAir for free

[sunshine14]

11:34 AM on 05/24/2011

funny he said you not have to defend us we defend ourselves. then in next sentence thanks America for given them the tools $$$$ to do so? We gave democracy yah right been over 4,000 years and still does not have peace or democracy nor knows or learned yet the way to peace. One cannot teach others or give others peace, if they do not have it themselves to start with. One can only give what one has, no peace and distrubs only the peace of others. They say and what is written also, if God is for you who dare be against you. Love your neighbor has yourself one has not  learned nor obeyed yet that law. Why is this still going on for so long, and no past Pres has ever solved Isreal problem either why? HE who put them there they to did not take the advice given before they entered. Is that why? read OT all there.

[Fred Ricardo]

11:26 AM on 05/24/2011

America wants a Two State Solution. The only way it will happen is in the UN.

We cannot veto the vote in September to have a Palestinian State then continue to be insulted and ignored by Israel. After 60 years this has to end NOW.

[sunshine14]

12:49 PM on 05/24/2011

What does God want? Was it not God who gave and was it not God who took it away? Did God not say I WILL , will scatter you all over the earth? Only if, so why did God do that?  Interesting read OT all there foretold  - why, told forewarn by Moses before all 12 Tribes Israelites not 1 Tribe of Israelites either who  entered the -Promise Land? Judea-I have read is where the name Jew came from for they came from the Tribe of Judea, calling themselves Jew, right? All Tribes had their own titles how one knew where what Tribe they came from. 
Like America one calls themselves American. One knows where they live come from right? But not all Americans are of the same race right? Same thing.
Each tribe was given their own land, boundaries, limits, to govern their own land, had their Leader over also, like each State right?

Do all know their Names and where they are at today or do they know themselves who they are? Well in the end of time, only , God said. I WILL- place it in their hearts to -know WHO they are, right?  And I WILL= gather call them all from the 4 quarters of the earth, on the day of my wrath.Interesting does on think Jesus had blonder hair and blue eyes? Interesting? Abraham came from Ethiopia, Africa it is so written and Ethiopia is written over 3,500 times in the bible right?
For they all lost their own identity when God, scattered them and were taken as slaves  by the Nations all around them. So who are the 12 Tribes of Israel (Jacob)  where are they all at ? Not just the dear Jews are Isralities  the 1 tribe of Judea either. Read OT all there names them all.  WE all need to know the truth educate ourselves of past history also, not just what we are told, and why is this not taught in the churches also? interesting you think?

[Fred Ricardo]

10:18 PM on 05/24/2011

coo-coo, religion is what is wrong with the world. That and NEOCONS.