You have to hand it to Bibi Netanyahu. It took only a week following the Congressional election for him to come to the United States and tell it t to "drop dead." To his way of thinking he was just telling that to President Obama but that is not how it works here.
By announcing a renewed settlement drive while in this country, rejecting a US policy that is decades old, Netanyahu is disrespecting this country, even more than its President.
But that is not how Netanyahu sees it. Like his friends in the GOP, he does not view Obama as a legitimate President. On top of that, he is certain that Obama is finished and he can roll him.
In any case, he only wants one thing from Obama and that is support for bombing Iran. But he is so sure that Obama will be gone in 2012 that he figures he can wait for President Palin or Huckabee (or whoever) for that permission slip.
For now, he will do what he can to ensure that Obama is not re-elected and that the Republicans control Congress. (Note to VIce President Biden: Bibi is not your friend).
Netanyahu, and his political aides tell him he can defeat Obama. They assure him that he can stop the big bucks from going to the Democrats in 2012. They don't understand -- as I hope Obama does -- that Jewish donors support Democrats because they are liberals not because of Israel. (This is, of course, the opposite of what AIPAC and its friends inside the administration tell Obama). The hardliners on Israel, the Israel-firsters, are part of that 25% of American Jews who are Republicans. Jews who are Democrats, and do care about Israel, want an end to the occupation, peace and security for Israel and the Palestinians, and don't support Netanyahu's policies anyway.
All this presents Obama with the first opportunity, post-election, to demonstrate how he will deal with the right-wing opposition through 2012. He can slap Bibi down hard, slow down the US aid train, and, make it clear that he is reassessing relations until Netanyahu backs down.
He can treat Netanyahu in exactly the way he should deal with Mitch McConnell and others who see their life's mission as destroying Obama's Presidency. (Except Netanyahu's offense is worse. He is a foreign leader who gets more aid from the United States, by far, than any other country).
Obama can use Netanyahu as a helpful prop in his battle with the Republicans. He can send the message that there is a new sheriff in town and that it's a new Obama.
Or he can try to conciliate a foreign leader who is trying to destroy him, thereby sending the message that turning the other cheek is still the order of the day. If he does that, we will know exactly what to expect domestically: failed attempts to placate McConnell, Cantor, Boehner and the rest of the gang. (Hello more tax cuts for billionaires!)
Re-evaluating US policy toward Israel now is the best thing Obama can do for himself politically and for the United States strategically.
And it's the best thing for Israel too, where the majority of Israelis, who favor the security of their country over continuation of the occupation, will be empowered. They might even be able to dump Bibi once and for all. This crisis is an opportunity for us and for them, but only if it is not defused.
Right now AIPAC and its friends in the White House are working desperately to calm the storm so that everything stays cool and the "special relationship" doesn't lose any specialness.
Obama cannot let that happen, Obama needs to make Netanyahu back down publicly and thereby indicate that he knows he is dealing with a President of the United States, not some guy who, by definition, does not belong in the White House.
This is a test, Mr. President. Use it, In this case, more fuel on the fire is a very good thing. Until Bibi says "uncle."
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Excellent analysis of what Bibi is up to.
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Simply proceeding with the UN Sec Council hearings regarding ongoing Israeli crimes in East Jerusalem would be enough to completely destroy Netanyahu - and the political earthquake of such a positive American move would effectively regime-change the rightwing Israeli coalition in Israel.
This of course would be of great usefulness to Obama's options for progress with Middle East peace - which would be a legacy for the history books
Netanyahu is not only bad for Israel, he's no friend to the USA.
There was a rally to restore sanity a couple of weeks ago Mr. Rosenberg. I was there. Maybe you should have been as well.
this is exactly what is he doing...
Precisely because the timing and the nature of the announcements made by the Government of Israel makes it obvious that the intention is not merely to "disagree about things" but are also intended to undermine the authority of the incumbent President of the United States of America.
You can disagree with the policies of the present US Administration, and you can do that even though you call yourself an ally e.g. plently of the USA's most steadfast allies did exactly that prior to the 2003 invasion of Iraq.
But it is an altogether different thing to engineer that disagreement is such a way that you are constantly kneeing Obama in the Happy Sacs, and that is exactly what Netanyahu keeps doing.
Rosenberg is right, and you are wrong: this goes beyond a policy disagreement i.e. Netanyahu wants Obama gone, and his provocative behaviour is bent towards THAT result, and not just to resist American pressure to do something they don't want to do.
-U.S.
-Russia
-China
-Europe
-Japan
-UN
.
MJ please provide any prove of that.
http://mondoweiss.net/2010/11/israel-carried-out-35-attacks-against-palestinians-in-east-jerusalem-during-october.html#more-29086
Palestinians need a separate state or a vote in the country where they live.
Now, about those apartments. They are NOT (part of) a new settlement drive. Decisions on those apartments had been made some two or three years ago. Six months ago there was another announcement on these apartments, and this week there was another announcement about further development of the building process. MJ simply is not up to date on developments. He sees a headline, and runs wildly amok with it, embroiders on it, gets all worked up into a frenzy, and then explodes.
I am one of those American jews who vote Democrat. I always do. However, I do not agree with the extreme hard left on Israel. As far as lobbying and interference in other nations' affairs is concerned, J-Street is a master in this, as are some others, like jewishvoiceforpeace.org. They give out *hasbara*????:-)??-kits!! Check out their website. Soros is a Hungarian billionaire jew and lobbyist. I wished he would lobby for the improvement of Palestinians' status.
And, as you suggest, decisions are being made now on theft of land that will take place two or three years from now.
You seem confused. As an American democrat, would your vote support or oppose a US foreign policy that attempts to contain Israel's expansionist activity?
Jerusalem is not a settlement.
It is the Eternal Capitol of The Nation of Israel.
Obama seems hell bent on appeasing the repressive, undemocratic, Islamic World.
This is not characteristic of our nations history...or the actions of past presidents.
Israel is our ally.
Israel is the front line of defense against the spread of Islamic Supremacy.
Israel needs to build baby. And I mean put it in overdrive.