Defending Condi: Olmert Shames Himself in Kick-in-the-Teeth Attack on Rice

No matter what one may think of Condoleezza Rice's diplomatic record -- which I think is better than many liberal critics gauge -- the fact that Israel Prime Minister Ehud Olmert gave her a kick in the teeth as she departs her office is obnoxious and harmful all around.

Olmert also seemed to convey that he had George W. Bush on a little puppet string -- that he could pull the United States President out of a meeting and compel Bush to veto the course that Secretary Rice was going and had been empowered to do by that same President. True or not, Olmert crossed a real line in his statement.

This kind of arrogance from Israel's leadership only erodes enthusiasm for Israel's posture in the Middle East.

Perhaps Israel's so-called defensive efforts that have killed nearly 1,000 people -- and many innocents among them -- and this high-ended, stridently unfriendly treatment of Condoleezza Rice will help to decrease the emotional enthusiasm for Israel's Gaza raids.

It is certainly sending a signal to many in the incoming Obama administration that while there are convergent American and Israeli interests -- friendship and trust are eroding whether one wants to admit publicly or not.

Shaming a US President and Secretary of State may not change the course in policy and may not shift America's general approach to the region, at least for the time being, but it does take the fizz out of the unique relationship.

From an AFP story today:

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice was left shame-faced after President George W. Bush ordered her to abstain in a key UN vote on the Gaza war, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said on Monday.

"She was left shamed. A resolution that she prepared and arranged, and in the end she did not vote in favour," Olmert said in a speech in the southern town of Ashkelon.

The UN Security Council passed a resolution last Thursday calling for an immediate ceasefire in the three-week-old conflict in the Gaza Strip and an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza where hundreds have been killed.

Fourteen of the council's 15 members voted in favour of the resolution, which was later rejected by both Israel and Hamas.

The United States, Israel's main ally, had initially been expected to vote in line with the other 14 but Rice later became the sole abstention.

"In the night between Thursday and Friday, when the secretary of state wanted to lead the vote on a ceasefire at the Security Council, we did not want her to vote in favour," Olmert said.

Condoleezza Rice has worked hard on the Israel-Palestine peace process -- and her efforts failed. But I had the privilege of sitting in with her in a meeting that she held in her office with former Israel Foreign Minister Shlomo Ben-Ami and was impressed by her retention of and facility with the details of the Arab-Israel morass.

She was optimistic when we met -- and very committed to what she thought was a sensible track that would offer a "mature" course of action for all of the parties involved.

Olmert is the one who should be shame-faced.

Lots of people want to take pot shots at the outgoing foreign policy and national security team -- but in this case -- it is Israel's leadership that has misbehaved and overshot. . .again.

The appropriate thing for Condoleezza Rice to do right now is return the favor to Olmert by actually working in her final days on the job to implement immediately that UN Cease Fire Resolution.

And maybe George W. Bush can pull Olmert out of a speech to let him know what's going down.

-- Steve Clemons publishes the popular political blog, The Washington Note

Comments

[Nickesq]

Friends don't let friends drive drunk, unless the friends are also drunk.

[section9]

The real story behind this is quite different from the Liberal Consensus.

During the Lebanon War, Olmert's ineptitude and indecisiveness cost Israel a victory and frittered away Israel's valuable deterrent power. Olmert promised the Administration that the IAF could suppress Hezboallah. After three weeks, Rice realized that the Israelis didn't know what they were doing, and she pulled the plug on Olmert's War. The result was Resolution 1701.

Gaza is similar, yet different. The IDF, as a result of the withering critique from both the Winograd Commission and the American Army and Marine Corps, reformed Army training and ramped up for Real War. They took a lot of Urban Warfare pointers from our experiences in Anbar and Baghdad and started trainging up for Gaza City. This is a much better IDF.

Hamas, and the Iranians expected the IDF to screw things up. They didn't. However, Olmert has blundered in two ways: his Army has inflicted too many civilian casualties (sometimes this was unavoidable-Hamas fires from civilian areas in order to draw IDF fire directly at civilians). He also burned bridges with the Americans by this contretemps with Rice.

A wise path for Israel is to pocket their winnings, show receptivity towards Obama and Clinton while sounding out the Saudi plan. The IDF has given the Iranians and Hamas a really good bloody nose. Everyone knows it. Now is the time to use their winnings to make concessions at the peace table, and win friends with the new Administration.

[WasteNJ]

Why would Olmert go out and tell the press what he had done? Wouldn't the fact that Rice voted their way be enough? Why tell everybody how he achieved it, to prove Israel's toughness or publicly dress-down the SECSTATE? Very short-sighted move, demeaning the stature of the US to the level of Israeli puppet. True or not, that's the perception.

[Americafirst2008]

This Israeli settller is certainly enjoying America's $8 billion a year. Why do we give our hard earned dollars to religious fundamentalists so they can have a better standard of living than American Taxpayers?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vVhFyIns81Q

While there is no doubt that there is hatred taught on both sides, it's clear that killing innocent women and children and destroying the infrastructure and schools of Gaza are truly heinous crimes. The rocket attacks must stop too but that requires a population to be given a chance, not penned up and treated like second class citizens in a ghetto reminiscent of Germany in the 30's

Time for America to start looking out for it's own interests. Countries have interests, not friends. Israel needs to be treated like any other country, our citizens deserve it.

[Nickesq]

Why is this topic undebatable in Congress?

[retromega]

I see that we American's do not like to see we are a puppet to Israel as so many comments noted. We really object when the Arabs say it and we expect the Israeli's to not mention it in public. This time the Israelis hurt some feelings but America will forget all about it in a day or two at most. And we will continue to do what the Israeli's tell us to. At least this time they didn't kill any American troops while running our foreign policy like they've done before. As for r everyone else, well they're just Arabs or even worse Palestinians or even worst than that their sympathizers!

And after all, those cities behind the barbwire make excellent places to really test the quality of our American bombs. You can bet somebody is already hard at work figuring out how to improve the destructive capacity, otherwise known as lethality, of, arguably, our finest export!

To think that we once referred to America as the Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave. Now we do someone elses biding and, like Israel, we are building our own walls.

And some of us are happy with the change.

JVH

[cobraxus]

before going into a well deserved coma Sharon was quoted as saying "Israel doesn't take orders from The United States.The United States takes orders from Israel!".Sadly I believe this to be true.As Rachael Maddow pointed out last week democrats and republicans are on the same page when it comes to Israel.On the road to DC every politian must prostrait themselves before AIPAC(the only foreign lobbying group that doesn't have to register as a foreign lobbying group because its members are all US citizens).

[mymic1]

Olmert just confirmed what has been the belief in the arab/muslim world for some time. I will not go as far as to say we are the puppets of Israel but we definitely have shown a favorable bias toward them in this conflict and as a consequence are not viewed as reliable peace brokers in this situation.

The positive result of his arrogant boast will be a new administration that will not be afraid to publicly stand up to the Israelis as well as openly admonish them for their over the top responses to Palestinian acts of violence...

[WasteNJ]

Why is Olmert, a disgraced, corrupt leader and mere caretaker until the next president, able to grab Bush by the nuts and get what he wants? They pulled Bush out of a press conference for the call? INSANE. I never thought I]d say it, as a sympathized to Israel, but this throws a taint over what they are doing, and makes it look like we are the sole backers of their policy.

Guess those bombs are quite profitable, bought with US taxpayers money sent to Israel as "aid".

[jdenham]

I have no love for Rice or Bush, but Olmert needs to go. I would hope that the Israeli people would realize by this statement he has put the next President in a bad position, and vote him out of office. By making the sitting President look weak and a puppet of Israel, it is incumbent on the next President to set an example with him. Obama can not afford to look weak when dealing with Israel.

[Realization]

The problem is not that Olmert has put the President in a bad position. The problem is that U.S. policy is not independent and in the interest of the United States. In a way, Olmert has done us a favor by saying what he really thinks and highlighting the issue. Unfortunately, the Lobby will no doubt survive as this will not be widely publicized. It's not that Obama can not afford to "look weak" when dealing with Israel. He can't afford to BE WEAK. And the U.S. can't afford that either.

[jdenham]

I agree

[ApolloSpeaks]

THERE NEVER WAS A "PEACE PROCESS."

Clemons writes:

"Condoleezza Rice has worked hard on the Israel-Palestine peace process -- and her efforts failed."

How could Rice have worked hard on a "peace process" that never really existed? A real "peace process" between Israel and the Palestinians never existed because Isarel, which wants peace and reconciliation, never had a real peace partner on the Palestinian side-which wants war without end unto victory. Until the Palestinian equivalent of an Awar Sadat or a King Husssein comes along peace between these two warring peoples is nothing more than the audacity of illusion and blind hope triumphing over experience and reality and will only serve to prolong the conflict.

[cultkicker]

Israel is emboldened now... Dov Zakheim stole $2.3 TRILLION dollars from Pentagon coffers when he was comptroller there. He has dual Israeli/US citizneship and is a rabbi to boot. Where do you think that money went? That's right... to the Israelis.

[goldcoastsailor]

Various Israelis have constantly boasted about their control over US policy. Hopefully Obama will give us our country back by putting the needs of Americans over those of the Israeli war machine.

[Agathena]

Clemons is confused.

Olmert's condemnation of Condi Rice has elevated her among all those who hate him for what he is doing to the civilians of Gaza. A little late, Condi Rice tried to stop his killing spree. She was not shamed. Olmert publicized her differences with Bush and Him and that makes her look very good.' Olmert is a shameless murderer of civilians. "Hamas need to learn a lesson" he expounds, yes Olmert, but at what cost?

I commend her for having to associate with people like Olmert and Bush, although until she recants her support of the invasion of Iraq and her support of torture, I can never really admire her.

[dbdzen]

Olmert's comments are the worst mistake an Israeli PM could make diplomatically. Not only has he insulted a sitting Secretary of State, he has belittled a sitting president and shown ingratitude for the billions in tax dollars we send his way each year. He has also provided fodder to the notion that Israel formulates US Mideast policy and that our top diplomat is impotent in the face of Israel's will. This is very damaging to US national interests.

It's a good thing it's happening one week before the end of a presidency, Obama has no doubt taken notice. He will simply order Clinton to do something tough and insist that she speaks for him when Israel protests.

No matter what you think of Bush and Rice, they speak for the United States until next Tuesday. Israel is not the United States and a little more respect and gratitude was required. Our flag means something and our institutions cannot be mocked by an arrogant ally who believes his influence exceeds our national interest. Olmert crossed the line. g

[walldizo]

Israelis have always been accustomed of insulted US presidents,Olmert is no exception.Remember Nitinuaho's admonishment to President Clinton when he threatend to burn the White-House on his head if he decides to go against Israel...I honestly wish to see a President who could rein in Israel,but it would be hard to come through as long as we have people like Foxmen of AIPAC who brags about being able to secure 70 Congressmen's signitures on a piece of napkin.My only hope is that Obama's signiture is not one of the napkin's list.

[realpolitic]

It is too bad that Mr. Clemons is more concerned with insults to George Bush and Condi Rice than with the suffering of thousands in Gaza who lives has been shattered in the escalation of this conflict. Bush and Rice were no where to be seen in any Israeli-Palestinian peace process for the first seven years of this administration. Bush cowtowed to any hardline actions by Israel probably because the evangelical community is preparing for some armegadden. Bush took no action, despite adverse world opinion, when Israel bombed and detroyed much of southern Lebanon in the military action two years ago. If Olmert thinks he has Bush on a string, he is correct. I do not think Rice is taken seriously given her credentials as a warmonger. She did her best to undermine Colin Powell, who was the only moderate voice in the Bush White House during his first term.

[dbdzen]

Our ability to credibly broker solutions the Gaza crisis as an actor both sides can look up to is severely undermined by the very unfortunate comments Olmert made. Even if he felt that way, that's something he should never have uttered in public. The fact that he did so means one of two things; either he's diplomatically incompetent or he meant to insult the United States.

Obama, take note.

[realpolitic]

Yes, but the U.S. under the Bush regime has no credibility as an independent broker in Gaza. The last several years Bush has unfailingly and unquestionably been on the side of Israel. We were the only ones who do not call for a cease fire when Israel was attacking southern Lebanon when their two soldiers were taken prisoner. There has been no attempt at all to bring peace between the Israelis and Palestinians until the final year of the Bush presidency. If Olmert meant to insult the U.S. he may have lost respect for our role in world affairs as everyone else has under the Bush regime.

[PrickliestPear]

"It is too bad that Mr. Clemons is more concerned with insults to George Bush and Condi Rice than with the suffering of thousands in Gaza who lives has been shattered in the escalation of this conflict."

Politico had an article the other day saying the people Bush "hurt the most" were American conservatives.

Tell that to the people of Iraq.

People have weird ideas about what is truly offensive and hurtful. Olmert's comments, arrogant as they were, were among the least damaging things he's done in recent weeks (as reported in the media, anyway).

[realpolitic]

Politico says Bush "has hurt American conservatives," but yet the Republican Congress backed almost everything Bush did and called those who disagreed a traitor. Yes, it is too bad when pundits like Clemons worry about the personal feelings of Bush and Condi when so many are suffering as a direct result of their policies. If Clemons were to live ifor six months in the Gaza Strip I doubt he would be worried about the feelings of Bush and Rice. He would be concerned with day-to-day survival.

[Ssebo]

Olmert clearly forgot that both the next president and the next secretary of state will take note of his comments.

[Agathena]

Olmert's on the way out, that is one of the reasons he can afford to shoot off his mouth.