“Enough Already”.. The American Reaction Round Up.

I gambled a bit on Sunday night Israel time, in my scathing analysis of the unwarranted weekend of fury toward Israel which poured out of the White House. I chalked it up to an artificial crisis designed to bleed out concessions, and pressure Netanyahu’s coalition for a possible topple.

It appears 3 days later this is the consensus building for these events. I pledged to see what the pro-Israel reactions might be in the USA going forward, to gage whether or not Obama’s strategy might backfire..  Judge for yourself.

Major American Jewish Organizations

Conference of Presidents of Major Jewish Organizations

[...] The controversy which has arisen regarding Israel’s planning process for future development in its capital city in the form of the construction of 1600 new housing units within the declared municipal boundaries of Jerusalem was addressed during Vice President Biden’s trip by Prime Minister Netanyahu’s apology and Vice President Biden’s statement of understanding and recognition of the importance of a continuing close relationship. The unusually harsh comments made since then by members of the Administration have resulted in increased tensions. The interests of all concerned would best be served by a prompt commencement of the proximity talks that had been previously agreed to by all parties, and all parties should act in a manner that does not undercut such talks. We urge the United States and Israel to resolve the controversy with the use of language reflecting their historic friendship [...]

AJC

[...] “Ideally, differences with allies, which do occur even between the closest of friends, should be discussed and resolved in private,” said Harris. “We urge the White House to reconsider its latest, repeated verbal assaults on the Israeli government. It is not beneficial to pummel Israel with language that has rarely been used in U.S. foreign policy. And it may, however unintentionally, send the wrong signal to Israel’s adversaries in the region, further complicating an already complex landscape.”

ADL

We are shocked and stunned at the Administration’s tone and public dressing down of Israel on the issue of future building in Jerusalem. We cannot remember an instance when such harsh language was directed at a friend and ally of the United States. One can only wonder how far the U.S. is prepared to go in distancing itself from Israel in order to placate the Palestinians in the hope they see it is in their interest to return to the negotiating table. [...]

AIPAC (One of the 1st to react)

The Obama Administration’s recent statements regarding the U.S. relationship with Israel are a matter of serious concern. AIPAC calls on the Administration to take immediate steps to defuse the tension with the Jewish State.

Israel is America’s closest ally in the Middle East. The foundation of the U.S-Israel relationship is rooted in America’s fundamental strategic interest, shared democratic values, and a long-time commitment to peace in the region. Those strategic interests, which we share with Israel, extend to every facet of American life and our relationship with the Jewish State, which enjoys vast bipartisan support in Congress and among the American people.

The Administration should make a conscious effort to move away from public demands and unilateral deadlines directed at Israel, with whom the United States shares basic, fundamental, and strategic interests. The escalated rhetoric of recent days only serves as a distraction from the substantive work that needs to be done with regard to the urgent issue of Iran’s rapid pursuit of nuclear weapons, and the pursuit of peace between Israel and all her Arab neighbors. [...]

RJC

The Obama administration has used harsh and intentionally undiplomatic language to exacerbate tensions with our ally Israel in the wake of Vice President Biden’s visit there. The strident and unwarranted escalation of tension, which has turned a minor diplomatic embarrassment into a major international incident, has raised serious concerns about the administration’s Israel policy from a variety of mainstream voices [...]

We call on the Obama administration to halt immediately its unwarranted pressure against Israel, to take steps to heal the dangerous rift it has created between the two countries, and to return to the policy of its predecessors in supporting Israel’s security and well-being as an important strategic ally.

Plenty of consensus there. More organizations like Jstreet & Americans for Peace Now celebrated the assault (shocker huh?). The NJDC seems embarrassed more than anything, choosing to lay very low. Other than Obama’s base of hard core ultra liberal fringe, and their lovey dovey media people aren’t pleased.

Christians United For Israel
Doesn’t usually wade into political waters, but lookout when they do!
Via contentions we learn that the Evangelicals can quickly mobilize an army..

“Just 90 minutes after CUFI’s action alert was distributed, more than 5,000 of our members sent e-mails to the White House asking the president to ‘end this unnecessary crisis, return to a more productive approach, and stand with our ally Israel.’ As of last count we are averaging an e-mail every second, and I see no indication that this will slow down anytime soon.” [...]

The US House & Senate

An outpouring of support for the US Israel relationship has come from senior leadership in response, most of it follows a similar theme..

Quote bits, EACH from a different US leader.
They are bi-partisan:

• “Israel is a sovereign nation and an ally, not a punching bag. Enough already.”
• “Troubling eagerness to undercut our allies and friends”
• “I am deeply concerned”
• “Rethink counterproductive rhetoric”
• “We need to disentangle bilateral relations from the peace process”
• “Now is not the time to falter in our steadfast support”
• “Verbal attacks on our staunch ally and friend”
• “An affront to the values and foundation of our long-term relationship”
• “We should be worrying about what is going on in Iran”
• “Israel is a critical ally of the United States”
• “The national security of the United States is directly tied to the strength and security of the State of Israel”
• “The Palestinians have refused to sit with the Israelis”
• “The most critical foreign policy issue facing both counties — Iran’s nuclear threat.”
• “Defuse this situation”
• “Stop this infighting and concentrate on our shared goals”
• “We should not be condemning one of America’s strongest democratic allies in the Middle East.”
• “Israel stands with the United States on the frontier of freedom”
• “The security threats that the United States and Israel face are too great and too urgent to be overwhelmed by a disagreement among friends.”
• “Sometimes silence really is golden”
• “The stakes are too high and the threats are too urgent to allow the unfortunate recent exchange between Israel and the United States.”
• “The Administration’s approach to U.S. foreign policy has, so far, been disconcerting.”
• “It is time to dial down this ugly rhetoric and gain the proper perspective on the true threats in the region.”
• “Excessive criticisms of Israel over this incident is an unnecessary distraction”
• “One has to wonder whether folks in the White House understand just how much damage this type of rhetoric is doing.”
• “It is time to put aside the rhetoric and reaffirm our bonds with Israel.”
• “Our nation’s security cannot afford a foreign policy which isolates our allies and moves toward appeasing enemies of the U.S.”
• “Any effort to cut aid would lead to fierce resistance in Congress”

Senators McCain & Lieberman also provided some interesting video from the floor..

Ill conceived animus

Clearly, whatever the reasoning, whatever the goal.. There is mounting concern over the uneven-handed treatment of Israel by this White House. There is mounting concern over the Iranian threat, there is mounting concern over this pattern of abusing allies & ingratiating America to her enemies.

With Netanyahu coming to the US next week, and so far a solid front in Israel to reject most of the Obama administration’s newly concocted demands. It remains to be seen how this artificial crisis engineered in the White House will benefit anyone really. Palestinian response thus far has been to riot, burn things, and call for a day of rage.. Go figure.

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*Link Updated Above.

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Worst Relations in 35 Years?
Obama has gone Rogue, declared war on America’s allies.

Confirmation begins to flow out like sewage how the President of the United States cynically drummed up an artificial crisis, with the ally his administration less than 4 days ago called – ‘The best friend America ever had’. Worse, the President was widely reported personally consulting, instructing & coordinating with Hillary Clinton before her scathing 45 minute scream fest toward Netanyahu. One gathers they were rather busy planning & effectuating this engineered crisis, and Chicago style blackmail campaign.

Don’t you worry, some of his best friends are Jewish.

All of this is clearly designed to squeeze & bleed from Israel yet MORE concessions, in order to shore up the Obama administration’s faltering policies & world view. The President of the United States is frankly endangering the State of Israel playing these games. Let’s be clear, this seems worse than Bush & Baker (Baker while in office at State famously declared ”F**k the Jews”), at least then Israel wasn’t being strung up by a noose with an existential military threat.

Haaretz illuminates the insane concessions Obama is trying to leech out, the threats he is using against Israel follow just below..

• Reverse building decisions in Jerusalem and implement a freeze, despite previous agreements with the USA that building in Jerusalem would continue.
   
• Make appeasement gestures to the Palestinians who despite an open Israeli invitation for unconditional talks, refuse to negotiate.
   
• Release hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, terrorists!
   
• Withdraw IDF defense forces from additional territory in the West Bank!! Transfer control to Palestinians (Endangering Israel is the President’s specialty it seems). All of it without ANY peace deal whatsoever.
   
• End the Quartet endorsed blockade of Terrorist controlled Gaza, territory we just finished having to go to war with and allow Gaza to rearm full force.
   
• Remove yet more security checkpoints and security implements in the West Bank, despite effusive praise from both the USA & Tony Blair over how much Israel had already done in this regard, and glowing praise over how Israel has helped the Palestinian economy flourish.
   
• Issue declarations that indirect talks with the Palestinians who only demand more & more, deal with all the conflict’s core issues including; statehood declaration, borders, refugees, Jerusalem, security, settlements. In other words, enter these indirect talks & allow our GREAT FRIEND President Obama to moderate & impose his own solution – One which will clearly be entirely drafted by the Arab League itself, and hoisted upon Israel’s democracy.

Backstabbing Obama sure to be popular fellow in Israel now..

How can we possibly take the President at his word? His credibility internationally and especially with Israel is borderline near zero. This guy keeps breaking deals with us left, right & center..

1. The settlement issue (another crisis a few months ago) was the 1st deal Obama broke with us, when he disregarded pledges made by G.W. Bush to Ariel Sharon.
2. The second deal broken just this week by Obama, was the acknowledgment that Jerusalem would NOT be subject to the and I quote Hillary Clinton: “Unprecedented concession by Israel” to freeze settlements in the West Bank.
3. Now a third deal has been broken by the President with Israel, regarding the format & substance of the issues to be handled in indirect talks. Israel refused to negotiate core issues by US mediation for what is now obvious reasons.

The President seems to believe the word of the United States of America carries little meaning, no bearing on trust – This is truly heartbreaking for many hundreds of millions around the world who so admire American ideals. Poland learned this, the Czechs learned this, the UK, now Israel knows it too. We are under attack from our #1 ally!? It is bewildering & shocking.

The bludgeon for Obama’s threats?

Vital supplies, jet fuel, & armaments needed to defend Israel from an Iranian multi front war.. This beyond the apparent arms freeze Israel has been under since Obama took office. All of these issues, part & parcel of pledges to Israel made previously to garner our patience regarding a strike on Iran. Now, apparently even the entire American Israel relationship itself is being used as a threat judging by statements from US officials on Sunday shows.

Requests of the Palestinians? The intransigent party who refuses to negotiate? NONE.

The FIRST foreign leader Obama called immediately on his inauguration to the White House? This man here, Mahmoud Abbas! Not UK, Not France, Not Israel, Not Russia.. He signalled then loud & clear what his only priority would be in the middle east. What is it with Obama & the Palestinians?

How can we trust this President? Is he living on the same planet as the rest of us!?

There can be no trust here, these irrational demands, artificial crises, and plain and simple backstabbing behavior must be REJECTED  by Israel. Obama is either trying to get our country destroyed, or bring down the government of a friendly country & ally. The majority of Israeli opinion cannot support such irrational appeasement demands just to satisfy President Obama’s Palestinian fetish, or to prop up his failing policies.

Last week the US claimed we insulted them! What was that whole Biden speech about!? Days later Obama has embarrassed Biden way more than we could have even if we had tried. Obama made Biden out to look like a liar, intent on misleading the Israeli people. I doubt that was Joe’s intentions, I believe he may have been just as blindsided as Netanyahu.

UPDATE: This gambit may not roll as ‘Chicago style’ as Obama / Axelrod want..

If we see the counter 1 , 2 punch of both Israeli domestic as well as American domestic resistance to the President’s alliance rift making games, the upper cut for Obama may be a painful one. The Administration deftly used the Friday trash cycle in the US and the Israeli shutdown Sabbath to launch their coordinated volley. But today is Monday, and Israel’s coalition has spoken..

The news is less than ideal for Axelrod & CO.

While officials in Washington were quoted as saying that Netanyahu would have to choose between his ties with US President Barack Obama’s government and his coalition partners, ministers and MKs took steps to ensure that he would not have to make such a difficult choice.

Despite American pressure, not one of the 30 ministers in Netanyahu’s cabinet has expressed support for freezing construction over the pre-1967 border in Jerusalem. A check among the five Labor ministers found that they were all in favor of continuing to build in neighborhoods like Ramat Shlomo and Gilo, where the American administration opposes building.

“The consensus in Israel supports continuing to build in Jerusalem and that’s not going to change,” a Labor minister said. [...]

AIPAC has issued a rare statement in opposition to the US administration’s actions.

On a Sunday night no less. They are not thrilled to put it mildly it would seem with the public undressing of Israel for such a politically cynical purpose, nor one coming only a week out from the annual conference to boot.

Hillary Clinton, who just finished berating Bibi for 45 minutes & Netanyahu will both be there. That will likely make the Administration look even more volatile & erratic than it already appears to onlookers everywhere, if they have to scale this back!? Biden & Clinton are both going to take huge lumps to the face it would seem for his Majesty Barack before all is said & done I think.

Smart Power!

The last key piece is American opinion, in this case fronted by their elected representatives. It is still Sunday night in America, so we will have to see how the reaction unfolds this week. I question the logic, foreign policy and thinking currently going on at the White House, in this I am most certainly not alone. Bibi, Obama, Biden, Clinton, everyone it seems comes out of this pained & bruised. Only the Palestinians benefit?? Has America become a Palestinian client state?

They call it “Smart Power” for a reason I guess, it just eludes me because I’m stupid.

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Our “Friend” in the White House is obsessed with the Palestinian narrative.

Here are my thoughts about today’s big speech designed by the White House to ‘reach out to Israel’.

First let me say that we are honored to have had the VP Joe Biden visit with us, he is the Vice President of what has been until now our closest & most trusted ally, The United States of America. Sadly, it remains to be seen if that legacy will carry forward.

Mission Unaccomplished

It’s hard to escape the fact the speech was heavy on lecturing us in Israel, the bulk of it was seemingly devoted to this, Biden’s personal anecdotes of friendship aside.

• How we don’t do enough for peace
• How we don’t risk enough for peace
• How we endanger peace.
• How hard Peace is & how we are making it harder.

As I listened to it, even the parts extolling our long friendship, I couldn’t help but be struck at how superficial it all was. The personal anecdotes were the same ones delivered by Biden previously to AIPAC in other speeches, that’s fine & understandable. It may have effected me nonetheless. I can’t even fault Joe, he delivered his speech well. But I felt it’s as if this White House is just going through the motions when it comes to Israel.

It’s such a stark contrast to the genuine warmth we felt from Bush. When he spoke you could hear it in his voice & see it in his eyes he was true friend. You could feel the alliance pulsing, the passion that real friends or brothers have for each other. Shoulder to shoulder, thick & thin.

This passion & friendship at a leadership level is long gone.

Try as they may to write it out, the White House speech writers, the advisers, down to the President himself they hold no passion for Israel. It’s evident. Biden tried to deliver it for them, but making us wait 45 minutes collectively as a nation for him to get it started certainly did not help. TV stations, radio, all of it live..  Filling in dead air time for nearly an hour making up for the fact Biden was so late!? It contributed to this feeling we have, that we are a chicken or fish bone stuck in the White House throat. That’s how they feel about us and we can sense it, we’re an errand, an annoyance or something to knock off on a post it note.

Obama’s stumbling block to greatness

That’s the reason Obama is so unpopular here. We know that for Obama, in his mind we are a roadblock preventing him from greatness. He feels no doubt the same way about nearly everyone. The US House, the American people, the Congress. It’s very sad, he’s clearly an egomaniac and I won’t mince words. We all know the type, they blame their failures on everyone else, like a slighted Hollywood star who’s acting simply sucks.

So how can anyone here in Israel feel assured, or entrust our very existence to such a ’friend’? It’s frankly beyond me. Truthfully this America Israel stuff should be easy as apple pie. This is not a difficult mission, we love America! We want to be swept off our feet by her, the fact Obama can’t accomplish even this simple task is astounding. It’s speak much more than words can.

Nonetheless, what we really needed to hear is how we would stop Iran. That part was painfully short and passed by all too quickly. Instead we mostly heard how we should stop figuratively abusing the Palestinians and begin delivering for Obama a big win. Indeed, when Obama spoke in Cairo and embraced the Arab narrative it is clear now more than ever, he wasn’t humoring them. This dribble is what he actually believes. It’s 20 years of Jeremiah Wright coming home to roost, and he’s humoring us instead.

This one line from the speech says it all.

It was in reaction to the housing plans announced in Jerusalem which caused such a scandal.
Jerusalem, the territory we made sure everyone understands is not subject to settlement talk, not subject to freezes..

I — and at the request of President Obama, condemned it immediately and unequivocally.

That’s the real story. We had once again dared to stand before President Obama and his failed legacies. We are, and have always been in his mind condemned unequivocally and we know it. If someone had intended to convince us otherwise today, they failed. The speech went out with a whimper, it’s hardly being spoken about or even reported about hours later. I suspect thanks to this Administration, much the same can be said about the American Israel alliance for the next 3 years.

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Anti Israel – Start to Finish.

Capping off a year of stunning Obama incompetence, Joe Biden has come to Israel to re-enforce the Obama administration’s friendship with our country. To err it seems is human, to be stunningly incompetent however is all Obama. Domestically, internationally, any way you slice or dice it so far this President is failing and doing so on an epic scale.

“Solid B+” he cockily intoned while self grading himself on TV. Oh what a sheltered life we lead over there at 1600 Pennsylvania avenue. On the foreign affairs front, nowhere has the failure been more evident than in the US / Israel relationship. The State of Israel is currently more popular with Americans than the President himself! We’re polling better than him according to Gallup figures, near record highs! How embarrassing for the Appeaser in Chief.

Smiles all around

Obama smiles, Joe Biden smiles, Netanyahu smiles. It’s all wonderful but it can’t cover up the latent animosity. Its an animus generated by the US President himself, and a cadre of advisers who let’s not mince words – Don’t like Israel and never have. They identify with the Palestinians. The White House calls it Muslim outreach, in the real world we like to call it yet another grandiose heaping pile of steaming failure.

Let’s Examine the Record

• No one in Israel has forgotten how the President in Cairo delegitmized our entire being here in Israel. A massive affront, felt across every Israeli political stripe. Mr. Obama with his teleprompters single handedly managed to rally 80% of the Israeli public around our right wing Prime Minister, an event until now seen only in times of WAR! Shockwaves rippled across Israel, President clueless was oblivious.
   
• Instead of bridging the gaps he himself had created, perhaps by reaching out to the Israeli public now clearly distrustful of him, the President instead pursued his course of folly.  He opted to lord the existential Iranian sword hanging over us to force Israel into a building freeze across the West Bank. So instead of pressuring Iran where the real action was at, he issued threats to Israel, ingenious really! Priority number one was his pet project, the Palestinians. Quid Pro Quo it was called. Well we quidded, quidded building in the West Bank that is. Where’s the Quo? Failed engagement, stalled sanctions, and a chorus of advisers & veiled threats against Israel should we choose to defend ourselves. Incidentally – The Palestinians rejected our unprecedented concessions, and refused to talk about anything, let alone peace.. While the Iranians suffered a coup d’etat.
   
• When Israeli polling showed only 4% of Israelis felt the President was a friend and pro-Israel ally, (shocking numbers similarly simply unheard of in the annals of Israeli history.) The President still forged onward, sailing his ship of fools. He sent Hillary to lecture us on where we can or cannot build in our own Capital! His promises to Jewish American ears in order to get elected were left simply by the way side – Just words.
   
• When it had become clear to everyone including both the right & left in American media that the pressure gambits on Israel regarding settlements were a dismal failure; When it dawned that engagement follies were ill conceived, planned & implemented in every way. When it dawned the real source of intransigence preventing peace talks were the Palestinians themselves, who simply point blank refused to engage. Did the President assign blame? Of course not. Instead he chose to save that card, preferring to play it against Israel at the nearest opportunity we now learn.
   
• When American Jewish Democrats became disillusioned with their own Messiah, flanked by Israeli leftists begging the President to come to Israel & explain his folly. Months later whom did he send? Joe Biden. While we are honored to receive the US VP, it sent the message loud & clear. Muslims are priority #1 for President Obama. The Jews? Not so much. Worse, Biden was clearly sent here not to clean up Obama’s messes with Israel, but to warn us yet again against striking Iran. Endearing really.
   
• When we excluded Jerusalem from our building freeze, openly – matter of factly. Did Obama get the message? Or was his giant ego utterly incapable of absorbing even basic realities?  The answer seems clear enough, Joe Biden has thrown a hissy fit here WHILE in Israel over our declared building plans in Jerusalem, last night he made Bibi wait 90 minutes with dinner on the table. Apparently we’ve endangered the mockery that is Obama’s greatest achievement. Non existent INDIRECT talks with the Palestinians. Frankly, Bush could achieve more in a night’s sleep than this President can in a year of failures, next time tell Biden the Kitchen is closed, send him out for a slice of Pizza instead.

Just like the UK, Honduras, France, The Czechs and a litany of other nations it boils down to one thing. None of us trust the President of the United States. Incidentally Chris Matthews – It’s not because he’s black. It’s because for all his academic prowess he seems to have a learning disability. Yes ladies & gentlemen, the President is an ideologue, an educated moron cum laude.

Harvard spits them out like Big Macs these days apparently.

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EU, World will be shocked to learn Israel is a Democracy

The Peace Process is being endangered by appeasement. The Palestinians have rejected every peace deal to ever grace their plate, now they refuse to even negotiate. Putting aside for a moment the fact they clearly don’t desire a state so much as the destruction of ours, one begins to wonder why some are so eager to appease them endlessly?

The list is long..

• Israeli Governments of the right & left
• The EU
• American Presidents
• Donor countries pumping in billions per annum in cash
• The UN
• Liberals, NGOs..

It’s practically a party! There are however two entities that are decidedly less keen on appeasing Palestinians. They consist of the Arab world & the Israeli public.

Picking up the Peaces

The Arabs refuse to appease the Palestinians because they’ve been employing them as pawns to bludgeon Israel for over 40 years now. Why ruin the gravy train? No one gives the Palestinians less money, less rights, less land or lesser dreams for a better future then their own Arab brethren, Lebanon is a prime example.

The Israeli public on the other hand, which has given the Palestinians more money, more rights, more land & more hopes for a better future than any Arab nation on earth now refuses to do much more. Out of patience, because this same public has inevitably paid the price of being the pawns sacrificed by the rest of the appeasing world in the name of Palestinian violence, terror, and intransigence. Here in Israel much of that public has simply had enough. That includes incidentally Arab residents of East Jerusalem whom themselves want no part of a PA state it seems.

The dangerous cycle of appeasement has now come to the point where the PA is not even negotiating for Peace. They want all their demands met, they want a state, they want the billions in aid, they want to be courted as players – and in return they offer nothing. Peace is not even on their table.

It’s not land for peace, its now land for appeasement.

The attempt by Sweden, the UK & others this week to pre-determine final status issues when the Palestinians themselves refuse even to negotiate smacks of the most sickening appeasement we’ve seen to date.  These moves rejected by Israel, rejected by the US, and opposed by EU member states including new Europe, Italy & France smack of a form of psychosis removed from all reality. Well reality will come crashing in soon enough.

1st IDF Paratroopers arrive at Western Wall after liberating the old city from Jordan in 1967

The Referendum Bill

The bill 1st tabled under the Olmert Kadima government, passed 1st reading then but was put aside due to elections. It is now tabled again & headed to 2nd & 3rd reading & probable passage. The rest of world may choose to play pretend, but Israel annexed East Jerusalem & the Golan Heights after the defensive 67 war. International actors may think they can pre-determine reality, but they will come up against an inconvenient truth – Israeli democracy & Israeli law, both of which trump pitiful international declarations.

As early as Wednesday, the Golan Heights and Jerusalem Referendum Bill could return to the Knesset plenum for a key vote, after a late-night decision Tuesday by the Ministerial Committee for Legislation ensured coalition support for the controversial bill. [...]

“We must safeguard the Land of Israel and accelerate the legislative process, in order to prevent a future possibility of retreat against the will of the people,” said Science and Technology Minister Daniel Herschkowitz, shortly after the committee’s vote.

Indeed, Jerusalem & the Golan belong to the people of Israel, annexed. We control the land - This also is an ‘inconvenient truth’. Our governments, our allies, our ‘Palestinians friends’ can huff & they can puff but when push comes to shove reality can prove to be a cruel mistress. Our current Prime Minister as opposed to previous clowns in the post knows this well..

Netanyahu backs referendum bill, wants public’s support for withdrawals

Knesset expected to pass ‘continuity law’ that allows body to continue legislative discussions on bill obligating national referendum on withdrawals. ‘Any historic peace agreement I bring will be based on support from majority of public,’ PM says. [...]

We hold all the cards.

Any deal must be based in reality, palatable to the Israeli electorate. We are much more crucial to the process than Abbas or his crooked thieving cronies. EU officials would be wise to embrace reality instead of living in an unelected tax payer funded dream consisting of caviar, limos, jets, and unbackable feel good pronouncements designed to tickle Abbas’ testicles. Here in Israel we live in the real world. The threats are grave, the will of the people here is strong & the Democracy will have its say – Whether the EU likes it, or not.

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Update:  Booyah! – Knesset votes in favor at JPOST

The Knesset voted Wednesday afternoon in favor of continuing legislative work on the Golan Heights and Jerusalem Referendum Bill, by an overwhelming majority of 68 to 22, with one abstention. [...] The vote crossed coalition-opposition lines, with over one-third of Kadima MKs supporting the bill, but with the majority of Labor ministers conspicuously absent from the vote.

Livni voted NAY <– After negotiating in total secrecy with PA, nearly selling the farm.. Leader of Kadima doesn’t feel its necessary to consult the public on issues that will affect Israelis for generations. Epic fail.

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Ally Jstreet Tacks Right while APN declares ‘Principled Lunacy’

The long cold dark winter – Iran has mocked the entire world (but most of all Obama) with its play for time tactics, rejecting every single generous offer from the West regarding its nuclear weapons program. Pretty much everyone involved now realizes this, there are however holdouts. The 1st house of cards to tumble was Jstreet which this week has reversed itself on the Iran Sanctions Act now making its way through the US government.

Goldfarb in the Standard writes..

Spencer Ackerman interviews J Street chief Jeremy Ben-Ami on that group’s announcement that it will now back sanctions to cut Iran off from its supply of refined petroleum products. Earlier today Ackerman offered one possible explanation for the move: “The attacks on J Street have worked.” I think that’s probably right. The shift is not confined to sanctions legislation — J Street has moved right on Goldstone (though their position is still way out of step with mainstream Jewish opinion) and Ben-Ami has made a number of other statements that seemed designed to appease the group’s critics, and antagonize its most left-wing supporters (denouncing Walt and Mearsheimer and taking U.S. aid to Israel off the table are the two most obvious examples). But Ben-Ami offers another explanation to Ackerman: 

TWI: Is it too wily to think that you’re doing this in order to basically signal your stand with the rest of the pro-Israel community in this country while saving the harder battles for things like Jerusalem, the two-state solution and so forth?

Ben-Ami: Well look, those are issues where we are definitely not in line with most of the other organizations. For us, we’ve always said that is the issue. The real existential threat to a Jewish democratic Israel is the failure to reach a two-state solution. There is a threat from a nuclear-armed Iran. But the real existential threat that we’re focused on is that we have got to reach a two-state solution now or else we’re going to lose Israel.

 So, according to Ben-Ami, by disagreeing with J Street, Israel is a greater threat to itself than a nuclear-armed Iran. This, I suspect, is not a widely held view in the Jewish community here or in Israel — and it is certainly not a widely-held view among Americans in general [...]

Ben-Ami can contort & wrap this up in whatever flag he likes, at the end of the day Jstreet felt the pain of being so radically far out from the mainstream of the American Jewish community. Truth is they go where Obama goes, and El Presidente has himself felt the pain of his initial radical positions - Embarrassingly so.

We already know both groups (Jstreet & APN) are really nothing more than sycophantic blocking backs for Obama, Jstreet even gleefully openly stated as much in the NY Times. With Israel having pulled its settlement freeze, and with Obama now coming around to the realization he has erred on both Iran & Middle East Peace in general - Jstreet reads the tea leaves & like the dutiful soldier tacks right with him, no surprises there sayeth Rosner

Zealots at APN

But where does that leave Americans for Peace Now? Out in the cold, and still rejecting US sanctions. Why pray tell? because they don’t empower Emperor Obama enough or something like that. I skipped past all the Zealotry & righteous BS because one line says it all..

[...] we support legislation that genuinely strengthens the US President in his efforts to deal with the challenge of Iran – not legislation that undermines his authority and forces his hand.

There you have it. We can safely ignore both Houses of Congress, the American people as polled themselves etc. What do they know anyway? As soon as Obama himself declares the Sanctions Acts good.. like Gd himself on the 6th day – You can expect the last remaining Obami, those Zealots willing to fall on his sword to do so as well.

Like Masada, only different!

This time we’re supporting the Roman hordes & pagans. Iran has once again taken to beating its people, censoring media, shutting down internet access in the last 24 hours etc. Iran has declared it needs 20 more brand new nuclear enrichment plants, but it’s no cause for concern. It’s ‘Empowerment’. None of it really matters when you are on the fringe in any case!

APN is all about empowering the weak, be it the Palestinians, the Iranians.. or even the American President. It’s highly principled stuff once you muck through all the BS & Soros funding.

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UPD: I forgot the link to Goldfarb’s quote.. That’s pretty embarrassing for a blogger going on 4yrs lol. My thanks to a reader for pointing this out. Omission, most certainly not derision.

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Just as pandering to him will achieve pretty much the same..

In Honduras a new President has been elected, he’s a conservative. You know things are going real well when a tiny latin nation tells the leader of the free world to take a hike, and then a few months later he’s lacing up his hiking boots.

In Iran, illicit nuclear enrichment & plutonium work continues unabated & is even expanding while America is seemingly on the retreat. The Russians have given Obama no quarter, and the Arab world from Lebanon to Syria right down to the Palestinians themselves seemingly thumb their noses at Obama on an almost daily basis now.

What has all this talk from the podium achieved? Nothing.

One could argue that these efforts in foreign countries of re-writing history, tarnishing America’s great exceptionalism, embracing Arab narratives, and bowing deep have not delivered tangible concrete results – But that the goal was to engender a ‘feeling’, a wave of good will or hope which itself would deliver..

Such tripe may actually speak to Obama adherents, after all they staked it all on Hope & Change. However sadly for them most of all, reality has fallen flat. The old saying goes ‘talk is cheap’, yet when the President talks someone somewhere inevitably ends up paying a price. Thus far it’s been America and her allies paying with no possible hope of return on the investment.

Feeding the Crocodile

Fouad Ajami writes in the WSJ on Obama’s signature big talk program – Pandering to the Muslim World & the results as recorded by Pew intl surveys..

In the Palestinian territories, 15% have a favorable view of the U.S. while 82% have an unfavorable view. The Obama speech in Ankara didn’t seem to help in Turkey, where the favorables are 14% and those unreconciled, 69%. In Egypt, a country that’s reaped nearly 40 years of American aid, things stayed roughly the same: 27% have a favorable view of the U.S. while 70% do not. In Pakistan, a place of great consequence for American power, our standing has deteriorated: The unfavorables rose from 63% in 2008 to 68% this year.

Mr. Obama’s election has not drained the swamps of anti-Americanism. That anti-Americanism is endemic to this region, an alibi and a scapegoat for nations, and their rulers, unwilling to break out of the grip of political autocracy and economic failure. It predated the presidency of George W. Bush and rages on during the Obama presidency.

In other words, nothing has changed.

Here in Israel however plenty has changed. A nation which reveres America & her leaders has turned decidedly sour on Obama across the board. Through it all we’ve tossed concession after concession to feed the appeasement monster that is Obama’s failed policies, all in the hopes that he will have our back in regards to Iran. That’s what this is about, no one here believes the Palestinians want peace, we know what they want – Pieces of Israel one after the other until nothing is left.

Sadly, this notion that we can feed the Obama beast chunks of appeasement meat in return for his good graces is just as flawed as Obama’s own failed philosophies. We can freeze settlements, hand off Jerusalem, prostrate ourselves to failed international policies till the sun comes up. It won’t deliver peace, not with an Arab world which still hasn’t reconciled itself to Israel. Nor will it deliver American carrier groups & B-2 strike bombers to flatten those enemies which threaten us & the region as a whole.

I can’t say I blame my Prime Minister, appeasement is in fashion these days. I just hope he’s got a backup plan for when the day dawns on all of us here in Israel, that just like the Palestinians, Obama is incapable of delivering the goods.

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Mofaz tables Disengagement+ in bid to top Livni

The internal battle for the Kadima leadership rolls on. Shaul Mofaz the party #2 seized an opportune moment (all Israeli political heavy weights abroad) to let loose a bombshell as part of his leadership bid, a new peace plan.. To recognize a Palestinian State!

[...] Under the plan, Israel would annex settlement blocs while withdrawing from 60 percent of the West Bank, comprising Areas A and B, where 99.2 of the Palestinians live, and additional land to create territorial contiguity. A Palestinian state would be set up in those areas of the West Bank and in Gaza, while no settlements would be evacuated at that stage.

Israel would then negotiate the fate of the rest of the West Bank and other core issues of the conflict with the leadership of the new Palestinian state, while passing legislation sanctioning compensation for settlers living in outlying settlements that would be evacuated.

“As a candidate to lead the country, I felt I had to present a plan” – Mofaz. [...]

Mofaz’s plan is very different than Livni’s Annapolis process, in which Israel would make no concessions to the Palestinians until a final-status deal would be reached on all issues. Bypassing Livni on the left, Mofaz said he would be willing to negotiate with Hamas under certain conditions to advance the plan.

“If Hamas would be elected and would want to negotiate and accept the quartet’s conditions, from that moment, it is no longer Hamas,” Mofaz said. “Responsible leadership in Israel would sit with those who changed their agenda.” [...]

Please everyone but Israel plan..

Shaul Mofaz goes gunning for Livni

Not quite sure what if any benefit would arise from Mofaz’s plan. We already tried the disengagement plan in Gaza with poor results. This time out Mofaz seems convinced the entity leading this proposed Palestinian state may be Hamas from the get go, yet he’s undeterred. Isn’t the objective supposed to be gaining some peace? It seems highly unlikely any deal would result from this disengagement+ plan, we’d be in the same spot we are in now less the land and with 10x the security threat.

Equally, this doesn’t assist us in any way securing a regional peace deal with the Arab world. Sorta looks like a plan full of rewards for all the wrong people (including terrorists) with little payoff for Israel. Mofaz is clearly gambling he can rely on his solid right military credentials.. While leaping way left, poaching at Livni’s support base in the mix of Labor, Kadima, Meretz liberal soup that exists.

Time will tell how solid that keeps his right flank in Kadima & beyond. The center party is comprised of both right & left after all. Is this electable? Olmert certainly tried, but witness the backlash in Israel with the resurgent right as a result.

Not that it matters much – Hamas responds..

Former Palestinian Authority foreign minister Mahmoud Zahar of Hamas responded that it would never accept the Quartet’s conditions, which include recognizing Israel, disarming terrorists, and accepting diplomatic deals signed by the PA.

“Hamas will not negotiate with Israel,” said Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum. “We do not believe in engaging with the occupation, or in talks that would beautify its face in the eyes of the world.” [...]

Mofaz is gunning for Livni

Shaul is sure to get much more headway with his plan internally within Kadima. He upstages Livni who’s leadership qualities are being weekly challenged within the party, he even tosses in the fact Ehud Barak & President Peres support the initiative. All subtle jabs at Tzipi. Her personal relationship with Barak is frosty at best, and her own plan beyond opposing Netanayhu in everything remains obscured. The strategy of undermining her here is already paying off..

Kadima warms to Mofaz plan for Hamas talks, despite Livni opposition (Haaretz)

Kadima chairwoman Tzipi Livni on Tuesday slammed party rival Shaul Mofaz’ plan to open negotiations with Hamas in order to push forth the establishment of a Palestinian state, saying the concept ran contrary to their faction’s political platform.

While Livni would prefer to ignore the initiative of her number 2, however, she will not be able to avoid the issue for very long, as Kadima MKs are demanding a serious discussion. [...]

A number of Kadima MKs, some of whom supported Livni in her primary fight against Mofaz, support discussing his proposal. [...]

Not Ready for Prime Time

All in all it doesn’t look like Mofaz’s plan will gain much traction in the wider Israel arena, it’s too far left for the climate, not too mention dreamy in regards to Hamas. But I’m not sure it was designed for that purpose. With Bibi, Lieberman, Barak, Livni all clamoring at the top for the leadership of Israel stakes, it is a bit crowded up there right now.

Mofaz has other things to worry about, he’s got to knock Livni out of the Kadima leadership perch before he can play on their turf.  His plan looks like the latest in a series of ever more forceful branch shakes.

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Link Update: Mofaz taking heat & clarifying his Hamas statements (Jpost)

“I was the one who fought Hamas through the crosshairs of an Apache [assault helicopter], I stood behind the assassinations of [Sheikh Ahmed] Yassin and [Abdel Aziz] Rantisi and did everything I could to halt the suicide-bombers’ terror from Judea and Samaria during Operation Defensive Shield, and was in charge of the ongoing hits on top Hamas figures between 2003-2005 in Gaza. Nobody can doubt what I think about Hamas.”

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