Patterico's Pontifications

3/23/2010

A New Era in U.S.-Israeli Relations **

Filed under: International,Obama — DRJ @ 6:11 pm



[Guest post by DRJ]

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met today with U.S. Congressional leaders and later with President Barack Obama. The Washington Post said Netanyahu received “a warmer reception from Congress than the White House:”

“On Capitol Hill, Netanyahu received a warm public reception from Congress on Tuesday, with a top Democrat and Republican joining to praise a leader who has refused to back down in a disagreement the White House says threatens new peace talks.”

Obama’s public welcome was chilly:

“Obama and Netanyahu conferred for about 90 minutes in the Oval Office, but in a break with custom reporters were not invited to see the close allies shake hands and begin their discussions. The White House had no immediate comment on what was discussed.”

This is reminiscent of Obama’s snub of Prime Minister Gordon Brown and the British media, a mistake that may have been intentional or due to diplomatic ignorance. My guess is Obama’s treatment of Netanyahu was intentional, perhaps because the White House is concerned Netanyahu would clean Obama’s rhetorical clock.

— DRJ

** The way things are going, “A New Era in U.S.-____ Relations” may become a series.

13 Responses to “A New Era in U.S.-Israeli Relations **”

  1. ** The way things are going, “A New Era in U.S.-____ Relations” may become a series.

    I like the concept!

    daleyrocks (718861)

  2. Netanyahu knows who his enemies are, and he just met with one.

    SPQR (26be8b)

  3. Mr Obama, like most Democrats, is bored by foreign affairs. They’d rather concentrate on domestic policy. After all, it’s much easier to buy votes than deal with reality.

    Ken Hahn (b56777)

  4. Ken, Obama is not just ignoring foreign policy – he’s destroying relationships between the US and its allies that have stood for many decades.

    SPQR (26be8b)

  5. I doubt that it was unintentional last year when the White House released a photo showing Obama talking on the phone, feet up on the desk — sole of his shoe facing the camera — with the accompanying caption along the lines of “president talking to Israel’s prime minister.”

    Mark (411533)

  6. Why on earth should Netanyahu capitulate to the whims of our president when the president does not appear to have Israel’s best interest at heart but instead seems to be more interested in appearing the Peacemaker – which is difficult to do when one of the main players is not compliant and duly submissive.

    Caroline Glick neatly lays out why Netanyahu might be a bit peeved with our president after having agreed to the concessions demanded of him. It would appear he is justified, too.

    Netanyahu was led to believe that in return for these concessions Obama would begin behaving like the credible mediator his predecessors were. But instead of acting like his predecessors, Obama has behaved like the Palestinians. Rather than reward Netanyahu for taking a risk for peace, in the model of Yassir Arafat and Mahmoud Abbas, Obama has pocketed Netanyahu’s concessions and escalated his demands. This is not the behavior of a mediator. This is the behavior of an adversary.

    With the US President treating Israel like an enemy, the Palestinians have no reason to agree to sit down and negotiate. Indeed, they have no choice but to declare war.

    Dana (1e5ad4)

  7. “because the White House is concerned Netanyahu would clean Obama’s rhetorical clock.”

    I’m thinking not just physically. Haven’t noticed Bibi using a teleprompter recently, if ever.

    PatAZ (9d1bb3)

  8. Once it is known that your words cease having meaning as soon as they cross his lips, it would seem to be difficult for allies to take him seriously.

    JD (dda3fa)

  9. SPQR,
    I’d never infer that mere boredom would prevent the peevish nastiness that is so characteristic of this regime.

    Ken Hahn (b56777)

  10. Did Netanyahu have to walk past garbage like the Dalai Lama?

    Ira (28a423)

  11. Oh, what the heck do we need Is…hey, what was that big boom I just heard?

    Patricia (e1047e)

  12. Bibi ought to have swung Dumbo around the Oval Office by his ears. Maybe then Dumbo would get off Mt. Alinsky and listen to some one else.

    PCD (1d8b6d)

  13. Why is anyone surprised? Obama and his far left associates have a long history of antisemitism.

    Bar Sinister (ca12e0)


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