Obama To Jewish Leaders: The Pressure Will Continue
This had to be unsettling to the "mainstream" Jewish organizational figures who met with President Obama today.
Instead of the President telling them that they are all on the same page, he said that, in fact, they aren't and he will keep up the pressure. When one of the main rightwingers told Obama that he should keep his differences with the Israelis private, Obama said that had not worked in the past and he'll go the public route.
This is unprecedented. In the past a president would diverge from the Israeli position and then quickly tell the American Jews that it would never happen again.
Those days are over. Check out this report from J Street about the meeting.
Note: none of the right-of-center leaders ran to the media after the meeting to complain. They understand that they will not intimidate this President. And they fear Rahm.
Now we need to see results. Actually, not us so much, we're fine. The Palestinians have to see results.
if the pressure continues, netanyahu's government will fall. that's a good thing.
July 13, 2009 10:23 PM | Reply | Permalink
Netanyahu's government isn't going to fall...in fact, its getting stronger. 7 MKs from Kadima are trying to leave that party and join Likud. The only thing that Obama's pressure has done is to unite Israelis behind Netanyahu.
July 13, 2009 11:36 PM | Reply | Permalink
Blue Pearl: I think nudnik is probably right on this. In a show down the Israeli people would probably rally behind Netanyahu. What is important is that we rally behind Obama.
In some ways this could have a very good outcome -- convincing the American people our interests and those of the Isrealis are not the same and that it might be time for us to go our separate ways.
July 13, 2009 11:58 PM | Reply | Permalink
If what Nudnik says is true, we should rejoice. It will strip away the "Western" pastiche of Israel and show its thuggish, Russian soul to the world.
Make someone from Kahane Chai minister of education.
July 14, 2009 11:25 AM | Reply | Permalink
Except that the Kadima MKs leaving that party are not Russian. In fact, a few of them are refugees from Arab countries.
July 14, 2009 11:37 AM | Reply | Permalink
The Russians are already in the government.
July 14, 2009 2:01 PM | Reply | Permalink
There have been two recent presidents who have put such pressure on Israel: Carter, and Bush I. What similarity is there between those two? One term.
July 13, 2009 11:37 PM | Reply | Permalink
A bad economy.
July 14, 2009 11:26 AM | Reply | Permalink
got that too, i hear
July 14, 2009 11:36 AM | Reply | Permalink
You confuse a correlation with causation. It probably snowed sometime during the Carter and Bush (41) Administrations. That snowfall did not cause their electoral defeat.
July 14, 2009 2:06 PM | Reply | Permalink
Hmmm... or is this just the 'calm before the storm'?
Live from New York Settler Central, The Jewish Week:
July 14, 2009 11:43 AM | Reply | Permalink
"Clairty is Refreshing"
The United States and Israel are finally on the right track regarding the ability to debate the issues of a comprensive peace deal between Israelis and Palestinians.
Having the political fortitude and courage to disagree regarding settlements in occupied Palestine is being a honest friend.
Some times you have to step out side the box,this is what true leadership is about. Taking a genuine hands on approach is needed to deliver an over all peace deal in Palestine and to the rest of the Arab World.
For almost sixty years we have been in a lock step approach with Israel regarding settlements and American foriegn policy has been absent.
Of which has been a costly mistake in pursuit of peace and the quest for a tangible and a real peaceful settlement of occupied Palestine.
I applaud President Obamas approach and the ability to disagree with our allies when there is a difference of opinion.
United States foriegn policy has also been extremly costly in terms of loss of american capital,american lives and damage of american credibility. This has also been a major factor leading to erosion of support within the international community.
I have strong admiration and praise for President Obamas courage to finally give peace in the middle east a real chance of succeeding.
It is also refreshing to see our President deliver tangible results instead of lip service that we recieved for the past eight years with Forest Gump and Darth Vader in the White House!
July 15, 2009 4:07 PM | Reply | Permalink