Ira Glunts, who lived in Israel and volunteered for the IDF–see you can't judge a book by its cover–sends me this scary piece from Haaretz that suggests Obama will put no pressure on Israel, and trust Dennis Ross:
the veteran peace negotiator, may be asked to take on the issue once
again, though at a higher level than before. Ross played a leading role
in reaching out to Jewish voters during the campaign and vouching for
Obama's perspective on Israel. He made clear in talks and in interviews
that Obama does not intend to put pressure on Israel and that the
senator believes in a policy of "bigger sticks and bigger carrots"
toward Iran.
Still, in the hawkish wing of the Jewish community, some are
concerned. "I think Dennis Ross is wedded to the Oslo Accords and he
might feel obliged to take another shot at it," said Shoshana Bryen,
the Jewish Institute for National Security Affairs' senior director for
security policy.
All advisers and potential cabinet members are known to be
supporters of a two-state solution and of the Israeli-Palestinian peace
process, though they are all on the record saying that they will not
pressure Israel, and indicating the need for change on the Palestinian
side before an independent state can emerge. All the names mentioned so
far for top foreign policy positions oppose opening a dialogue with
Hamas and advocate a tough approach toward Hezbollah in Lebanon.
In addition to Ross, another name mentioned as a possible envoy is former secretary of state Colin Powell.
I wonder how you can have more power than Ross had with Clinton, you can't. Says Glunts:
"Ross has two
mantras. Bigger sticks and bigger carrots for Iran, and neither the
Israelis nor the Palestinians trust each other enough to make peace possible
now. BTW, Ross is distancing himself from Oslo since his constituency in
Israel is doing the same.
Also, Colin
Powell, is known in Israel as a pansy who is afraid of his own shadow.
Check out this conversation he is purported to have had with Abe
Foxman."
In that link, Glunts translates a book out only in Hebrew about policymaking during the second intifadah:
Department, Foxman had an aura of omnipotence. He was held responsible
for the appointment of [Martin] Indyk as Undersecretary of State under Clinton,
and was thought to have played a role in the appointments of
Secretaries of State Christopher and Albright. Powell related to Foxman
almost as if he were someone to whom he must capitulate. Once Foxman
told one of his deputies that Powell was the weak link. When the
Secretary of State heard this he began to worry. He knew that in
Washington a confrontation with the Jewish lobby would make his life
difficult. Once he arranged a meeting with Foxman, but the busy Foxman
postponed the meeting three times. When they eventually met, the head
of the Anti-Defamation League apologized to the Secretary of State [for
the postponements]. “You call, we come,” replied Powell, paraphrasing a
well known advertisement for a freight company. That statement had much
more meaning than just a humorous polite reply.
That book is by Ofer Shelah and Raviv Drucker, whom Glunts calls respected Israeli journalists. Proving once again that only Jews are allowed to say that the "Jewish lobby" is powerful.
