This is not a phony crisis, as a number of critics have been saying. I think the Obama administration has gotten the word from Petraeus and Mullen that Israel has become a liability and it is not about to let Israel’s government of right wing crazies continue to harm US interests in the Middle East. Even former Israeli consul in NY, Alon Pinkas told Ynets News yesterday that to sum up the criticism coming from the US, "Israel is turning from an asset to a burden."
Obama was not even supposed to be in the country when Bibi came and I suspect one of the reasons he stayed was that he did not want to give the impression that he was running away from someone that few in the Democratic ranks, going back to Clinton, really like. Had Obama not been there he would have been seen in some quarters as surrendering Washington to Netanyahu and having the latter’s triumphant appearance at AIPAC be the story instead of the snub.
The press has been treating Netanyahu’s visit to the White House as if it had been a planned visit and it wasn’t and Obama, wisely, made sure that everyone, including Netanyahu, knew who was in charge, at least for that moment. What no one has yet mentioned because the "Israeli exception" has become so routine and internalized is that other than attending sessions at the UN, almost no other country’s head of state comes to the US, as Netanyahu did for AIPAC, unless it is an official visit at the invitation of the POTUS which Netanyahu’s most definitely wasn’t.
The only other head of state to make such a visit that I can remember was the president of Mexico but he was the guest last year of the "lobby’s" state department– the American Jewish Committee.
The only other figure who has traveled here who might be considered a "head of state" is the Dalai Lama, but since he is, in fact, not one, he doesn’t count. Bringing a head of state to Washington requires considerable security planning and is usually formally announced by the White House.
Now,there are reportedly over 327 signatures on a House letter that Hoyer mentioned at the AIPAC dinner but which was actually dated on March 19, and a letter from the Senate, dated the 29th, just yesterday, that was co-signed by Barbara Boxer for the Dems and John Issakson for the Repubs calling on Clinton to keep our disputes with Israel under wraps. The decision to address the letters to Clinton rather than Obama I find interesting and a sign that the members of Congress who initiated it, with AIPAC’s help (LOL), of course, think she’s an easier and safer target at this moment than Obama, going into the election season.
So, again, who rules the USA when it comes to deciding American interests and world interests?
I mean, when it comes to any US action even slightly impacting Israel?
Chomsky tells me its the corporations. I distinctly remember hearing him mention Hewlett Packard’s Israeli plant in the context of how Israel treats Palestinians.
Congress has shown where its loyalty lies, with the lobbies, not the people of the US.
RE: “Congress has shown where its loyalty lies, with the lobbies…” – potsherd
FROM ‘JUST FOREIGN POLICY’: Protect Obama from AIPAC on Israeli Settlement Expansion
AIPAC lobbyists are demanding that Congress pressure Obama back down from his opposition to Israeli settlement expansion. Urge your representatives in Congress to support President Obama’s opposition to Israeli settlement expansion.
TO SEND E-MAILS – link to justforeignpolicy.org
Jeffrey, great post — with the events of the last week, it’s obvious the panic of the AIPAC-JPPPI-WINEPers has become more palpable.
It’s also interesting to me that Israel-firster, intermarriage-hater Dennis Ross is trying to convince his peers that we have to lighten up on Netanyahu because it could shatter his fragile (racist) coalition in the Knesset. But Ross pays no attention to Israel’s attempts to undermine his boss Obama by pushing our corrupt Congress to stand up against the administration.
I’ve been deeply disappointed with Obama’s performance in the first year, and — like many others — that he got healthcare to pass is a gamechanger. He’s flexing his muscles, and it’s good to see “The Rock” Obama in action.
link to nbc.com
As I understand it, Bibi is not “head of state”.
He is, rather, “head of government”.
President Shimon Peres is the current Israeli head of state.
This makes a difference, protocol wise.
The US media hosts the board room of the Israel Lobby. It has transformed Palestinians who resist into terrorists. Now even militants are guilty. No one in charge of our media is troubled when unarmed Palestinian demonstrators are shot down in cold blood. After all, that is the point of US aid for Israel.
Presenting grossly distorted news about Israel/Palestine to a gullible public is a way to show contempt towards the public. Do its purveyors think they are some kind of intellectual superiors? Watching politicians forced to dance to the tune of the Israel Lobby is as entertaining as watching gun toting varmints in the old west shoot at victims’ feet to make them “dance.”
(Is anyone else having problems getting to monoweiss and being blocked by something called “parallels h-sphere” as of March 31?)
les, i was having problems logging in all morning but not any more. what a relief! i thought the site was under attack..
Thanks. I could not go directly to mondoweiss.net in either Firefox or Internet Explorer. After just restarting both, I can now do directly to the site.
I’ve had some difficulties, so far intermittent, but unusual.
when the history is written it’s going to come out that during those weeks of meetings among Obama, his national security team, and the generals to “decide troop levels in Afghanistan” is when the trap was laid for Bibi and when the “linkage” was decided
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