According to the Atlantic magazine (based in Washington DC) Republican congressman Mike Rogers from Michigan, told WJR radio station in an interview, that a meeting last month between the Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the American ambassador Dan Shapiro had degenerated into a sharp confrontation. He indicated that he had never been witness to such high-level confrontation before. He went on to say that Israeli leaders as being at "wits' end" over what they see as President Obama's unwillingness to provide them with his "red lines" in the effort to stop Iran's nuclear program.
It is my observation, after reading the article, that while representative Rogers seems to paint a picture of Mr. Netanyahu being aggrieved by the Obama administration's lack of aggressiveness towards Iran, this event illustrate how Mr. Netanyahu maybe overplaying his cards during a crucial election season in the United States.
It wouldn't be a stretch to assume that no American president likes to be openly bullied into changing his or (future her) foreign policy.
Israel risks long term damage to its strategic relationship with the United States if it fails to bridge the gap between its expectations of the United States, and what the US is willing to do. Even if Mr. Romney gets elected, he may not want to look like he is copy-pasting his foreign policy from Mr. Netanyahu's wish list.
Israel's image with Jewish Americans, at least those who happen to be solid supporters of president Obama, is also at stake. It is worth noting that ambassador Dan Shapiro is a former National Security Council official, and a former Obama campaign Jewish liaison. Mr. Netanyahu should be careful whom he yells at.
Last but not least, It is interesting that congressman Rogers didn't find it disturbing that a foreign leader was sharply confronting the ambassador of the United States, and forcefully demanding a change in US policy, how unpatriotic of the congressman!
To read the Atlantic magazine report please go to:
http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2012/09/intelligence-committee-chair-describes-explosive-confrontation-between-netanyahu-and-american-ambassador/262056/
16 comments:
Israeli hawks are especially disappointed with the Republican political posture, in that it has not made Israeli war interests a part of its campaign against Obama. Thus the Israeli war interest lacks the domestic leverage within the election campaign to seek a foreign war of aggression against American interests.
It is slowly becoming very obvious, what the problems of ME and the US in general has its roots in.
Israel is the begining and the end of the problems, the solution is simply making the Israelis accept their status as a small country in a troublesome area and that they need to start behaving like the rest of the world members.
Anon 7:57 AM
Does that apply to the troublesome and terrorist Islamic regime as well?
Behaving all civilized towards their own citizens first without being tortured and killed.
This Yahoo dude is over his head.
Just Imagine the ME region without Israeli war mongering.
Or just imagine US policies without Israeli pushing.
Even Israelis would be having a better life, let alone US saving billions on AID to them.
Iran would not have to extend its influence to neutralize hostilities and ...
US would not have such internal economic problems...and they would not be having any of these terror problems..
so many and so much would be better and better off... if one element (Israel) would simply behave.
Dariush London
Anon 4:42 AM
Imagine if the terrorist theocracy in Iran vanishes.How Iran the middle east or better still the world would be a much better and happier place.
I'm willing to put money on the table and say the terrorist theocracy will be the one that vanishes.
It is primarily the intervention of the United States that has prevented Israel from completely destroying it's enemies in the middle east. Over and over again, we have stepped in and stopped them from making full use of hard fought and hard won advantage on the battle field. The worst thing that could happen to terrorist states like Iran and Syria, would be for Israel to stop listening to the United States or to become convinced that they cannot depend on us to support them in existential security concerns. Then you would see Israel stop caring what the UN or any other countries thinks or what the popular global media engines say of them. Then when enemies such as Iran or Syria or terrorists they support engaged Israel, you would see Israel hit their enemies as hard as they could and for as long as was necessary to ensure that those enemies could never again pose a threat to the citizens of Israel.
Anon 10:21AM
Imagine, that if your desire would happen, you might not be save anymore. Imagine something like an Afganistan an Iraq or Somalia as well as a world war...
I am willing to put money on the table that the Islamic Republic, next year at this time of the year, will be in place and you will be very sour in regard of that.
Mr. Jabbar F. 10:46PM and Jared M.S. 9:58PM
Your conclussions qualify you for ministerial positions in a Free Iranian Army...
@jared
(corrected)
For sake of argument, Let's assume that Israel is right in attacking Iran and has the Israeli public and the world's support to do so. The question being raised here is whether or not it's ok for the Israeli leadership to pressure the US into committing to war, by using the election season politcs as leverage to pressure the president of the united states.
We all know that if Israel goes to war against Iran, it would drag the united states into that war, like it or not.
I'm not necessarily against military action under all circumstances, but, as an american, I would want the decision to send our troops into harms way to come from Our elected leaders in washington DC, and not from an allied capital.
Anon 5:53
I don't consider you comment an insult, in fact I would be flattered.
Anon 5:34 AM
Don't worry because I will have the last laugh.
Anon 1:33PM
It is better to have more laughs during the life than the only last one..
When do you anticipate your last laugh???
Maybe it will not happen.
Anon 5:21 AM
"It is better to have more laughs during the life than only the last one."
@I know,and this is why I laugh at your ridiculous post,LOL!!
"When do you anticipate your last laugh???"
@When the people of Iran are satisfied that stooges like you have been captured and ready to be tar and feathered.LOL!!
"Maybe it will not happen."
@Trust me,it's already happening,LOL!!
Dariush sez--- " Just Imagine the ME region without Israeli war mongering."
shouldn't we be imaging a Middle East region where the Palestinians didn't reject the UN offer to establish a state of Palestine?
Should we imagine that what the region would be like if the Palestinians didn't instead of a state choose to start a civil war to prevent Israel from existing?
Shouldn't we imagine a region where the Arab League states didn't join the Palestinians in waging war to destroy Israel before it could get peacefully established?
Shouldn't we imagine that Israel would not have BECOME militarized without war being forced upon them?
Shouldn't we imagine that things would be better had not Nasser forced yet another war in 1967 upon the region?
Shouldn't we imagine what might have happened had not, after getting their butts beaten in the 67 war, the Arabs met in Khartoum and swore that they would not make peace with Israel?
Anon 4:30 PM
You forgot to mention that shouldn't we imagine if the Islamic zealots in occupied Iran instead of concentrating on the Iranian economy and the appalling state of human rights in Iran. And wasting the nations resources by supplying terrorists and free loaders as well as filling their own bank accounts to bursting point,and neglecting earthquake victims, while the countries "president" jets off to Arabia. While his boss doesn't give a hoot if all the Iranian nation is burnt to death as long as the Palestinians are OK. The world would be a much better place!
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