[Peace-discuss] USA takes orders from Israel

[C. G. Estabrook]

Maybe Olmert wants to claim he can control US cabinet members because he's 
having trouble controlling his own.

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1055473.html

Randall Cotton wrote:
>>From http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1055460.html :
> 
> "Olmert's bureau maintained on Wednesday that the outgoing prime minister
> had correctly described moves that led to a United Nations resolution on a
> truce in Gaza, despite a United States rejection of his account, Israel
> Radio reported."
> 
> Despite the detail-starved indignant refutations of the administration
> (which largely make up the rest of the above article), Olmert's sticking
> to his story. And the account that you posted below suggests to me that
> Livni may also have played a part in directly influencing the US to
> abstain (during her "seven 'difficult' phone conversations with Rice on
> the day of the vote").
> 
> Don't get me wrong, though - I don't think and I'm not suggesting that
> Israel (or the Israel Lobby) is the dog and we are the tail. But I argue
> against being so casually dismissive of evidence regarding Israel's
> influence on the US. I think Olmert's claim is evidence of the "special"
> mutual-backscratching relationship between Israel and the US. The favors,
> morally bankrupt as they are, go both ways. And the evidence here of how
> this favor (the US abstaining on the UN cease-fire resolution) was done on
> Israel's behalf, apparently at Olmert's insistence, should no more be
> discounted than evidence of the $3 billion favors we fork over to Israel
> every year.
> 
> R
> 
> PS: I don't give any more credence to the administration's denials over
> Olmert's claims. Do you?
> 
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "C. G. Estabrook" <galliher at uiuc.edu>
> To: "Randall Cotton" <recotton at earthlink.net>
> Cc: <peace-discuss at lists.chambana.net>
> Sent: Tuesday, January 13, 2009 10:32 PM
> Subject: Re: [Peace-discuss] USA takes orders from Israel
> 
> 
> : [Another account from the right-wing Israeli press. --CGE]
> :
> : Jan 14, 2009 6:03
> : US: Olmert's UN vote story '100% untrue'
> : By HERB KEINON AND ALLISON HOFFMAN
> :
> : Israel and the US engaged in a rare and uncharacteristic public spat
> Tuesday
> : over events leading to the US abstention in last Thursday's UN Security
> Council
> : resolution vote on the Gaza crisis.
> :
> : Both the State Department and White House spokesmen said that Prime
> Minister
> : Ehud Olmert's claim that he had essentially gotten US President George
> W. Bush
> : to twist Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice's arm and abstain on the
> measure
> : was simply untrue.
> :
> : State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said Olmert's story of what
> happened
> : in his conversation with Bush was "just 100 percent, totally, completely
> not
> : true," while White House deputy press secretary Tony Fratto said "there
> are
> : inaccuracies."
> :
> : During a speech to local authority heads in Ashkelon on Monday, Olmert
> said that
> : Rice had been embarrassed when she was ordered to back down from
> supporting the
> : resolution she had prepared, after Olmert intervened with Bush.
> : Olmert said he had called Bush and interrupted a lecture he was giving
> in
> : Philadelphia to ensure that the US not vote for the resolution.
> :
> : "I said: 'Get me President Bush on the phone,'" Olmert said. "They said
> he was
> : in the middle of giving a speech in Philadelphia. I said I didn't care:
> 'I need
> : to talk to him now.' He got off the podium and spoke to me."
> :
> : According to Olmert, he told Bush that the US should not vote for the
> : resolution, and Bush then directed Rice to abstain.
> :
> : "She was left pretty embarrassed," Olmert said.
> :
> : McCormack said that Rice had decided as early as Wednesday that she
> would not
> : veto a resolution, after Arab ministers rejected an initial effort by
> the US to
> : push for a weaker presidential statement from the Security Council. That
> left
> : her with the option of either voting for the final text or abstaining.
> :
> : "So you have two possibilities left: voting for it, or abstaining, and
> she
> : decided, given where the state of the negotiations were in terms of the
> Mubarak
> : initiative, that abstaining would give the best possibility for those
> : negotiations to move forward and actually resolve the situation on the
> ground,"
> : McCormack said.
> :
> : He said Rice had spoken with Bush both before and after his conversation
> with
> : Olmert, but insisted "with 100% assurance that her intention, again,
> going into
> : the conversation with the president was that she was going to abstain."
> :
> : An official in the Prime Minister's Office tersely responded to the
> comments
> : from Washington, saying "the Prime Minister's comments on Monday were a
> correct
> : account of what took place."
> :
> : The official downplayed the incident, saying it was "over" and would
> have no
> : lasting impact.
> :
> : The official said he was not aware of any conversation Olmert had had
> with Rice
> : on Tuesday to clarify the matter, or that any messages had been relayed
> from
> : Jerusalem to Washington.
> :
> : Washington's account of the events, however, seemed to have been
> indirectly
> : confirmed by Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, who was quoted as saying
> earlier in
> : the week that she had held seven "difficult" phone conversations with
> Rice on
> : the day of the vote, and Rice had told her that while the US would not
> veto the
> : resolution, it would abstain.
> :
> : Rice spent three days in New York shuttling between conference rooms at
> United
> : Nations headquarters, meeting with Arab ministers and her British and
> French
> : counterparts. She said after Thursday's vote that she had abstained
> because she
> : felt a resolution "might have been a little premature."
> :
> : Israeli officials said it was unlikely that the spat would have any
> lasting
> : impact, primarily because Rice would be leaving office in less than a
> week.
> :
> : Olmert's comment, said in an off-the-cuff manner and not read from a
> text, is
> : widely believed to reflect the degree of Israeli disappointment at
> Rice's
> : handling of the Security Council resolution.
> :
> : Middle East expert Steven Spiegel described the episode as "the worst
> faux pas
> : by an Israeli prime minister in history."
> :
> : "You really do wonder what the prime minister was thinking - if it's
> true, you'd
> : really want to keep it as quiet as possible, and if it's not true, why
> would you
> : want to make up a story that would embarrass both the Bush
> administration and
> : the Israeli government and draw criticism from those who are
> antagonistic to
> : Israel?" asked Spiegel, director of the Center for Middle East
> Development at UCLA.
> :
> : "No matter how you play it, exaggeration, falsehood, whole truth, the
> whole
> : thing makes them all look bad," Spiegel told The Jerusalem Post.
> :
> :
> http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1231866576464&pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFull
> :
> : Randall Cotton wrote:
> : > Bravado? Are you suggesting, Carl, that Olmert is fabricating this
> quite
> : > detailed storyline about how he single-handedly induced the President,
> : > mid-lecture in Philadelphia, to overrule Rice and sabotage the
> : > effectiveness of the UN cease-fire resolution (allowing Israel to more
> : > easily dismiss it)? You disregard this too easily, I think. Here's
> another
> : > account:
> : >
> : > ***
> : >
> : > The Security Council resolution passed on Friday calling for an
> immediate
> : > cease-fire in Gaza was a source of embarrassment for US Secretary of
> State
> : > Condoleezza Rice, who helped prepare it but ultimately was ordered to
> back
> : > down from voting for it and abstain, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said
> : > Monday.
> : >
> : > Rice did not end up voting for Resolution 1860, thanks to a phone
> : > conversation Olmert held with US President George Bush shortly before
> the
> : > vote, the prime minister told a meeting of local authority heads in
> : > Ashkelon as part of a visit to the South.
> : >
> : > Upon receiving word that the US was planning to vote in favor of the
> : > resolution - viewed by Israel as impractical and failing to address
> its
> : > security concerns - Olmert demanded to get Bush on the phone, and
> refused
> : > to back down after being told that the president was delivering a
> lecture
> : > in Philadelphia. Bush interrupted his lecture to answer Olmert's call,
> the
> : > premier said.
> : > America could not vote in favor of such a resolution, Olmert told
> Bush.
> : > Soon afterwards, Rice abstained when votes were counted at the UN.
> : >
> : >
> http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1231760642497&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull
> : >
> : > R
> : >
> : > ----- Original Message ----- 
> : > From: "C. G. Estabrook" <galliher at uiuc.edu>
> : > To: "Ron Szoke" <r-szoke at illinois.edu>
> : > Cc: "Morton K. Brussel" <mkbrussel at comcast.net>; "peace-discuss
> Discuss"
> : > <peace-discuss at anti-war.net>
> : > Sent: Tuesday, January 13, 2009 9:17 AM
> : > Subject: Re: [Peace-discuss] USA takes orders from Israel
> : >
> : >
> : > : Probably bravado by the feckless Olmert.  He undoubtedly knew the
> story
> : > of the
> : > : Bush administration's slap-down of the Iran hit was about to break.
> : > Remember
> : > : Sharon had said after 9/11, "First Iraq, then Iran."  Olmert leaves
> : > office
> : > : having failed at the grand design.
> : > :
> : > : Remember too that the US primary role all along (as in 2006) has
> been to
> : > keep
> : > : the UN (and the "int'l community") off the back of the Israelis as
> they
> : > continue
> : > : their diry business. The US has used the veto threat to do that, and
> had
> : > here
> : > : crafted an innocuous resolution that could maintain the lie of US
> : > even-handedness.
> : > :
> : > : If Rice was traduced in the event, it probably has more to do with
> : > faction
> : > : fights in the Bush administration (the neocons hate Rice for staging
> the
> : > : ineffective coup against Hamas in 2007) than the laughably small
> : > influence of
> : > : the departing (and indictable) PM of Israel.  He's pretty erratic
> : > anyway -- see
> : > : the famous interview with Yedioth Aharonoth -- and is not even
> running
> : > the war
> : > : in the final days of his premiership. He tries to insist he's not
> : > totally
> : > : irrelevant and leave his successor (Netenyahu?), who'll be dealing
> with
> : > a new
> : > : gov't in DC anyway -- to overcome the embarrassment. --CGE
> : > :
> : > : ============
> : > :
> : > : Last update - 19:44 29/09/2008
> : > : ANALYSIS / Olmert's epiphany is too little, too late
> : > : By Aluf Benn, Haaretz Correspondent
> : > :
> : > : At the age of 63, just moments before his departure from
> premiership,
> : > Ehud
> : > : Olmert has reached an extraordinary epiphany. In order to make peace
> : > with the
> : > : Palestinians and the Syrians, Israel must withdraw from "nearly all
> the
> : > : territories, if not all." As he told Yedioth Aharonoth in a holiday
> : > interview,
> : > : even East Jerusalem must be given to the Palestinians.
> : > :
> : > : Whoa.
> : > :
> : > : What an epiphany: In order to make peace with the Arabs, we must
> give
> : > them land.
> : > : How come we never thought of that before? And where was Olmert when
> the
> : > Israeli
> : > : left, and the whole international community, was repeatedly
> exhausting
> : > this
> : > : claim? Was he really among the screaming spokesmen for the camp
> opposing
> : > all
> : > : agreements and all compromises? Or was that just the evil child
> within
> : > him, and
> : > : not actually the real Olmert?
> : > :
> : > : Olmert is repenting now for his sins: For 35 years, he said, "I was
> not
> : > prepared
> : > : to see reality in all its depth." Now he is regretting his vote in
> : > Knesset
> : > : against a peace agreement with Egypt, as well as his stubborn
> refusal to
> : > annex
> : > : even a millimeter of Jerusalem's wide border. But most regretfully,
> he
> : > has
> : > : reached this realization too late for it to have any influence.
> : > :
> : > : In his words, agreements with the Palestinians and the Syrians are
> "very
> : > close."
> : > : If he were to stay in his post, he could fulfill them, could "bring
> the
> : > State of
> : > : Israel to a decision." But then this mishap occurred, and the State
> of
> : > Israel
> : > : brought about his dismissal, with just "one dubious witness, no
> trial
> : > and no
> : > : substantial evidence."
> : > :
> : > : So now it's clear who is to blame for dragging out this state of war
> and
> : > : preventing peace: the state prosecutor, key witness Moshe Talansky,
> the
> : > justices
> : > : who decided to hear his testimony, and Defense Minister Ehud Barak
> who
> : > coerced
> : > : the prime minister to resign.
> : > :
> : > : Olmert fell, he says, due to the lust for power of unrestrained
> clerks,
> : > who did
> : > : not like his tendency to initiate and to make decisions. He would
> not
> : > discuss
> : > : the suspicions and investigations against him, but was rather
> insulted
> : > by the
> : > : criticism against him. A hedonist? Olmert? All he did was smoke some
> : > cigars.
> : > :
> : > : Olmert believes so strongly in himself and in his
> self-righteousness,
> : > that he is
> : > : trying to make us forget a few of the details that don't fit into
> his
> : > new image
> : > : as prophet of peace.
> : > :
> : > : First of all, his negotiating partners have been painting an
> entirely
> : > different
> : > : picture altogether - if not opposite - of peace progress.
> Palestinian
> : > President
> : > : Mahmoud Abbas has said the Palestinians would never accept Olmert's
> : > proposal for
> : > : "partial peace." Syrian President Bashar Assad has still not agreed
> to
> : > direct
> : > : negotiations with Israel, even at a low level. This does not mean
> that
> : > they are
> : > : right and he is wrong. It is clear that there is a huge difference
> of
> : > opinion
> : > : when it comes to the chance for an agreement.
> : > :
> : > : Second, let's assume that Olmert is right and he soon signs an
> agreement
> : > with
> : > : Abbas. What could be done with this agreement? Should it be hung on
> the
> : > wall?
> : > : Who would execute it and when? And what would happen on the ground
> in
> : > the meantime?
> : > :
> : > : Third, Olmert's attitude toward the settlers raises doubts about his
> : > : trustworthiness. Olmert disparages Ariel Sharon in the interview,
> saying
> : > that he
> : > : spoke only of vague concessions without detailing what they would
> be.
> : > Olmert is
> : > : willing to be specific. "What I am saying, no other Israeli leader
> has
> : > said
> : > : before me," Olmert boasts.
> : > :
> : > : Sharon really was vague, but he was the only leader willing to stand
> up
> : > to the
> : > : settlers and evacuate them from their homes. Actions, not words.
> Olmert
> : > is a
> : > : hero in a newspaper interview, but in reality has been a marionette
> of
> : > the
> : > : settlers just like the leaders who preceded him.
> : > :
> : > : Olmert knew full well that settlement expansion would be an obstacle
> to
> : > any
> : > : peace agreement in the West Bank, and had said as much in the past.
> : > However,
> : > : after the bloody 2006 evacuation of the Amona settlement outpost
> during
> : > his
> : > : early days in office, Olmert became fearful of any confrontation or
> : > friction
> : > : with the settlers. And when extremist settlers became increasingly
> : > violent
> : > : toward their Palestinian neighbors and Israel Defense Forces
> soldiers,
> : > Olmert
> : > : did not even try to curb it. What was he waiting for? Why did he
> decide
> : > to add
> : > : thousands of housing units to settlement blocs that only add to
> their
> : > rivals'
> : > : propaganda, even if they are ultimately absorbed into Israel? And
> why
> : > did he
> : > : leave the outposts where they are?
> : > :
> : > : The conclusion that emerges is that Olmert is an excellent
> commentator,
> : > but he
> : > : lacks the firmness to execute his ideas. The interesting parts of
> the
> : > interview
> : > : touch on security issues. Olmert expresses doubts about a potential
> : > attack on
> : > : Iranian nuclear facilities, and he strongly opposes a new incursion
> into
> : > Gaza -
> : > : something he was unwilling to say during the barrage of Qassam
> rockets
> : > into
> : > : Israel, when the topic was at the center of public discussion.
> : > :
> : > : But Olmert also acts like a politician: He ignores the only
> political
> : > agreement
> : > : reached during his tenure with the Palestinians - the truce with
> Hamas
> : > in Gaza -
> : > : because that accomplishment is credited to his rival Barak.
> : > :
> : > :
> : > : Ron Szoke wrote:
> : > : > Olmert says called Bush to force change in U.N. vote
> : > : >
> : > : > Tue Jan 13, 2009 1:52pm GMT
> : > : >
> : > : > JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said a
> : > telephone call
> : > : > he made to U.S. President George W. Bush last week forced
> Secretary of
> : > State
> : > : > Condoleezza Rice to abstain in a U.N. vote on the Gaza war,
> leaving
> : > her
> : > : > "shamed."
> : > : >
> : > : > Pouring on political bravado in a speech late Monday, Olmert said
> he
> : > : > demanded to talk to Bush with only 10 minutes to spare before a
> U.N.
> : > Security
> : > : > Council vote Thursday on a resolution opposed by Israel calling
> for an
> : > : > immediate cease-fire.
> : > : >
> : > : > "When we saw that the secretary of state, for reasons we did not
> : > really
> : > : > understand, wanted to vote in favour of the U.N. resolution ... I
> : > looked for
> : > : > President Bush and they told me he was in Philadelphia making a
> : > speech,"
> : > : > Olmert said.
> : > : >
> : > : > "I said, 'I don't care. I have to talk to him now,'" Olmert said,
> : > describing Bush,
> : > : > who leaves office on January 20, as "an unparalleled friend" of
> : > Israel.
> : > : >
> : > : > "They got him off the podium, brought him to another room and I
> spoke
> : > to
> : > : > him. I told him, 'You can't vote in favour of this resolution.' He
> : > said, 'Listen, I
> : > : > don't know about it, I didn't see it, I'm not familiar with the
> : > phrasing.'"
> : > : >
> : > : > Olmert said he then told Bush: "'I'm familiar with it. You can't
> vote
> : > in favour.'
> : > : >
> : > : > "He gave an order to the secretary of state and she did not vote
> in
> : > favour of it -
> : > : > - a resolution she cooked up, phrased, organised and manoeuvred
> for.
> : > She was
> : > : > left pretty shamed and abstained on a resolution she arranged,"
> Olmert
> : > said.
> : > : >
> : > : > Fourteen of the Security Council's 15 members supported the
> : > resolution, which
> : > : > has failed to halt Israel's offensive in the Gaza Strip and
> Hamas's
> : > cross-border
> : > : > rocket fire.
> : > : >
> : > : > Olmert, under police investigation over alleged corruption,
> resigned
> : > as prime
> : > : > minister in September but is serving in a caretaker capacity until
> a
> : > new
> : > : > government is formed after Israel's February 10 parliamentary
> : > election.
> : > : >
> : > : > (Writing by Jeffrey Heller, Editing by Alistair Lyon)
> : > : > _______________________________________________
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