[Peace-discuss] Fw: Defend Obama from AIPAC?

[C. G. Estabrook]

	US-Israel spat is over Netanyahu’s ‘insulting manner, not settlements’
	By Sahil Kapur
	Thursday, March 25th, 2010 -- 9:02 am

America obscuring its real intentions, renowned scholar tells Raw Story

Israel's construction of new permanent settlements in East Jerusalem has set off 
a series of public rebukes from the United States. But according to Noam 
Chomsky, America's primary concern lies with the Israeli leader's hawkish 
demeanor, not his actions.

Tensions between the two close allies escalated this month after Vice President 
Joe Biden claimed in a speech at Tel Aviv University that Prime Minister 
Binyamin Netanyahu's plans would "inflame" peace talks with Palestine. Secretary 
of State Hillary Clinton said during an AIPAC forum that it "undermines 
America's unique ability" to be an effective arbiter for the negotiations.

Chomsky alleged in an interview that the Obama officials don't truly mind the 
settlements but simply prefer that they be overseen by a gentler Israeli leader.

"President Obama, like every American president, has said that he's opposed to 
settlement expansion," he told Raw Story. "But his administration has made it 
clear that the position is purely symbolic. They would not undertake even very 
mild steps toward sanctions."

Their main problem, Chomsky purported, is Netanyahu's "insulting" posturing. 
Supporting an Israeli prime minister perceived as reluctant to meaningfully 
recognize a Palestinian state could damage America's credibility as a mediator 
for peace.

US foreign policy leaders "want to put in someone who's more accommodating, who 
will carry out the same programs but not in an arrogant and insulting fashion," 
Chomsky said. "It's the manner - not the facts - that they're objecting to."

"What's happening now is very similar to what happened twenty years ago," he 
continued, comparing the current clash to "when President George H. W. Bush and 
Secretary of State Baker were insulted by the arrogant behavior of Israeli Prime 
Minister Yitzhak Shamir."

Shamir's attitude was too "brazen" for Bush to overlook, Chomsky noted, 
recalling that the former PM would "schedule settlement expansion for the day 
that Baker arrived for peace talks." So "they compelled Israel to throw him out 
and put in a more accommodating prime minister, Shimon Perez, who did pretty 
much the same things, just more politely."

Obama's current dilemma is very similar, Chomsky argued, claiming that the 
president would prefer the same outcome. The administration has sought to 
downplay the conflict, but it appears to remain unresolved.

Netanyahu has rebuffed US demands that he halt the new settlements, declaring in 
a speech Monday that "Jerusalem is not a settlement; It's our capital." The New 
York Times noted that the prime minister "reiterated that Israel had no plans to 
freeze housing in Jerusalem."

On Tuesday evening, he met with President Obama in closed-door talks for the 
first time since tensions between the two nations elevated this year. The White 
House canceled the photo-op at the last minute. A "deafening silence" followed 
the meeting, Politico reported, and it yielded no apparent signs of an accord.

Chomsky has contended that America's unmitigated support for Israel is 
destructive to the interests of both countries. His detractors accuse him of 
being unfairly critical of Israel and holding the country to a tougher standard 
than he applies to the Palestinian people and their leaders.

In the interview, he didn't sound optimistic about Obama's goal of achieving a 
workable peace treaty. Over the last 20 years, Israel "has moved very far to the 
right," he asserted. "There are ultra-nationalist forces that are much more 
powerful than before and also much more powerful religious elements, which have 
a very narrow and parochial view of the world."

Chomsky added that the "highly unpopular wars" the United States is waging in 
the Middle East further complicate the situation by exacerbating anti-American 
sentiments and further fueling anti-Semitism.


Jenifer Cartwright wrote:
> 
> 
> --- On *Wed, 3/24/10, Just Foreign Policy /<info at justforeignpolicy.org>/*
> wrote:
> 
> 
> From: Just Foreign Policy <info at justforeignpolicy.org> Subject: Defend Obama
> from AIPAC To: jencart13 at yahoo.com Date: Wednesday, March 24, 2010, 3:09 PM
> 
> Just Foreign Policy 
> <http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=yxPKo0ShPumakaUps8nRiHSCmw%2BJxrVh>
> 
> 
> 
> Dear Jenifer,
> 
> *Urge your reps to support President Obama's opposition to Israeli settlement
> expansion against AIPAC's attacks.*
> ...v

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