It's now gotten to the point where no honest person could deny that president Obama hates Israel. For the first six years in office, Obama certainly acted in a hostile manner towards the Jewish state. There was always the question, however, whether it was the Israeli prime minister that Obama did not like or the country itself. When Obama treated Israeli prime minister Netanyahu harshly and rudely some years back by walking out of a meeting and going to have dinner with Michelle and his daughters while Netanyahu was left waiting in a conference room, most people thought it was Obama's way of showing his displeasure with the prime minister. When Obama changed long standing American policy and made a halt of Israeli construction of homes in East Jerusalem and the West Bank a precondition for holding peace negotiations, he managed to destroy all momentum towards peace since the Palestinians recognized that Obama was now pushing their side of the dispute. Many thought it was just ham-handedness by Obama in the negotiations or some new tactical ploy that would somehow advance the talks. Some also thought that it was Obama's way of telling Netanyahu that he could not stick to his long term positions in those talks.
After recent weeks, however, it is clear that Obama is not just targeting Netanyahu. His aim is to disengage the USA from its ally Israel and to cozy up to the mullahs in Iran. This is Obama's new strategic vision for the Middle East. He wants that region to be "ruled" by the mullahs in Teheran. Look at what he has done. Let's start with the latest outrage. Obama has leaked a charge that Israel has been spying on the talks with Iran. That's a major and important claim to make, but think about it. First, Obama and John Kerry have previously told us that they have been briefing the Israelis about every aspect of the talks. That certainly makes sense since the country most threatened by the Iranian nuclear program is Israel. Israel is also the country most likely to take military action against the Iranians. The Israelis have a need to know what is happening in the talks. But now, despite Obama supposedly fully briefing the Israelis, they have been trying to find out more information about what is happening in those talks. Second, the leaks to the press contain basically the charge of spying, but not the method. These are not big talks; for much of the time there are six people in the room. So how are the Israeli's spying? I think it is safe to say that none of the Iranians are leaking info to Israel, so is it one of the Americans who is giving information to the Israelis? Kerry is briefing them, or so we are told. Is it his information that is now being called spying? The White House is careful not to say. Third, there is the purported use of the information gained by the Israelis that really gives away the game that Obama is playing. The charge is that Israel shared the information about what is happening in the talks with (gasp!) members of the United States Congress. Oh, the horror! Only Obama could see discussions between an ally and members of Congress as spying and actions harmful to American interests. Supposedly, the administration is also briefing Congress, but we have seen how that happens. Most likely what actually happened is that the Israelis shared information that came from Kerry with members of Congress and that angered Obama. Nevertheless, most Americans will just see headlines that Israel is spying and that will drive a wedge into the relationship.
Obama has also reacted to Netanyahu's re-election despite Obama's inappropriate and illegal interference in the Israeli elections to help the opposition by having his people call Netanyahu racist and to say that he has abandoned the peace talks. Of course, the fact that those peace talks collapsed long ago does not matter in this attack. Nor does the fact that nothing said or done by Netanyahu was racist (unless Obama still thinks that anyone who disagrees with him must be racist.) No, Obama just has his people throw the charges despite the major harm that this does to the relationship with Israel. Then you have the response to actions by Israel to calm the waters. Netanyahu actually apologized to anyone offended by what he said about Arab voters (the thing that was supposedly so racist.) Obama's official response was that America does not accept the apology. Obama wants to keep this open to poison the relationship further.
This is a terrible course of action for the USA. No matter what Obama thinks, Israel is by far the strongest country in the Middle East. They have also been our closest ally. Do we really want to see the formation of an alliance between Israel, Egypt and the Saudis against Iran? That may sound unlikely, but stranger things have happened. Right now, Israel, Egypt and Saudi Arabia have as their main concern not ISIS but the growing strength of the Iranians and their potential for nuclear weapons. As each of these countries realizes that Obama is putting the USA on the side of Iran, that alliance grows closer. The formation of such an alliance would move the region much closer to a major war, and such a war would be very detrimental to American interests.
Just for once, Obama needs to act like a president and not a spoiled child. He needs to think about American interests and not his own personal dislike for Israel. He is taking us down a very dangerous path. That journey is not likely to end well.
After recent weeks, however, it is clear that Obama is not just targeting Netanyahu. His aim is to disengage the USA from its ally Israel and to cozy up to the mullahs in Iran. This is Obama's new strategic vision for the Middle East. He wants that region to be "ruled" by the mullahs in Teheran. Look at what he has done. Let's start with the latest outrage. Obama has leaked a charge that Israel has been spying on the talks with Iran. That's a major and important claim to make, but think about it. First, Obama and John Kerry have previously told us that they have been briefing the Israelis about every aspect of the talks. That certainly makes sense since the country most threatened by the Iranian nuclear program is Israel. Israel is also the country most likely to take military action against the Iranians. The Israelis have a need to know what is happening in the talks. But now, despite Obama supposedly fully briefing the Israelis, they have been trying to find out more information about what is happening in those talks. Second, the leaks to the press contain basically the charge of spying, but not the method. These are not big talks; for much of the time there are six people in the room. So how are the Israeli's spying? I think it is safe to say that none of the Iranians are leaking info to Israel, so is it one of the Americans who is giving information to the Israelis? Kerry is briefing them, or so we are told. Is it his information that is now being called spying? The White House is careful not to say. Third, there is the purported use of the information gained by the Israelis that really gives away the game that Obama is playing. The charge is that Israel shared the information about what is happening in the talks with (gasp!) members of the United States Congress. Oh, the horror! Only Obama could see discussions between an ally and members of Congress as spying and actions harmful to American interests. Supposedly, the administration is also briefing Congress, but we have seen how that happens. Most likely what actually happened is that the Israelis shared information that came from Kerry with members of Congress and that angered Obama. Nevertheless, most Americans will just see headlines that Israel is spying and that will drive a wedge into the relationship.
Obama has also reacted to Netanyahu's re-election despite Obama's inappropriate and illegal interference in the Israeli elections to help the opposition by having his people call Netanyahu racist and to say that he has abandoned the peace talks. Of course, the fact that those peace talks collapsed long ago does not matter in this attack. Nor does the fact that nothing said or done by Netanyahu was racist (unless Obama still thinks that anyone who disagrees with him must be racist.) No, Obama just has his people throw the charges despite the major harm that this does to the relationship with Israel. Then you have the response to actions by Israel to calm the waters. Netanyahu actually apologized to anyone offended by what he said about Arab voters (the thing that was supposedly so racist.) Obama's official response was that America does not accept the apology. Obama wants to keep this open to poison the relationship further.
This is a terrible course of action for the USA. No matter what Obama thinks, Israel is by far the strongest country in the Middle East. They have also been our closest ally. Do we really want to see the formation of an alliance between Israel, Egypt and the Saudis against Iran? That may sound unlikely, but stranger things have happened. Right now, Israel, Egypt and Saudi Arabia have as their main concern not ISIS but the growing strength of the Iranians and their potential for nuclear weapons. As each of these countries realizes that Obama is putting the USA on the side of Iran, that alliance grows closer. The formation of such an alliance would move the region much closer to a major war, and such a war would be very detrimental to American interests.
Just for once, Obama needs to act like a president and not a spoiled child. He needs to think about American interests and not his own personal dislike for Israel. He is taking us down a very dangerous path. That journey is not likely to end well.
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