Watch These Current Developments

[Stephen1]

Israel under veiled US threat of diplomatic isolation
DEBKAfile Special Report March 24, 2010

Israeli PM leaves White House with no breakthrough

The high-stakes conversations Israeli prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu held in Washington with President Barack Obama and secretary of state Hillary Clinton on March 23-24 only deepened the crisis marring relations between the two governments, debkafile's Washington sources report.

Netanyahu, defense minister Ehud Barak and their aides, received a strong impression that the White House's hand was behind certain European steps to drive Israeli into a corner on the points at issue. For example, even if the British government needed no encouragement to pick a fight with Israel over an unproven link with the forged passports used by the Dubai killers, Washington knew about the British plan to expel an Israeli diplomat.

Its silence was taken by London as a go-ahead and a signal to the Netanyahu government that punishment could be coming from Washington too and that Israel could pay for defying the Obama administration with broad international isolation. France is also considering lining up behind this campaign.

President Obama showed his displeasure with the Israeli government's failure to cave in to his demands - especially after Netanyahu's declaration that Jerusalem is no settlement but "our capital" to the AIPAC conference Monday - by ordering all the Israeli prime minister's meetings in Washington to take place without statements, news coverage or the cameras which normally record smiles and handshakes between friendly leaders.

The warm bipartisan welcome he received on Capital Hill was followed by the cold, peremptory shower given him at the White House.

At their first 90-minute encounter, the president made it clear what was expected of the Israeli prime minister on Jerusalem, West Bank settlements and Iran and where he drew the line. Every effort by Netanyahu and, behind the scenes, Barak and their advisers, to ease the pressure fell on deaf ears.

As the tension rose in the Oval Office, Netanyahu asked to consult privately with his staff and after an hour, asked to see Obama again. A second 35-minute conversation followed, after which the Israeli leader left without achieving any breakthrough on their differences.

Debkafile's Middle East sources report that this latest turn of events in US-Israeli relations makes naught of American leaders' constant affirmations of commitment to Israel's security.

Iran, Syria, Hizballah, Hamas and Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas are acutely sensitive to the slightest crack in American support for Israel and ready with tactics for widening the rift. They will now drive hard to separate the Obama administration from America's historic military backing for the Jewish state.


Potential stage setting for Israel's coming 70th week [the Lord's hour [time] of trial and testing against an intransigent unbelieving world .... and the parallel time of Jacob's trouble] .... the last 7 years of this present age which will include:

The rise of the Middle Eastern little horn, release of Abaddon-Apollyon [the first beast of Revelation] from the abyss, formation of a 10 segmented confederacy of Middle Eastern kings [horns], the destruction by burning of MBG's great city part of western Gentile influence by the same, invasion and occupation of Israel, Jerusalem, and the temple mount by the beast and his human following, and the Lord's subsequent turning upon the beast and his Islamic contingent .... and destroying them at Armageddon

 

[jiggyfly]

Watch These Current Developments

To what benefit?

 

[Stephen1]

"To what benefit?"

>You will have to be more specific with your question in order for me to answer

 

[jiggyfly]

You said that we should watch these current developments and I am asking why? What would we benefit from watching these developments?

 

[jiggyfly]

I thought it was pretty simple. What is the benefit of watching these developments? How will one who watches these things develop benefit over over one who doesn't?

 

[Stephen1]

For those who have an appreciation of the Lord's prophetic word and its significance:

Israel risks Obama presidential condemnation over Jerusalem
DEBKAfile Exclusive Report March 24, 2010

US president Barack Obama kept on turning the screw on Israeli minister Binyamin Netanyahu Wednesday, March 24, after their harsh conversation in the White House Tuesday: Netanyahu was told bluntly to issue before leaving Washington for home a White House-dictated public pledge to eschew further construction in East Jerusalem, or else face a US presidential notice condemning Israel and holding its government responsible for the failure to restart indirect Israel-Palestinian talks.

Reporting this, Debkafile's Washington sources add that Netanyahu's public renunciation of Jerusalem construction was required to include also the large Jewish suburbs of the city and remain in force for the duration of negotiations. He must also pledge further concessions to the Palestinians.

As part of the ultimatum, the US president warned the Israeli prime minister that he also intended formulating in detail for the first time the settlement the US government sought for solving the Israeli-Palestinian dispute.

A high-ranking US official categorized the current crisis in US-Israeli relations as the most acute in 54 years, ever since 1956 when President Dwight Eisenhower gave David Ben-Gurion an ultimatum to pull Israeli forces out of Sinai - certainly more serious than the impasse over the Madrid conference between the first President Bush and Yitzhak Shamir in 1992.

A US presidential notice condemning Israel and predetermining the shape of an Israeli-Palestinian settlement would be tantamount to a US diktat and put the lid on negotiations, direct or indirect, because Israel would be dragged to the table in handcuffs to face an Arab partner who would accept nothing less than the terms Washington imposed in advance on Israel.

Such a notice would put a clamp on the close dialogue which has historically characterized US-Israeli ties to the detriment of Israel's international standing.

In the shadow of Obama's threat, Netanyahu and defense minister Ehud Barak spent their last hours in the US capital working on a statement that might satisfy him.

These negotiations are led by Barak working out of the Israel embassy and the president's special adviser Dennis Ross from the National Security Council's office at the White House.

Instead of setting the diplomatic agenda, Netanyahu surrendered control over it. Instead of leaving the Palestinian issue aside and focusing on Iran, as he would like, Netanyahu now finds himself fighting for the legitimacy of Israeli control over East Jerusalem.

The most sensitive and insoluble core issues - those which when raised a decade ago led to the dissolution of the peace process and explosion of the second intifada - are now being served as a mere appetizer.

At the start of his visit, Netanyahu was tempted to bask in the warm welcome he received at the AIPAC conference, at which he gave his emotional address on Jerusalem.

Taking a page from Menachem Begin, he spoke not on behalf of the State of Israel, but in the name of the Jewish people itself and its millennia of history.

His speech was not radical rightist rhetoric. Reading between the lines, one could spot a certain willingness to relinquish West Bank settlements as long as Israel maintains a security buffer in the Jordan Valley.

But at the White House, the prime minister's speech to thousands of pro-Israel activists and hundreds of cheering congressmen looked like an obvious attempt to raise political capital against the American president.

Knowing Netanyahu would be reenergized by his speech at the lobby, Obama and his staff set him a honey trap. Over the weekend they sought to quell the row that flared up during U.S. Vice President Joe Biden's trip here two weeks ago, and U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton described Netanyahu's response to the ultimatums Washington presented to him as "useful."

Special envoy George Mitchell made a televised visit to the prime minister's bureau Sunday to invite Netanyahu to the White House. Washington, it seemed, was trying to make nice.

Far from it. Just when Netanyahu thought he had resolved the crisis by apologizing to Biden, Clinton called him up for a dressing down.

This time as well, Netanyahu almost believed the crisis had passed, that he had survived by offering partial, noncommittal answers to the Americans' questions. Shortly before meeting with Obama, Netanyahu even warned the Palestinians that should they continue to demand a freeze on construction, he would postpone peace talks by a year.

His arrogant tone underscored the fact that Netanyahu believed that on the strength of his AIPAC speech, he could call the next few steps of the diplomatic dance.

But then calamity struck. At their White House meeting, Obama made clear to his guest that the letter Netanyahu had sent was insufficient and returned it for further corrections. Instead of a reception as a guest of honor, Netanyahu was treated as a problem child, an army private ordered to do laps around the base for slipping up at roll call.

The revolution in the Americans' behavior is clear to all. On Sunday morning Obama was still anxiously looking ahead to the House of Representatives vote on health care - the last thing he wanted was a last-minute disagreement with congressmen over ties with Israel.

The moment the bill was passed, however, a victorious Obama was free to deal with his unruly guest.

The Americans made every effort to downplay the visit. As during his last visit in November, Netanyahu was invited to the White House at a late hour, without media coverage or a press conference. If that were not enough, the White House spokesman challenged Netanyahu's observation at AIPAC that "Jerusalem is not a settlement."

The Americans didn't even wait for him to leave Washington to make their disagreement known. It was not the behavior Washington shows an ally, but the kind it shows an annoyance.


Let the Lord speak to Obama and his administration:

Genesis
12:1 Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will show thee:

12:2 And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:

12:3 And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.

Zechariah
12:3 And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it.

Psalms
2:1 Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing?

2:2 The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying,

2:3 Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us.

2:4 He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the LORD shall have them in derision.

2:5 Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure.

2:6 Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion.

2:7 I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee.

2:8 Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession.

2:9 Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel.

2:10 Be wise now therefore, O ye kings: be instructed, ye judges of the earth.

2:11 Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling.

2:12 Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him.

 

[jiggyfly]

fly,

Sorry, but I detect your game

You need to start your own thread on why, or why not, the Lord's prophetic word is significant to the believer

No game Steve, but I think you answered my question by simply avoiding it.

On a second note should we trust today's media to present us the truth of what is happening?

 

[Stephen1]

Jerusalem Post
March 25, 2010

Interior Minister Eli Yishai said that the government will continue to advance new construction projects in Jerusalem, and that it is clear there will not be a building moratorium in the capital.

"I thank G-d that I have the right to serve as a minister who approves [the construction of] thousands of housing units in Jerusalem," Yishai said in an interview with the Shas-affiliated newspaper Yom le'Yom published on Thursday.

The minister reportedly went on to claim that all the left-wing people in Israel share the goal of "a small Jewish Jerusalem, without east Jerusalem and the Arab neighborhoods," as well as "stopping the growth of the haredi community in the capital."

The Interior Ministry was recently at the center of a crisis in US-Israel ties, when a plan to build 1,600 housing units in Jerusalem's Ramat Shlomo neighborhood was approved by a ministerial committee during US Vice President Joe Biden's visit to Israel.

Washington, the EU, the UN, and the Palestinian Authority all criticized Israel for the move.

Despite international criticism, Netanyahu has reiterated that Israel will not freeze construction in Jerusalem, telling AIPAC on Monday that “Jerusalem is not a settlement. It is our capital.”

He pointed out that all Israeli governments had built in Jerusalem over those lines and that nearly half the city’s Jewish population lived there. “They are an integral and inextricable part of modern Jerusalem. Everyone knows that these neighborhoods will be part of Israel in any peace settlement,” Netanyahu told the audience. “Therefore, building them in no way precludes the possibility of a two-state solution.”

In related news, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast, criticized Netanyahu's recent statement that Israel will continue to build in east Jerusalem.

"Netanyahu's argument clearly indicates the Zionist government's aggressive nature," Mehmanparast said, according to Channel 10. "The Zionist entity is a terrorist state and should be eradicated," the Iranian official reportedly added.

 

[Ophel]

No game Steve, but I think you answered my question by simply avoiding it.

On a second note should we trust today's media to present us the truth of what is happening?

You have a good point. The media is biased against truth and toward the atheistic, secular agenda. But, I do like the Jerusalem Post.

 

[jiggyfly]

Your game is over fly

No game here but not sure why you think you can try and run things here at TJ. I have a name too and it isn't fly.

 

[Ophel]

Let's be kind here, boys. One eschatological view does not hold sway over another, nor does it mean that one is more spiritually attuned than another. So often I have seen post-tribbers bash pre-tribbers and be viciously accusational about their spiritual standing and knowledge. It isn't so. Many of our finest scholars and men and women of God are pre-trib believers.

 

[jiggyfly]

Let's be kind here, boys. One eschatological view does not hold sway over another, nor does it mean that one is more spiritually attuned than another. So often I have seen post-tribbers bash pre-tribbers and be visiously accusational about their spiritual standing and knowledge. It isn't so. Many of our finest scholars and men and women of God are pre-trib believers.

I have seen it too, I dont think I agree with either pre or post.

 

[SpiritLedEd]

You need to start your own thread on why, or why not, the Lord's prophetic word is significant to the believer

There's no such thing as your thread here at TalkJesus. No member, including yourself, has ownership of any thread they start here.

SLE

 

[Coconut]

One eschatological view does not hold sway over another, nor does it mean that one is more spiritually attuned than another. So often I have seen post-tribbers bash pre-tribbers and be viciously accusational about their spiritual standing and knowledge. It isn't so. Many of our finest scholars and men and women of God are pre-trib believers.

Well aint that the truth. And vice-versa. I have seen pre-tribbers bash post-tribbers until I wondered if they honestly think Christ intended his cross to be used a club. Many of our finest scholars and men and women of God are also mid-trib, and post-trib. I esteem none of them less or more for their proposed understanding of prophecy, theres always a problem though when the theological scholar esteems himself.

 

[Ophel]

theres always a problem though when the theological scholar esteems himself.

Pride is often a problem in these discussions.

 

[Stephen1]

Heavy fighting in Gaza after Hamas cross-border attack
DEBKAfile Special Report March 26, 2010

Israeli tank on Gaza border


According to first reports, Hamas gunmen shot anti-tank rockets at an Israeli force posted on the Gazan border between Kissufim and Khan Younis in southern Gaza, Friday afternoon, March 26. Another armed Hamas group then engaged the Israeli tank and artillery force which crossed in to shell the attackers. Israeli helicopter gunships have been sent in.

The Palestinians say they have information that the Israeli force suffered two casualties. There is no comment from the IDF spokesman. Ambulances were seen racing to the battle scene on both sides of the border.

Western sources report a big explosion followed by small arms fire, indicating the battle is ongoing.

On the Palestinian side, the Hamas military arm, Izz-e-dine al Qassam, reported its gunmen attacked an Israeli force which entered southern Gaza from the Kissufim area, while an organization calling itself Taliban-Palestine claimed its men staged the attack.

debkafile's military sources report a persistent rise in tension on the Gaza-Israeli border with Hamas with a smattering of missiles and other provocations every few days.

Exactly a week ago, on March 19, three pairs of motorbike riders, claimed to be from an al Qaeda-linked outfit, crashed through Gaza's border fence and opened RPG and automatic fire on Israelis soldiers on patrol near the Israeli village of Kfar Azza. They missed and swerved back into the Gaza Strip before the soldiers could return the fire. There were no casualties on either side.

Monday, March 22, the same Kissufim sector was the scene of an Israeli firefight with three Palestinian intruders from southern Gaza. Sgt. Gabriel Cepic, 21, was killed by friendly fire when a Golani infantry unit mistook his tank force for Palestinian gunmen.

Our counter-terror sources report that Palestinian terrorist groups operating under the al Qaeda-linked Jalalalat umbrella control extensive areas of southern Gaza.

 

[Stephen1]

Jerusalem Post
March 27,2010

The chief of the Arab League warned Saturday that Israel's actions could bring about a final end to the Middle East peace process.

Amr Moussa urged an Arab leadership summit in Libya on Saturday to forge a new strategy to pressure Israel, saying the peace process could not be "an open ended process."

“We must prepare for the possibility that the peace process will be a complete failure,” Moussa said. “This is the time to stand up to Israel. We must find alternative options, because the situation appears to have reached a turning point.”

Speaking at the event, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas said there would be no peace agreement without ending the occupation of Palestinian land, first and foremost east Jerusalem. He accused Prime Minster Binyamin Netanyahu's government of trying to create a de facto situation in Jerusalem that would torpedo any future peace settlement.

Abbas added that conflict in Jerusalem was dangerous and could ignite the entire Middle East. He said the PA would not resume peace talks with Israel, including indirect talks, until Israel stops construction in the settlements.

Earlier this month, Arab nations opened the door for Abbas to enter four months of indirect, American-brokered peace talks with Israel. But they later threatened to withdraw support for the talks because of Israel’s announcement of new plans for construction in east Jerusalem.

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, a guest at the summit, said in his speech that the Israeli “violation” of peace in Jerusalem and Muslim holy sites was unacceptable.

Erdogan said that the Israeli position defining the whole of Jerusalem as its united capital was “madness.” Israeli construction in east Jerusalem was completely unjustified, he said.

Moussa also urged the 22-nation bloc to engage Iran directly over concerns about its growing influence and its nuclear activities, a proposal that could undermine US and Israeli efforts to isolate the Islamic Republic. Moussa's engagement plan would involve a forum for regional cooperation and conflict resolution that would include non-Arab nations Iran and Turkey.

"I realize that some are worried about Iran but that is precisely why we need the dialogue," Moussa said.

The push to engage Tehran seems to be at least partly fueled by Arab frustration over Washington's failure to get Israel to back down on plans for more Jewish settlements on land the Palestinians want for a future state.

It also suggests that Arab nations are increasingly less likely to align with the US strategy on Iran if they feel they are getting nothing in return in Mideast peace efforts.

The Arab leaders called together for a Middle East free of nuclear weapons. Moussa was quoted by Egyptian newspaper Al-Mesryoon as saying that Arab states were facing a great threat in the form of Israel’s nuclear capability. He warned against a nuclear arms race in the region.

The summit registered a higher than usual number of no-shows from Arab leaders. Eight heads of state stayed away, including Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia.

Zechariah
12:1 The burden of the word of the LORD for Israel, saith the LORD, which stretcheth forth the heavens, and layeth the foundation of the earth, and formeth the spirit of man within him.

12:2 Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all the people round about, when they shall be in the siege both against Judah and against Jerusalem.

12:3 And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it.

Psalms
83:1 Keep not thou silence, O God: hold not thy peace, and be not still, O God.

83:2 For, lo, thine enemies make a tumult: and they that hate thee have lifted up the head.

83:3 They have taken crafty counsel against thy people, and consulted against thy hidden ones.

83:4 They have said, Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation; that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance.

83:5 For they have consulted together with one consent: they are confederate against thee.

Ezekiel
38:1 And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

38:2 Son of man, set thy face against Gog, the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him,

38:3 And say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal:

38:4 And I will turn thee back, and put hooks into thy jaws, and I will bring thee forth, and all thine army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed with all sorts of armour, even a great company with bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords:

38:5 Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya with them; all of them with shield and helmet:

38:6 Gomer, and all his bands; the house of Togarmah of the north quarters, and all his bands: and many people with thee.

38:7 Be thou prepared, and prepare for thyself, thou, and all thy company that are assembled unto thee, and be thou a guard unto them.

38:8 After many days thou shalt be visited: in the latter years thou shalt come into the land that is brought back from the sword, and is gathered out of many people, against the mountains of Israel, which have been always waste: but it is brought forth out of the nations, and they shall dwell safely all of them.

Zechariah
12:4 In that day, saith the LORD, I will smite every horse with astonishment, and his rider with madness: and I will open mine eyes upon the house of Judah, and will smite every horse of the people with blindness.

12:5 And the governors of Judah shall say in their heart, The inhabitants of Jerusalem shall be my strength in the LORD of hosts their God.

12:6 In that day will I make the governors of Judah like an hearth of fire among the wood, and like a torch of fire in a sheaf; and they shall devour all the people round about, on the right hand and on the left: and Jerusalem shall be inhabited again in her own place, even in Jerusalem.

12:7 The LORD also shall save the tents of Judah first, that the glory of the house of David and the glory of the inhabitants of Jerusalem do not magnify themselves against Judah.

12:8 In that day shall the LORD defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and he that is feeble among them at that day shall be as David; and the house of David shall be as God, as the angel of the LORD before them.

12:9 And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.

 

[Stephen1]

Y-Net News
April 7, 2010

Israel will not accept a Middle East peace agreement that is forced on it by external forces, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly said in private meetings in recent days, sources said Wednesday.

Netanyahu reportedly told close aides that "it won't work and it won't be acceptable if a settlement is forced on us," stressing the need to ensure proper security arrangements as part of any future peace deal.

For that end, the PM reportedly said, Israel would have to retain a military presence along its eastern border with Jordan, adding that any agreement that doesn't allow for those measure will not be accepted. Netanyahu's comments came as the Washington Post quoted senior U.S. officials as saying earlier Wednesday that President Barack Obama was weighing the possibility of submitting a new American Middle East peace plan by this fall.

We are making an effort," Netanyahu said of the talks with the U.S.

He spoke at a news conference called to trumpet the accomplishments of his first year in office.
The U.S. has been pressuring Israel to halt construction in east Jerusalem, the section of the holy city claimed by the Palestinians. Israel considers all of Jerusalem to be its eternal capital.

The dispute erupted into a crisis last month when Israel announced plans to build 1,600 new homes for Jews in east Jerusalem during a visit by Vice President Joe Biden. The announcement infuriated the Americans, who demanded the project be canceled, and derailed a plan to restart peace talks.

Netanyahu accused the media of blowing the disagreement out of proportion.

"What is being published doesn't fit what we are talking about," he said. "Apparently the discussion between us is more serious and more to the point than what is generally believed."

Netanyahu also said at the press conference that his was a "goverment of action," adding that "the public is unaware of most of the actions" undertaken by the government.

Netanyahu added that his government made 1,500 decisions in the past year, but said he wasn't going to go into detail on them.

The prime minister spoke of the continued firing of rockets by Gaza militants into Israel, and said that in the past year, his government adopted a new policy of "quick response" to any incident of rocket fire.

"We are looking out for Israel's security interests while at the same time trying to renew the peace process," Netanyahu said.

Netanyahu also spoke of the deal to release abducted IDF soldier Gilad Shalit, and said that Israel is willing to go a long way in order to push the deal forward. "Up to this point, we haven't gotten a response from Hamas. I must note that when I asked, I did get a sign of life - the video of Gilad. We are taking actions to bring him home that we can't always elaborate on," the prime minister stressed.

The Prime Minister commented on the recent tensions between Defense Minister Ehud Barak and IDF Chief of Staff Gabi Askenazi, and the decision not to extend Ashkenazi's term.

"Every organization must refresh its chain of command, even when there are people of quality at its head," said Netanyahu. "Actually, it wasn't a decision - it is a long standing rule that the IDF Chief of Staff serves a four-year term only," said Netanyahu.

Netanyahu also said that Israel is on its way to becoming a regional economic power, as well as a world technological power.

"Under my leadership, Israel's economy successfully recovered from the world economic crisis, and in order to complete the process, we must free the economy from bureaucracy," Netanyahu said.

The Prime Minister also said that during his time in office, gaps in Israeli society have decreased, speaking of the gaps between the rich and the poor as well as those between the young and the elderly. "These are one of the social steps that I am most proud of," said Netanyahu.

Kadima, the leading opposition party, reacted harshly to Netanyahu's speech.

"Netanyahu lives in Bibiland, not in Israel," Kadima said in a statement. "Netanyahu's trickery is meant to throw sand in the eyes of the public and artificially blur the crushing failure of the most over-sized and wasteful government in Israel's history."

"Nothing can hide the fact that in one year Netanyahu's conduct has led to an absolute collapse in Israel's standing in the international community and a severe rift with the United States during an important and sensitive time period for Israel's national security interests."

Netanyahu was also attacked from his political right flank by National Union MK Yaakov Katz.

"Netanyahu hid from the public three grave things that were done by his government on his initiative: he gave authority over the heart of Israel to foreigners, he decreed a racist edict to forbid Jews from building homes and he instructed the housing minister not to build in neighborhoods of Jerusalem liberated during the Six-Day War," Katz said

 

[Stephen1]

World Watch Daily
April 8, 2010

“Obama to Impose Terms on Israel” is the headline you didn’t read on David Ignatius’s column in the Washington Post today. The story ran under the title “Obama’s Mideast Plan,” which Ignatius describes as “proposing an American peace plan to resolve the Palestinian conflict.”

But the substance is clear: It is a threat against Israel by the Obama administration and particularly by National Security Advisor James Jones. (The give-away is this line: “The fact that Obama is weighing the peace plan marks his growing confidence in Jones.” Now who do you think was Ignatius’s source for that gem?) Apparently Obama and his team are frustrated by their inability to get Israelis and Palestinians to negotiate a deal, and have therefore decided we’ll just impose one.

The inability of Israelis and Palestinians to get to the negotiating table is, in this administration, an iatrogenic disease: Our diplomatic doctors have caused it. The astonishing incompetence of Obama and special envoy George Mitchell has now twice blown up talks—direct talks last year, and proximity talks more recently—by making Israeli construction plans a major world crisis, thereby forcing Palestinian leaders to back away from engagement with the Israelis. So the administration will, in the fall, just do it the simpler way. Why bother with Israelis and Palestinians, in whom the president apparently does not have “growing confidence,” when you can just have your own brilliant team draw up the terms? As Ignatius’s sources, “two top administration officials,” tell him, “everyone knows the basic outlines of a peace deal.”

This is false and dangerous. First, if indeed everyone has known the terms for nearly 20 years (since Oslo) yet agreement has never been reached, is it not obvious that neither Israelis nor Palestinians are willing and able to accept those terms? Does their embrace by an ambitious American president make them any more palatable to the people who will have to live with them? Second, the conclusion that all the terms are known is quite wrong. Is the fate of Jerusalem’s Old City agreed? Do Palestinians accept that Israel will keep every major settlement bloc?

Do Israelis and Palestinians agree on the terms needed to guarantee Israel’s security once the IDF must leave the West Bank? (Examples: Is it agreed that Israel will control the air space and electromagnetic spectrum? Is it agreed that Israel can keep troops in the West Bank for some years? Do Palestinians accept that Israel can control the Jordan Valley and patrol the border with Jordan?) This is nonsense. One of Ignatius’s sources says the Obama plan will “take on the absolute requirements of Israeli security.” After 14 months of harassment by Obama and his team, will any Israeli risk his nation’s safety on that assurance?

A tell-tale: One of the demands that Obama is said to have made of Prime Minister Netanyahu is withdrawal to the pre-intifada (September 2000) IDF lines in the West Bank. This is striking, for the demand apparently is not to promise a future withdrawal, or a staged withdrawal as and when conditions permit, but simply to pull back now. This means ignoring security conditions on the ground and the current capabilities of Palestinian forces to keep order and stop terrorism, or it means assuming that the Palestinian forces are adequate. If they are not, well, so what, there will be a few acts of terror, and then we’ll see that maybe they pulled back too far too fast. Everyone makes mistakes. These are the kinds of calculations that persuade Israelis the administration is cavalier about their security, despite the occasional repetition of campaign pledges to the contrary.

Ignatius reports, approvingly, that Obama came to the conclusion that he should impose a “peace plan” after meeting with six former national security advisors. The first to suggest imposing terms on Israel was Brent Scowcroft; he was seconded by Zbigniew Brzezinski. This will not reassure Israelis. (Absent from his list of those attending, and approving, were Condoleezza Rice and Steve Hadley, George W. Bush’s two NSAs. Perhaps this was mere accident; perhaps they are not invited to these festive events in Jones’s office; perhaps they are too smart to lend their names to such White House games and the ensuing leaks.)
Perhaps this is all a trial balloon by Obama and Jones. If so, it will make Israeli-Palestinian negotiations even harder than they are today, after 14 months of Obama administration failures.

For Palestinians will conclude that they have no reason to negotiate seriously, or to make concessions, when Obama may deliver what they want on a nice platter; and Israelis will conclude that Washington no longer takes their security seriously, so they must toughen their stance.

According to Ignatius, one senior official explained that “the American peace plan would be linked with the issue of confronting Iran,” because “the issues are two halves of a single strategic problem” and “we have to get the debate away from settlements and East Jerusalem and take it to a 30,000 feet level that can involve, Jordan, Syria, and other countries in the region.” There is a certain irony here, since the administration itself is wholly responsible for making “settlements and East Jerusalem” central issues right now. But read those quotes again.

Phrases like “take it to a 30,000 feet level” are gibberish—a substitute for real analysis. There is no linkage to “confronting Iran,” for weakening Israel and U.S.-Israel ties makes that harder. Yet an underlying Obama theme is audible here: The United States needs to get closer to Arab countries, needs to “engage,” and Israel is in the way.
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