Israel Matzav

Obama blackmails Israel

Last Wednesday, I reported that Prime Minister Netanyahu was on the verge of making a deal with President Obama: In exchange for Israel adopting a 'settlement freeze,' the United States would take a 'tougher line' on Iran. It was a deal that I criticized for many reasons.

Writing at YNet, Michael Fenenbock calls the deal 'political blackmail' and 'Chicago-style hardball.' Michael argues that if the American people knew what the President is doing, they would strongly oppose it. He cites the results of a May 2009 Rasmussen poll:

In a May 2009 Rasmussen poll, 49% of Americans agreed that, if Israel launches an attack against Iran, the United States should help Israel. Thirty-seven percent (37%) believed the United States should do nothing while just 2% believe the US should help Iran.

Sixty-six percent (66%) of all voters said that preventing Iran from getting nuclear weapons is more important than preventing war between Iran and Israel. That was up 14 percentage points from 52% in July 2008.

Americans understand better than the Obama administration, it seems, that it is in the US’ vital interest that should Israel decide it has no option except a military strike on Iran, that the Israeli mission must succeed.

Fenenbock, who together with his wife, Daphne Weisbart has founded an organization called DeNuke Iran, believes that Prime Minister Netanyahu is yielding to Obama's blackmail because he doesn't see a choice. Quite simply, Iran is an existential issue for Israel, while building in the 'settlements' is not.

Fenenbock believes that the American people can and should act to stop Obama's blackmail.

But here in America we can apply the ultimate political leverage – the American voter – to put some cards in Bibi’s hand.

We can use those poll numbers of American support and common sense as a platform to launch a national campaign designed to break the linkage between the two-state solution and American help on Iran.

We can remind American voters why, absent of the world preventing a nuclear Iran, Israel might be forced to make the difficult choice of a military strike as a means of self-defense.

And we can send a message through the American voter to President Obama – it is in the US’ vital national interest that any Israeli military strike succeed. Don’t deny Israel the help it needs as part of your diplomatic initiatives in the Middle East. Should it come down to a military strike, help Israel succeed. The world – and the US – will be better for it.

Without a concerted, national campaign in America, without a campaign that makes President Obama pay a political price for his linkage policy, a campaign that causes the Obama administration pain, I fear Judea and Samaria, and probably a united Jerusalem, may be lost.

Here's a video of Michael Fenenbock talking about what we can do.

Let's go to the videotape.



Go here and start using some of the same tactics that Obama used to get elected.

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 4:46 PM