Israel Matzav

Israel not only US ally to skip nuclear summit

Israel was not the only 'key US ally' to skip the nuclear summit in Washington that concluded yesterday. Among others, Britain, Australia and Saudi Arabia also did not attend.

Netanyahu announced last week he would not attend the U.S. summit on nuclear proliferation, reportedly because he suspected Egypt and Turkey to be planning a public protest of Israel’s nuclear program. The implication is that the Israeli leader does not believe Obama supports Israel’s program as unabashedly as past presidents have.

“He clearly made the call that he didn’t want another lecture by Hillary and speeches by the Arabs hammering Israel for not joining the [Nuclear non-Proliferation Treaty],” said Aaron David Miller, an adviser on Middle East peace talks to six secretaries of state from 1988 to 2003.

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown is not attending the summit to campaign ahead of May 6 elections, though there has been speculation that Brown chose not to attend simply to spite Obama.

Even major European leaders got meetings with Obama this week only at the last minute. German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s one-on-one meeting with Obama was scheduled for Tuesday late on Sunday, only after meetings with the leaders of India, Kazakhstan, South Africa, Pakistan, Nigeria, China, Jordan, Malaysia, Ukraine, Armenia and Turkey.

Biden was scheduled to meet Monday with leaders from New Zealand, United Arab Emirates and South Korea.

And this is after only 15 months of Obama. Just think how many allies the US will have left after another 33 months (at least) of him.

By the way, I'm surprised Obama bothered with a bilateral meeting with India. He's been snubbing them too.

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 2:24 PM