Ross in Israel, but why?
National Security Council Middle East Strategist Dennis Ross is in Israel - that much is undisputed. And according to most reports, he is here to work on the 'peace process.' “Ross is here ‘to resolve the settlement freeze triangle,’” an Israeli source says, referring to whether Israel will agree to extend a freeze on Israeli settlement building currently due to expire Sept. 26.JPost adds:
Ross is meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and lead Israeli negotiator Yitzhak Molcho, the Israeli source told POLITICO.
...
Ross's visit could be about helping to clarify what Netanyahu may agree to ahead of the talks now that the Palestinians have agreed to direct talks, and what he might consider agreeing to after he hears from Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and President Obama next week, former U.S. peace negotiator Aaron Miller suggested.
The White House did not immediately respond to queries on Ross’s travel.
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu began choosing the members of Israel's negotiating team, as American diplomat Dennis Ross arrived in Israel on Thursday to discuss the beginning of direct talks with the Palestinians.But there's another report - which probably should be taken with a grain of salt - that gives an entirely different explanation for Ross' visit (Hat Tip: Will).
US President Barack Obama and Secretary of State Hilary Clinton reportedly sent Ross to Israel in order to settle the issue of the West Bank building freeze.
Debkafile's Washington and Jerusalem sources report that Israel has revived its military option against Iran - especially since Iran activated its first nuclear reactor at Bushehr on Aug. 21, thereby placing Washington under enormous pressure. In addition to the dire predictions of catastrophe planted on various op-ed pages, the Obama administration this week sent two big guns to Jerusalem to try and check an Israel attack.For details on the 'security gifts' and more, read the whole thing. The Reidel piece to which they refer is here. (I read most of it last night, but it's way too long to blog today).
The first to arrive was International Atomic Energy Agency Director Yukiya Amano, who explained that under his stewardship the nuclear watchdog's treatment of Iran would be quite different from the lenience shown by his predecessor, Mohamed ElBaradei. He promised its inspectors would henceforth clamp down hard on Iran's nuclear activities including the Bushehr reactor.
Thursday, Aug. 26, Amano was joined by Dennis Ross, head of Obama's team of Iran advisers and a close friend of many Israeli leaders. He came laden with offers of security gifts - possible rewards both for restraint on Iran and as a softener for Netanyahu to be generous with concessions to the Palestinians in the forthcoming negotiations.
Ross has taken three days to make his pitch on Iran, while Netanyahu has less than a week to decide whether he can again trust the US president's new promises after they were not exactly upheld in the way the Bushehr reactor was allowed to go on stream or the modalities for the negotiations with the Palestinians.
While preparing the Ross mission, the administration let it be known that the security gifts on offer would be dramatic and make the IDF one of the strongest and most advanced armies in the world.
Unfortunately, the notion that the Obama administration would do almost anything to bring about a 'Palestinian state' and to stop an Israeli attack on Iran (including selling to Israel some of the few remaining F-22's) is way too plausible.
posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 10:40 AM
5 Comments:
Obama's linking of the 2 issues - Iran's nuclear program and a Palestinian state - to my mind makes ANYTHING he says to Israel on either subject more than highly suspect. It is almost like threatening to ransom Israel's very existence for the Arab world. And it's an utterly stupid move, if Obama actually thinks that a Palestinian state next to Israel is going to solve all the problems in both the Arab and the broader Muslim world. Or solve any of them, for that matter.
Obami are marching towards their Pyrrhic victory, with jews and Israelis set to pay the terrible cost.
I am sure there is a carrot, and a stick. The carrot may be the additional weaponry. The stick is very likely a withholding of weaponry and resupply if Israel attacks.
I've said it many times, and I'll say it again. Israel needs to be completely self sufficient in its defense supply chain. It needs to design and build everything within Israel. It needs multiple sources of raw materials, specifically countries that may not be as susceptible to pressure from external actors.
We cannot rely on the US administration to be perpetually friendly. Its not now, and likely will not be again in the future.
If the current administration weren't so clueless, and inept at managing and handling its power, it might not have the crisis of power vacuum which have emerged. And many of these points would be moot. Unfortunately, we in the US collectively voted for a weak minded, weak idealed person, over a strong advocate of exceptionalism. And we are stuck with this bozo for 2 more years.
Israel needs to avoid letting itself get sucked in to Obami's demands. Its time to just say "no". They don't have Israel or jews best interests at heart, nor do they have a meaningful vision of peace in the region, or how to get there. They can't pressure a people unwilling and unready to make peace, to make peace. They can't pressure a totalitarian armeggedonist terror supporting regime to give up its nefarious aims and the tools it will use to achieve them.
Israel must act on its own. The right thing to do, policy wise, and force wise, is to back burner the 'palis', and support Israel's efforts with Iran. If and when this completes, solve the 'palis' crisis by providing a simple solution for the arab population ... either leave for your real ancestral homes in Jordan, Egypt or Lebanon, or stay where you are and become citizens of the same but living in Israel. Either way, its not up to them to provide their own failed leadership anymore. They've had decades, which they've squandered, and billions of dollars, that they've stolen. Its time for new thinking and new action, which doesn't lead to the same cul de sac that we've been in for the last 30+ years.
Obami are marching towards their Pyrrhic victory, with jews and Israelis set to pay the terrible cost.
I am sure there is a carrot, and a stick. The carrot may be the additional weaponry. The stick is very likely a withholding of weaponry and resupply if Israel attacks.
I've said it many times, and I'll say it again. Israel needs to be completely self sufficient in its defense supply chain. It needs to design and build everything within Israel. It needs multiple sources of raw materials, specifically countries that may not be as susceptible to pressure from external actors.
We cannot rely on the US administration to be perpetually friendly. Its not now, and likely will not be again in the future.
If the current administration weren't so clueless, and inept at managing and handling its power, it might not have the crisis of power vacuum which have emerged. And many of these points would be moot. Unfortunately, we in the US collectively voted for a weak minded, weak idealed person, over a strong advocate of exceptionalism. And we are stuck with this bozo for 2 more years.
Israel needs to avoid letting itself get sucked in to Obami's demands. Its time to just say "no". They don't have Israel or jews best interests at heart, nor do they have a meaningful vision of peace in the region, or how to get there. They can't pressure a people unwilling and unready to make peace, to make peace. They can't pressure a totalitarian armeggedonist terror supporting regime to give up its nefarious aims and the tools it will use to achieve them.
Israel must act on its own. The right thing to do, policy wise, and force wise, is to back burner the 'palis', and support Israel's efforts with Iran. If and when this completes, solve the 'palis' crisis by providing a simple solution for the arab population ... either leave for your real ancestral homes in Jordan, Egypt or Lebanon, or stay where you are and become citizens of the same but living in Israel. Either way, its not up to them to provide their own failed leadership anymore. They've had decades, which they've squandered, and billions of dollars, that they've stolen. Its time for new thinking and new action, which doesn't lead to the same cul de sac that we've been in for the last 30+ years.
Since Obama is likely a secret Muslim, Israel shouldn't accept any deal from his administration, and stonewall until a new president is in the White House. Scope Obama's Muslim rabbit hole and see how deep it goes for yourself with the Historyscoper's free Obamascope at http://tinyurl.com/obamascope
Scope Jerusalem's history back 3,000 years and see why Jews not Arabs or Muslims have the right to a homeland based there, and thus a 2-state solution is wrong:
http://tinyurl.com/jerusalemhistory
Keep up on the news of Islam's march to dominate the world with free daily links:
http://tinyurl.com/islamwatch
unless Iran's technology speeds up and overcomes Israeli capability faster in two years it takes to get Obama out of power, I'd say go low tech
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