Israel Matzav

Deja vu all over again: Obama stringing Israel along

Jennifer Rubin is seriously concerned at the games that the Obama administration is playing with Israel.

Beginning last Thursday I started questioning the State Department. Could its spokesman confirm that the U.S. would oppose a proposal for a ’67 border settlement, given Israel’s categorical statements that such borders would not be defensible? Could the administration confirm it would oppose and seek to block moves by the U.N. or Quartet to recognize a Palestinian state unilaterally (i.e., not as a product of bilateral negotiations)? These are not hard questions, and the fact that the administration would face questioning is an indication of how strained the U.S.-Israeli relationship has become.

After much back and forth, the only statement I could receive from a State Department spokesman was this non-answer: “Our goal remains to get both parties back to the negotiating table — that is, we believe, the best way to reach a comprehensive solution. We continue to engage with the parties to make that happen, and within the Quartet to see how it can best support that process.” After further prodding the spokesman offered, “We do not support any unilateral declaration of statehood.”

I was then referred to another State Department spokesman. Edgar Vasquez in Near East Affairs was equally circumspect. Is the U.S. supporting or encouraging a Quarter proposal for a Palestinian state based on 1967 borders? All he would say is “U.S. policy hasn’t changed.” The spokesman indicated the “preference” was for the parties to return to the bargaining table. “We are in discussions with the Quartet to support the [direct negotiation] process.” What about a unilateral declaration of a Palestinian state? “We do not think this is the way to go.”

Administration equivocation has also rankled key members of the House and Senate, where support for Israel is strong and widespread. A senior Senate aide was chagrined at the State Department’s waffling. “This sounds like a bad episode of State Department Gone Wild. The Administration should not abandon America’s long standing policy on Israel’s right to defensible borders. We need to hear in no uncertain terms that this Administration will not allow any Quartet statement that endorses a Palestinian state based on ’67 borders.”

Likewise on the House side, members of both parties are nervous that the administration is playing this too cute by half. A congressional aide to a key Democrat on Israel???? tells me, “The administration ought to remember where Congress is on this issue. The fact that they insist on continuing to go out of their way to upset many of their key supporters in Congress is baffling.” He noted this wasn't the first instance in which Israel has been strung along. He recalled, “As with the U.S. veto at the U.N. in February, the administration seems to be interested in repeating virtually every political and diplomatic mistake that led up to that vote. I assume they’re going to do the right thing, but it would be nice if they didn’t make us hold our breath for so long.”

The administration's treatment of Israel reflects a genuine ambivalence. Obama really would like to abandon Israel and so would most of his advisers. But they can't do that now - not with a re-election bid dead ahead on the road. So they play cute just hinting at what they would really like to do.

If God forbid Obama is re-elected, watch out.

Labels: Barack Obama, Jennifer Rubin, Middle East peace process, secure borders, two-state solution

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 2:16 AM