Israel Matzav

Obama placing 'enormous pressure' on Israel not to attack Iran

A 'senior Israeli official' has told AFP that the Obama administration is placing 'enormous pressure on Israel' not to attack Iran.

"Israel is under pressure from all sides. The Americans don't want to be surprised and faced with a fait accompli of an Israeli attack," the senior official told AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity.

"They are telling us to be patient and see if the international sanctions against Tehran will eventually work," he said.

At this time, Israel is coming under increased pressure from Washington and Europe to hold off from attacking Iran over its disputed nuclear drive and allow time for a regime of tight international sanctions to kick in.

Pressure is being exerted from all directions, officials acknowledge, with Washington's concern over a pre-emptive Israeli strike reflected in the steady stream of senior officials arriving in Jerusalem for top-level talks.

...

Later this week, US Intelligence Chief James Clapper is also due to arrive, press reports said.

You all remember Clapper, don't you? The clown who thinks the Muslim Brotherhood is secular....

Barak has been "summoned" to Washington next week, media reports said, ahead of a visit by the premier himself on March 5 and a planned meeting between Israel's PM and the American president.

I'm going to go out on a limb and speculate that Barak was the 'senior Israeli official' who was the source for this article. After Barak's comments after his meeting with Tom Donilon on Monday, it's not surprising that Washington wants to try to bring him into line.

Barak may be the last of the 'bitchonistim,' the people from the Labor-Left who still aren't ready to commit suicide on the altar of a 'Palestinian state.' (The roots of the 'bitchonistim' are David Ben Gurion and Yitzchak Rabin). Barak was also Netanyahu's commanding officer in Sayeret Matkal, the elite of the elite army units that reports directly to the Chief of Staff. As much as I have criticized some of what Barak did in the army in the past, I don't see Barak - who believes that the Iranian threat is existential - putting Israel's security in Obama's hands. Ideologically, that's not him.

What could go wrong?

Labels: Barack Hussein Obama, Ehud Barak, Iranian nuclear threat, Israeli attack on Iran

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 9:02 AM