Israel Matzav

Report: Obama coming to Israel to stop attack on Iran

Unnamed Israeli officials have told Army Radio that President Hussein Obama is coming to Israel to stop an Israeli strike on Iran. This, according to the officials, is why Obama is rushing to make the trip now, and not allowing more time for planning. Of course, this would contradict the report in Sunday's Times of London that claims that Obama is coming to offer to step up the pressure on Iran in exchange for 'progress' on the 'Palestinian' front. Or would it?

This is from the first link.

According to the officials, the urgency of the trip is because in his speech to the United Nations in September, Netanyahu had flagged the spring of 2013 as a significant time in the context of the Iranian nuclear threat.

Therefore, they said, Obama is concerned that the prime minister will decide to attack Iran now when he is backed by a new government and can establish a new security cabinet, without Dan Meridor and Benny Begin, two Likud MKs and alleged opponents of such a strike who lost their Knesset seats in the recent elections.  

The officials told Army Radio that the US president subsequently decided to transmit a direct message to Netanyahu: "Don't attack Iran, let me handle matters with the Iranians according to my understanding, and if necessary I will take action, we have capabilities that you do not."  

I suspect that both reports are correct. Obama wants to stop Israel from striking Iran. He is going to offer to strike Iran in exchange for Israel making 'progress' with the 'Palestinians.' Can we trust Obama? I think not. I don't think he will strike Iran regardless of how much 'progress' we make with the 'Palestinians.' And I don't believe any real progress can be made with the 'Palestinians.'

What could go wrong?

Labels: Barack Hussein Obama, Binyamin Netanyahu, Iranian nuclear threat, Israeli attack on Iran, Middle East peace process, two-state solution

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 5:43 PM