Israel Matzav

Netanyahu sending team to work with Obama on final solution

There's a part of me that says that this is Netanyahu being spineless again. And there's a part of me that says that there may not be much choice and that he's trying to make the best of a bad situation.

Of course, that bad situation is largely of Netanayhu's own making. Even Ehud Olmert found the backbone to pull the trigger against Syria over American objections. After nearly five years in power, Netanyahu still hasn't found the backbone to stand up to the Obama administration, and now has put Israel in a situation where Iran is virtually untouchable for the next six months.

Netanyahu is now sending a team to the US to work on the final solution with Iran. Is that a good idea?

"I spoke last night with President Obama. We agreed that in the coming days an Israeli team led by the national security adviser, Yossi Cohen, will go out to discuss with the United States the permanent accord with Iran," the prime minister said.

"This accord must bring about one outcome: the dismantling of Iran's military nuclear capability," he said.

Netanyahu added that the interim deal reached with Iran was bad but it would have been worse without Israel's diplomatic efforts. 

Iran's military nuclear capability - as he calls it - is unlikely to be dismantled unless Binyamin Netanyahu finds the junk to do the job himself. Will he? I wouldn't hold my breath.

As to sending the team, I suspect that Obama will use the team's presence as fig leaf to claim that Israel signed off on whatever deal Obama reaches.

What could go wrong?

Labels: Barack Hussein Obama, Binyamin Netanyahu, Iran sanctions regime, Iranian nuclear threat

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 7:50 PM