Israel Matzav

Obama threatened to stop vetoing anti-Israel moves at the UN

Good morning once again from Austin, Texas, where I actually made it to synagogue this morning.

Members of the Israeli cabinet have reported to the media that President Hussein Obama has threatened that he will stop vetoing anti-Israel resolutions at the United Nations Security Council unless Prime Minister Netanyahu falls in line with Obama's anti-Israel policies.

In a dramatic development, Israeli cabinet members are warning that US President Barack Obama threatened Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that the US may opt not to oppose future hostile UN Security Council votes, unless Israel accedes to American policy demands, Israel’s NRG News reported on Sunday.

“The prime minister told colleagues in recent days … that his office’s understanding of the issue and the government’s take on it is that the Americans will not cast a veto against a resolution that reaches the Security Council,” Ariel Kahana, diplomatic correspondent for the Makor Rishon and NRG dailies, told The Algemeiner on Monday, quoting ministerial-level sources.

The information was shared at a session of the Bayit Yehudi (Jewish Home) Party, led by Economy Minister Naftali Bennett, and at which party members Uri Ariel and Ze’ev Hever were present, according to Kahana.

...

Kahana... pointed to a recent article in The Atlantic by Jeffery Goldberg – who is commonly seen as reflecting the US administration’s views towards Israel – referencing the US pressure, but from the American point of view:

Citing what he called “red-hot” anger by the Obama administration “over Israel’s settlement policies,” and his view that “the Netanyahu government openly expresses contempt for Obama’s understanding of the Middle East,” Goldberg warned that “Profound changes in the relationship may be coming.”

“This is a precedent and a very dangerous step,” Kahana cautioned about the American threat, and said it was the most chilling thing he’d heard uttered in decades of Israel-US relations.

“Beyond the abandonment of Israel, it also flies in the face of previous agreements with the Americans, including vis a vis the Egyptian peace deal in which the US would hold the line against such maneuvers,” Kahana noted.

“The point is that one can’t trust anything the US says anymore, if the information is accurate,” according to Kahana.

“If the US is able to betray Israel like this – what do other allies and foes think?” Kahana wondered aloud.

We haven't been able to trust the United States since Obama took office in 2009, and we can only hope and pray that Tuesday's election results will force a halt to Obama's betrayals.... Unfortunately, it's likely that Obama will be willing to take the Democratic party and the United States down with him in his arrogant, stubborn pursuit of his agenda.

But it's more than that. Daniel Greenfield argues that it's personal between Obama and Netanyahu.

Netanyahu wasn’t just the leader of a country that the left hated. He had become an honorary Republican.

When Obama met with him, Netanyahu firmly but politely challenged him on policy. He has kept on doing so ever since, including during his most recent visit. At a time when most leaders had gotten the message about shunning Romney, Netanyahu was happy to give him a favorable reception. Netanyahu clearly wanted Romney to win and Obama clearly wished he could pull a Clinton and replace Netanyahu. But Netanyahu’s economic policies were working in exactly the same way that Obama’s weren’t.

The two men hate each other not only on a personal level, but also on a political level.

Netanyahu had successfully pushed through a modernization and privatization agenda that on this side of the ocean is associated with Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper or Wisconsin governor Scott Walker. It’s likely what Romney would have done which is one more reason the two men got along so well. Obama’s visible loathing for Romney is of a piece with his hatred for Netanyahu.

He doesn’t just hate them. He hates what they stand for. That’s why Harper and Netanyahu get along so well. It’s part of why Obama and Netanyahu get along so badly.

Read the whole thing.  It's no wonder most of Israel was rooting for the Republicans on Tuesday.

Labels: Barack Hussein Obama, Binyamin Netanyahu, midterm elections, Republicans, United Nations Security Council, US veto

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 4:48 PM