'Senior Israeli official' told Clinton campaign they fear Clinton Presidency would be '4-year Saban forum'
Shavua tov, a good week to everyone.
Wikileaks dumped another 2,000+ Hillary Clinton emails on Friday night, one of which contains what might be the Netanyahu government's view of a possible Clinton administration. The email is based on a discussion with a '
senior Israeli official,' who may be Israeli Ambassador to the United States
Ron Dermer. The email was written by Stuart Eizenstadt on December 7, 2015 to Dan Schwerin.
This is from the first link.
Dear Dan, Jake and Laura,
I had a breakfast meeting with a senior Israeli official who is very
close to the Prime Minister, and knows his thinking. He had the
following insights:
1. The Prime Minister always had a “surprising good relationship” with
Hillary; she is “easy to work with”, and that she is more instinctively
sympathetic to Israel than the White House. Even during their “famous 43 minute phone call, when he felt like slamming down the phone, he felt
she was simply heavily scripted and reading from points prepared by the
White House.
2. While the Prime Minister favors a two state solution, neither a
majority of the Likud Party nor Bennett’s party does. Indeed, a two
state solution has never been in the government guidelines in any
Likud-led government.
3. The Prime Minister hoped during his most recent meeting with the
President that the new MOU would be announced, but the White House only
wanted to announce the intention to negotiate it. He hopes it will be
concluded in the next few months. When I asked if Bunker Busting Bombs
or the new deep ordinance bomb was on the Israeli request list, he only
indicated that “there is no dispute on platforms” between the
Administration and Israel. He said the biggest issue is the amount of
money, in a lean budget situation. The Israeli Embassy is not going
around the Administration to lobby for a higher figure, although they
could probably get it. But if the figure is too low, they will wait
until the next President.
4. Missile defense funds are also critical, but they come out of the
Pentagon budget, while many of the items on the MOU list are in the
FMF/Foreign Ops budget.
5. He attended part of the Saban Forum and felt that most of the
emphasis was on the Palestinian issue, and wonders if a Clinton
Administration “will be a Saban Forum for four years”, due to “the
people around her, but not her”. Her own speech was “95% good, although
there was some moral equivalence language.”
6. We discussed possible economic initiatives to help the Palestinians,
like more Palestinian investment in Zone C, and/or an agreement to limit
settlement expansion to the established blocs that under the Clinton
parameters would be in Israel after any negotiation. He said the Prime
Minister is genuinely interested in doing positive things on the ground.
He said that they know it would have to be unilateral, and that they
can expect nothing from the Palestinian Authority. But, he said there
are the following complications:
(1) It is difficult to do while the knifings are occurring, and while
Abu Mazan is fomenting violence;
(2) So that it does not appear they are bending to violence they need
the “support” of the USG. This could include:
(a) Opposition to a new UN Resolution, which Secretary Kerry continues
to seek;
(b) Support for settlement activity in the established blocs. But the
Obama Administration will not agree to any settlement activity, even in
areas like Gilo.
(c ) It is little appreciated that despite great pressure to stop any
Palestinians from the West Bank from coming into Israel to work, the
Prime Minister had kept the flow of tens of thousands coming in every
day, recognizing how important this is to the economy of the West Bank
and to stability.
(d) The Prime Minister has also kept the VAT refund money flowing to the
PA, despite the provocative statements.
But he reiterated there is a deal to be made with the next
Administration, looking for positive steps at the outset; “it would be
easy to do”.
7. American Jews are focused on issues like BDS and Israeli legitimacy,
while Israelis are focused only on security, with the stabbings.
8. There are some in the Israeli coalition that want to dismantle the
Palestinian Authority and take over full control. But the Prime Minister
and the Defense Minster, and “certainly the military and intelligence
community”, want to keep the PA. There is still intelligence sharing on
radicals, but when Israel asks them to arrest the radicals they
identify, they refuse, and ask the Israelis to do it, and then protest
the arrests. But this is all part of a scenario of cooperation. However,
if the PA takes Israel to the International Criminal Court, this would
be a “huge problem” and a potential game changer in terms of their
relationship with the PA.
9. Abu Mazan continues to talk about retiring, as he has done for years,
but seems more serious now. There is no obvious successor if he leaves,
“other than the guy in jail” [Barghouti. CiJ].
10. Only about 2% to 4% of Israeli civilians have guns, and certainly
not the kind of assault rifles used in the US.
11. Israel Arabs are a “real problem.” The government had to dismantle
the northern branch of the Islamic Association because they were
radicalizing the Israeli Arabs, who are 20% of the population.
Best wishes,
Stu Eizenstat
I am not able to access the Haaretz columns by Barak Ravid analyzing this story (usually you can access his columns through his Twitter feed even if - like me - you refuse to pay for access to Haaretz), however the
Hebrew version has a more detailed summary than the English one. That summary claims that Israel 'fears' that a Clinton administration will adopt the spirit of the Saban Forum and blame Israel for the frozen 'peace process.'
I don't quite see that in item 5 above (and yes, I'm #NeverHillary and therefore voting for Trump), although I have little doubt that Clinton will push the 'Palestinian' issue.
Labels: Binyamin Netanyahu, Haim Saban, Hillary Clinton, Middle East peace process, Ron Dermer, US presidential campaign 2016
What if Sheldon Adelson bought the New York Times?
Now
here's an interesting idea....
In a spirited public discussion between two of America’s richest men
and largest political donors, at the IAC conference in Washington DC,
multi-billionaire Sheldon Adelson openly challenged his more
left-leaning counterpart and friend, billionaire and media mogul Haim
Saban, to jointly purchase the New York Times away from the Sulzberger family, because of the Times’ open hostility towards Israel.
The subject came up in a pubic discussion about media bias and
Israel. Saban marveled at how Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos had purchased the
Washington Post for a mere $250 million, which Saban called
“bupkis,” and that he was sorry that he did not try to buy it himself.
At that point Adelson pounced on Saban and challenged him on the spot to
join with him to buy the New York Times from the Sulzberger family.
Saban expressed an openness to the idea, but was concerned that the
Sulzberger family would not sell. Adelson dismissed that concern, “You
pay significantly more than it’s worth, then the non-family shareholders
have the right to bring a suit between the real value and what’s been
offered.” Adelson suggested that he and Saban team up and make them an
offer that cannot be refused; “There’s only one way to buy it, money….
but it’s not going to be one of those deals where I put up 10 times more
than you” Adelson said.
Sounds like a plan....
Labels: anti-Israel media bias, Haim Saban, New York Times, Sheldon Adelson
Oh my: Adelson and Saban team up to bash Obama
Good morning from Chicago Ohare, which I am currently leaving and heading elsewhere. I've been here since Thursday....
Republican kingmaker Sheldon Adelson (left) and Democratic kingmaker Haim Saban (right) have
teamed up to bash President Hussein Obama's Middle East policies at the first conference of the Israeli American Council.
In an interview with The Washington Post, Saban described the
president’s relationship with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
as “like oil and water.” That has fed a perception, he said, that Obama
has not been a friend to Israel, although Saban said he thinks that, in
reality, “there’s never been this level of cooperation with any previous
president.”
Still, Saban said that he
thinks Clinton would repair the relationship and that he has told her he
would spend “whatever it takes” to propel her into the White House.
That includes giving millions of dollars to Priorities USA, a super PAC
that helped Obama in 2012 and is revving up to aid Clinton in 2016.
“I
have told her and everybody who’s asked me, ‘Whatever it takes, we’re
going to be there,’ ” Saban said. “I think she would be a fantastic
president for the United States, an incredible world leader and one
under whom I believe — deeply — the relationship with the U.S. and
Israel will be significantly reinforced.”
Asked
if he would press his friend Adelson to give to the pro-Clinton super
PAC, Saban said, “I’ve got chutzpah, but I’m not suicidal.”
In
their public remarks, Saban and Adelson found common ground in their
disdain for Iran, and their fear for the danger they say that regime
poses for Israel. They expressed concern about U.S. negotiations over
Iran’s nuclear program.
Adelson said that Iranian fundamentalists are
instructed by their religion to “wipe out all infidels” and that “wiping
out the Jews would be a down payment on that.”
Referring to U.S. engagement with Iran, he said: “I would not just talk. I would take action.”
Saban
said that fundamentalist Iranians represent a real threat. If necessary
to defend Israel, and as a last resort, he added, “I would bomb the
living daylights out of the sons of bitches.”
Saban endorsed a
bill from Sen. Lindsey O. Graham (R-S.C.), who addressed the group on
Saturday night, that would subject any Iranian nuclear deal to
congressional approval. Saban said a system of checks and balances with
the Obama administration on foreign policy is critical.
...
In their hour-long discussion, Saban and Adelson had few
disagreements, but one concerned how Israel engages with Palestinians.
Saban said Israel has no choice but to negotiate with the Palestinians,
whose numbers in the region roughly equal those of Israeli Jews.
“What
is Israel to do with these 6 million people?” Saban asked. “It is not
about granting the Palestinian state. It’s about securing the future of a
democratic Israel.”
But Adelson rejected the feasibility of a two-state solution.
“Newt
Gingrich was right: The Palestinians are an invented people,” Adelson
said, referring to a controversial statement made by the former
Republican House speaker whose failed 2012 presidential campaign Adelson
heavily funded.
Evenhaim asked the men
whether they think the news media are biased against Israel. Saban said
they are but cited two exceptions: Fox News Channel and the Wall Street
Journal. He joked to Adelson that they should have bought The [Washington] Post
together.
Hmmm.
Labels: Barack Hussein Obama, Haim Saban, Iranian nuclear threat, Newt Gingrich, Palestinian people, Sheldon Adelson, two-state solution
Obama names big donor Saban's wife to UN post
If a Republican President pulled something like this, the mainstream media would be calling for an investigation into bribery. President Obama has named
Cheryl Saban, the wife of mega-donor Haim Saban, as his representative to the upcoming United Nations General Assembly. Haim Saban donated $1 million to a SuperPAC supporting the Obama campaign this past summer (Hat Tip:
Will).
Saban — a mega-donor who was at one time the top giver to the Democratic Party — has been intensely courted by the Obama campaign to try to level the playing field between the Democrats and big-money outside groups.
He was a staunch supporter of Hillary Clinton in 2008, and largely
sat out the general election that year after President Obama clinched
the nomination. But this cycle, he wrote a check to the Obama campaign
for the first time. And over the summer, he finally donated $1 million to super PACs backing Democrats.
He recently penned an op-ed in the New York Times,
defending Obama's polices in Israel and announcing his full support for
the president. He also visited the White House at least twice, meeting
with President Obama and then-chief of staff Bill Daley. After a
December 2011 meeting, he told the Hollywood Reporter that his conversation with Obama helped change his mind and that it was "time to get active again" in politics.
In Democratic circles, he's largely been seen as a possible
counterweight to big-money Republican donors like Sheldon Adelson and
the Koch brothers.
Administration officials point to Cheryl Saban's qualifications for
the position, including nonprofit work with 50 Ways to Save Our
Children, CARE USA, Children’s Network International, Mercy Corps, and
Plan USA — as well as a long record of philanthropy and public advocacy.
The White House announced Saban's appointment to the largely ceremonial position in a Wednesday release.
Can you imagine what the mainstream media reaction would be if President Romney named Miriam Adelson to this or any other 'ceremonial' position? File this one away for future reference.
Labels: Barack Hussein Obama, Campaign 2012, Haim Saban, United Nations General Assembly
Largest Democratic donor won't donate to Obama
Haim Saban, who is believed to be the largest donor to the Democratic party, will not donate money to President Obama's re-election campaign, because of
the President's stand on Israel (Hat Tip:
Memeorandum).
Billionaire financier Haim Saban told CNBC last night that Obama hasn’t done enough to show support for Israel. He also said that he has no plans to contribute to the president’s campaign.
“President Obama has raised so much money and will raise so much money through the Internet, more than anybody before him. And he frankly doesn’t, I believe, need any of my donations,” said Saban.
“I’m very perplexed as to why the president, who’s been to Cairo, to Saudi Arabia, to Turkey, has not made a stop in Israel and spoken to the Israeli people,” he continued. “I believe that the president can clarify to the Israeli people what his positions are on Israel and calm them down. Because they are not calm right now.”
There have been reports that Obama is losing Jewish support after his clash with Prime Minister Netanyahu last week, but this development is the most significant so far. If a key donor like Saban has decided to break with the president, then there are likely others who will follow suit.
I'm very pleased about this. I'd be even more pleased about it
if Saban had contributed money to Obama in 2008. (Sorry, I don't recall who tweeted that).
Labels: Barack Hussein Obama, Haim Saban, National Democratic Party
