Netanyahu's anti-Obama flak jacket

[IndianaGreen]

ANALYSIS / Netanyahu's anti-Obama flak jacket

By Yossi Verter

The lead players in our political race pricked up their ears to hear the words "actively and aggressively," which U.S. President Barack Obama used to describe his policy in the Middle East.

Tzipi Livni was the first to take advantage of the wording. Do we want to return to the Bibi days, between '96 and '99, with his problematic conduct toward the U.S., she demanded last week?

Netanyahu cannot change the past. It is engraved in newspaper archives and biographies written by top Clinton administration officials. But he argues that things have changed. Today, both Obama and Hillary Clinton understand that the solution lies in a more gradual and cautious approach. Kadima's election broadcast cites Dennis Ross, one of Clinton's men, blasting Netanyahu. But Netanyahu has an essay Ross wrote in the Wall Street Journal about 18 months ago that calls on Bush's administration not to rush into a "far-reaching" agreement but to invest in developing the economy in the territories. That is, in fact, the "economic peace" I'm talking about, Netanyahu says.

<snip>

Perhaps in the next elections, in two years or so, after a right-wing-ultra-Orthodox government reigns with Netanyahu, Lieberman, Begin, Ya'alon, Yishai and Orlev, the penny will finally drop.

Netanyahu understands this very well. He knows this is his last chance. He does not want to leave the stage humiliated and outcast, as he did 10 years ago. So his strategic goal, if he is elected, is to add Labor and Kadima or either one to his party, as an anti-Obama flak jacket.

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1058447.html

Bibi and Lieberman :crazy:

[iconicgnom]

1. How are opinion polls running?

I've been remiss in my mid-eastern studies. I've heard rumours that the Israeli population is very strongly pro-war. Also that generally speaking they want to prove something to themselves, some redemption for 2006 where the aftermath didn't go as planned. The US is still sending Israel as much munitions as US factories can handle. The US is still the world's greatest arms dealer. It still profits mightily from fomenting war. I don't think the US population is much aware of how what little is left of the US economy depends on financing the machineries of war.

[oberliner]

3. Info from the latest poll

Likud - 28
Kadima - 24
Labor - 16
Beteinu - 16

[bemildred]

2. I don't see how you reconcile "active and aggressive" with "gradual and cautious".

As an argument, it does not work.

[oberliner]

4. I vote for active and aggressive

It's interesting to note that Obama has sent Mitchell over there even before the Israeli elections are held.

[bemildred]

5. I think he meant what he said.

Talk is much cheaper than action, but nevertheless that was not a bullshit speech.

I do think that people that consider that Israel controls the US should also consider how instantly getting along with Obama became an issue in the election after Obama's inaugural speech.