McCain & Lieberman undermine US policy while in Israel - MJ Rosenberg

[Scurrilous]

<snip>

"What happened to the idea that it was inappropriate for American Members of Congress to go abroad and publicly endorse a foreign government's policy over that of their own government? Apparently, it died.

Last week, the Israeli media reported that the Obama administration was considering using very mild economic sanctions to push Israel toward accepting a full settlement freeze, which the President has repeatedly asked for, only to be rebuffed by Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu.

In fact, Netanyahu dissed Obama so completely, and with such exuberance, that it would be astonishing if the administration had not considered using its powerful economic leverage on Israel to achieve a settlement freeze and get negotiations going. (Israel is, by far, the largest recipient of US aid)

Nonetheless, the administration's Special Envoy, George Mitchell, denied that Obama was considering economic pressure, which was probably wise given the brouhaha the lobby would launch among its Capitol Hill acolytes. (If the administration does decide to use any form of economic pressure, it should simply tell the Israelis and let them decide what they want to do, not give advance warning through the media)

In any case, it didn't seem to matter to Senators John McCain and Joe Lieberman, who were visiting Israel, that the administration said it would not be putting the heat on. They felt the need to rush to the cameras anyway to tell Israelis, and the lobby back home, that, if the President pushes the Prime Minister, they will stand with the Prime Minister."

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[IndianaGreen]

1. What is the US policy in Middle East?

I wish someone would tell me what it is, because if I were just to look at what the US (President and Congress) have done in the Middle East, I have to conclude that it is a policy done by a large committee of psychos.

[TomClash]

2. Israel right or wrong is the US policy in the ME nt