MIDDLE EAST INTRIGUE

There has been much hand-wringing about Israeli PM Bibi Netanyahu’s abominable behavior, both in politicizing the relationship with the US and, in the final hours of his election, using fear,  racist appeals and the promise to ultra conservatives that he’d never permit a Two State Solution – which is the foundation of US and UN Middle East policy and the desire of a majority of both Palestinians and Jews.

 

There has also been outrage at the Obama administration for deliberately failing to forget or forgive Bibi’s offenses, even after he (sort of) apologized, and this is putting the relationship in jeopardy.

 

The fact is, the substantive US-Israeli relationships – security, defense, intelligence & aid – have never been better.  But, reports from the WSJ that Israel spied on the US-Iran negotiations (so what?) and then selectively used this and other classified info from the administration to peel off Congressional support for the international efforts to prevent nuclear proliferation in the ME, IS a big deal.  And then having Speaker Boehner come to Israel for a congratulatory victory lap seems unlikely to foster trust and cooperation between our governments.

 

There are two unacknowledged reasons why the administration (and Republican foreign policy experts like former Secy of State James Baker) are holding Bibi’s feet to the fire:

 

  1. In the short term, discrediting Bibi diminishes his predictable efforts to sabotage international diplomacy by making the perfect the enemy of any reasonable solution.
  3. Bibi’s duplicity and lack of credibility as a partner in ME peace efforts frees the US to reexamine and realign it’s policies closer to its democratic values than to blindly defend  Israel from any criticism – even when it involves human rights, illegal settlements, and occupation.

Both the US and Israel need a two state peace agreement that guarantees security for a democratic Israel, is supported by the international community and creates opportunity for peace and prosperity for both nations.

Roger C. Kostmayer

March 24, 2015

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