Clintonite Turns On Netanyahu For Trying To Bend US ‘To His Will’

[Purveyor]

A couple more signs that Israel is in hot water even inside the US Democratic establishment.

First, former ambassador Marc Ginsberg is a Clintonite who is highly supportive of Israel (back in summer, here he was, cheerleading the Gaza slaughter). Now Israel’s latest settlement plans have turned his stomach. “Netanyahu is invariably dragging Israel onto the wrong side of history,” he writes at Huffpo. And worse, Netanyahu is endangering the special relationship:

When it comes to the US, Netanyahu is playing a very dangerous game that will never serve Israel in the long run. Calculating he can bend Israel’s most essential of relationships to his will at whatever cost to the relationship, he is playing with fire.

So Ginsberg wants action. “It’s high time for the White House to stop complaining about settlements, and start doing something tangible about them.” Ginsberg’s answer is fairly timid: end the tax deductions for American donations to settlements:

Something must be done to curb this runaway train. So if the Israeli Government won’t voluntarily hear the growing crescendo of criticism, it’s high time to make it hear where it matters most — in the pocketbook.

Let’s start focusing on international and American “philanthropies’ that fund these settlements and fund the Yesher Council — the Israeli settlers lobbying group. Innocuous sounding organizations such as “Friends of Ir David Foundation” or the more well-recognized World Zionist Organization, funnel hundreds of millions of tax-deductible dollars to directly fund illegal settlements — making Americans unwitting subsidizers of those who take a tax deduction from these donations — no matter that it is in contravention to established American policy.

Ginsberg’s words echo those of the longtime Conservative British M.P. and supporter of Israel, Sir Richard Ottaway, who also lost it over the latest settlement announcement (“I have to say to the Government of Israel that if they are losing people like me, they will be losing a lot of people”). Like Ottaway, Ginsberg sees Israel’s image changing, rapidly:

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http://mondoweiss.net/2014/10/clintonite-netanyahu-trying

[Baitball Blogger]

1. Better late than never.

Because of his previous bonds, his words may have a greater impact.