Foreign Minister: Israel Needs To Seek Allies Other Than US

[Jesus Malverde]

Source: CBS Local

The rift between U.S. and Israel continues to grow after the latest comments from Israel’s foreign minister.

Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman said Wednesday that Israel needs to seek allies other than the United States.

“The Americans have a lot of problems and challenges around the world that they need to solve and they have problems at home. We need to understand them and our place in the global arena,” Lieberman said at the Sderot Conference, according to The Jerusalem Post.

Liberman says relations with the U.S. have “weakened.”

“The link between Israel and its main strategic partner the United States has weakened,” Lieberman stated, according to AFP.

Read more: http://washington.cbslocal.com/2013/11/21/foreign-minister-israel-needs-to-seek-allies-other-than-us/

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“We need to stop demanding, complaining, moaning and instead seek countries that are not dependent on money from the Arab or Islamic world and who want to cooperate with us in the field of innovation,” Lieberman said.

Iran and after: Why Israel should embrace France as a partner

All of Obama’s second term foreign policy goals are harmful to Israel. Everything that is good for Obama is necessarily bad for Israel.

[Iliyah]

1. Yeah, but who will fight your wars for y'all?

[kelliekat44]

2. +1,000 nt

[leftynyc]

6. Bullshit

We fought wars for Saudi Arabia to keep our gas cheap. Not one American solider has ever died for Israel.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

10. if ignorance is bliss, you must be very, very happy.

[leftynyc]

17. Lame

But about what I've come to expect. Ask yourself why gas is so much cheaper here than in Europe (and then blame Israel for that - why the fuck not?).

[ChairmanAgnostic]

19. What of our recent foray into iraqnam? Afghanistan?

Or even bush 1's initial OK for Saddam to invade Kuwait, then to feign anger and objections to it?

Are you saying Israel played no part in our equations, no role in how we decided to invade?

How many times did Cheney state that it was our duty and right to protect our closest democratic allies while we kicked saddam's ass? Or was it a donkey? Mule? Arabian steed? Soviet T-72 tank?

[leftynyc]

20. LOL - this is hilarious

that you would believe anything that came out of Cheney's mouth. I know what I see and that's Saudi Arabia yanking our chain to attack Sadaam (both times) and are now itching to get us to take care of their Shiite enemies in Iran for them also. Are you so uninformed you seriously can't see that? Obvious answer is yes.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

24. Are you truly saying that Israel had no impact on those decisions? Honestly?

[leftynyc]

25. No - I think many factors

go into any foreign policy. But to soley blame Israel for the Iraq wars and anything upcoming with (especially) Iran is a joke. And I only see people here blaming Israel (as per usual). It's lazy simplistic thinking.

[sendero]

39. Regardless..

.. Israel is our "friend" like any loser that wants a ride, wants a loan, wants to borrow your phone BUT WHO NEVER DOES JACK SHIT FOR YOU.

We don't need Israel at all and they should find other suckers, ah, friends.

[karynnj]

23. Because we tax it less.

Gas/Oil are international commodities as such the basic price - other than getting it there - is the same.

[Ikonoklast]

30. Not *killed for* Israel, but *killed by* them.

When it was expedient for Israel to do so, they did.

And the bullshit excuses they used were ridiculous then, and still are today. The Israeli defense forces recognized the Liberty and knew exactly what it was, and deliberately attacked it.

[leftynyc]

36. Wow

I thought I only would hear this crap from the white power people. I learn something new every day.

[Ikonoklast]

37. Wow, indeed. I suppose facts that you don't care for will be ignored.

The survivors of the attack on the USS Liberty would like a word with you.

Call me any name you wish, your prejudiced words are meaningless to me.

[LeftishBrit]

28. Oh, FFS. When has America ever fought wars for Israel?

Helped to pay for Israel's wars, no doubt; but America's wars have been of its own making - and even speaking as a Brit, Blair contributed far more to America's war decisions (and of course to Britain's involvement in them) than any Israeli ever did.

[Arcanetrance]

3. He's wrong the link hasn't weakened the US still supports the country of Israel

But the Government of Israel has taken some untenable positions as far as policy both foreign and domestic and we can't sit by and allow they're fears dictate how we should conduct world affairs and diplomacy any longer

[PatrynXX]

5. the people of Israel don't support the Govt

just strange how things get voted on. hence why Republicans tend to vote against Jews but support Israel. never entirely figured that out.

[Wolf Frankula]

16. Enough Do, that Under their System of government,

They Get Nuttyahoo and his friends.

Under proportional representation, and the national party list system, seldom does a party get enough votes to elect a majority in the Knesset, and a majority is needed for a government. So the party that gets the largest number, last election it was Likkud which got just under 25% goes looking for coalition partners. The curse of a system like that is the large number of single issue coalition whore parties who, if they get that single issue supported by the government, they will join in any coalition.

That's why though most Israelis are secular Jews, the unco religious have so much power. These always vote for religious parties, and their parties will join any coalition if they get what they want.

Other parliamentary regime countries have coalition whore parties too, the phenomenon is not limited to Israel.

Wolf

[EC]

4. Good luck with that... n/t

[Jackpine Radical]

7. H'mmmm--lemme think--

Somalia? Nahh. They burned their bridges there too…

Maybe the Dutch would sell them Aruba to be their new friend…

[Cali_Democrat]

8. Like who?

[Jesus Malverde]

14. Russia?

Evet Lvovich Liberman, Russian: Эве́т Льво́вич Ли́берман, 5 June 1958) is a Soviet-born Israeli politician who has been Israel's Minister of Foreign Affairs since 2013

The United States is getting out of the Middle East, which means that Israeli interests—just like Saudi Arabian interests, or Egyptian interests, or Iraqi interests, or Palestinian interests—will simply not be as important to American policymakers anymore.

Israel will be fine on its own—even if some of the decisions it might make, like absorbing the West Bank, or refusing to recognize the legitimacy of American Jewish marriages, or cozying up to dictators like Vladimir Putin—will leave American Jews feeling alienated and bereft. The first and most noticeable impact will be on the institutions and all of the personages who have served as mediators and interlocutors on behalf of the relationship between Israel and the United States government. Someone else will fill the vacuum left by America’s exit from the Middle East, and that means that Israel’s significant foreign interlocutors—the ones who will get red-carpet treatment in Jerusalem and key interviews with sitting prime ministers—will no longer be found in the United States but elsewhere. Russian rabbis, like Berel Lazar, or French MPs, like Meyer Habib, will play the role that John Hagee or Chuck Schumer once did because of their access to key decision-makers in Moscow and Paris.

http://www.tabletmag.com/jewish-news-and-politics/153309/obama-and-american-jewish-power/2

With the discovery of the Leviathan gas field Israel will soon join Russia as the major supplier's of natural gas to Europe, giving them good incentives to work together.

[Cali_Democrat]

15. Russia has been one of the main backers of the Iranians. That would be odd, no?

If Israel wants to crawl to the Russians, I say have at it!

Less for us to worry about.

[Jesus Malverde]

34. Israel's Lieberman 'would be very happy to have an alliance with Russia' - expert

Yoav Peled professor at Tel Aviv University, Department of Political Science

Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman said Wednesday that Tel Aviv should look beyond the United States and foster alliances with other countries. In this vein, can we now speak about Israel’s U-turn in its foreign policy?

I am sure Lieberman would be very happy to have an alliance with Russia. But I am not sure that the interests of these two countries are more compatible than the interests of Israel and the US. Maybe they are also thinking of China but I would say the same thing. It would be very nice for Israel to have all kinds of alliances. The question is what commonality of interests does Israel have with any major power other than the US.

Does Lieberman’s latest statement reflect a chill in US-Israeli relations?

It certainly reflects a tension, the tension stems from two fronts, one of course is the negotiations over Iran in which I think Russia is not different in its position than the US, If anything I am sure Russia would like even more to have an agreement with Iran, and the other one is of course the so-called peace process with the Palestinians where Israel is very concerned that the US might force it to make any concessions to the Palestinians, which of course is the main thing that Israel wants to avoid.

What would that be if that was to happen?

You could think of all kinds of things and the last time that the US pressured Israel on that front was in 1991 by president George Bush the father when he said that Israel will not get the 10 billion dollar loan guarantees that would help absorb the immigrants from Russia unless it stops settlement activity and this brought current government of the time, the government of Shamir down and led to the victory of Akbar Rafsanjani in the elections of 1992. It was the last time that there was any pressure from the US, considerably it could do the same now. I don’t think politically this is very realistic.

How do you think these relations will develop in the future?

I think they will overcome the tension. I think there will be some agreement with Iran. I don’t think Israel can prevent that anymore. And on the Palestinian front I don’t think anything will happen. I think these current negotiations will end up with nothing but everyone will simply go forward from there and nothing will happen.

Can you comment on recent media reports speculating that Israel is allegedly negotiating a possible diplomatic alliance with several Gulf and Arab states, including Saudi Arabia?

They are not negotiating diplomatic alliance, they are negotiating the military alliance in case Israel decides to attack Iran unilaterally which of course will be totally crazy idea. I don’t think those Arab countries can form open diplomatic relations with Israel given the situation in the occupied Palestinian territories but behind the scenes it is true that the Gulf states in Israel have an interest in trying to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.

This report brought to you by the voice of Russia http://voiceofrussia.com/2013_11_22/Israels-Lieberman-would-be-very-happy-to-have-an-alliance-with-Russia-expert-5092/

[DeSwiss]

9. Why hell yes!

Go ahead and give it a try Bebe. I'm sure there's got to be some country out there somewhere who doesn't mind having their picture taken with white phosphorus murderers of innocent children. Of a country that approves the theft of land from its neighbors. Of one that is a nuclear power and who is constantly fomenting for, threaten to have and agitating others to commit to war.

- Have you talked to Emperor Palpatine of the Darkside Empire??? He's always looking to expand.....

K&R


''Call me Bebe, we can make beautiful music together.....''

[ChairmanAgnostic]

11. Putin without his make up?

[DeSwiss]

13. Would never be caught dead without it.....

[QuestForSense]

12. "in the field of innovation"

A strange phrase to use by a non-cooperative someone who is looking to maintain the status quo, IMO.

[Jesus Malverde]

18. Interesting turn of phrase...nt

[Comrade Grumpy]

21. Try your new buddies in Saudi Arabia. Let them subsidize your apartheid state.

[karynnj]

22. Quoting Liebeman as the voice of Israel is like quoting Ted Cruz for the US

In addition to being extreme, he is very corrupt.

To say that ALL Obama's objectives are "bad" for Israel assumes that a two state solution is bad for Israel. Note that Lieberman's supporters include a deputy defense minister who says we should not even speak of Israeli settlements in the West Bank --- rather we should speak of Palestinian enclaves in Israel -- implicitly annexing the West Bank -- or as they call it Judea and Samaria.

These articles conflate Netanyahu and Israel - they are NOT one and the same. (Would anyone here have agreed that opposing GWB was against "America"?)

As to American Jews, more favor JStreet - which is lobbying for Kerry's effort to succeed in Israel and for a deal with Iran.

[LeftishBrit]

26. AND HOW! Or Nigel Farage as the voice of the UK.

[Jesus Malverde]

31. Americans would never stand for a Cruz appointment to Secretary of State.

Leiberman is not just another politician. He is the foreign minister for the state of Israel. Why Israel would have such a pompous, bombastic, uneducated, extreme and corrupt night club bouncer represent them on the world stage is the question at hand?

A better parallel would have been that loon Bolton who ran around under Bush. He was also an embarrassment on the world stage and very much a single minded fellow.

The world has moved on since the dark days of the Bush administration....

[karynnj]

33. I think that leftishbrit's choice of Pat Buchanan was better than mine

I do agree on the likelihood of any of them becoming Secretary of State. Our system is different. I don't think John Bolton, Ted Cruz or Pat Buchanan would ever be confirmed by the Senate. Bolton, in the Republican controlled Senate in 2005 was filibustered as UN Secretary.

Bolton was a loon and an embarrassment, but never Secretary of State.

[LeftishBrit]

27. Yes, but that won't happen while ultra-xenophobe Lieberman is Foreign Minister

I was for pure forms of Proportional Representation until I found out what that was doing to Israel.

If they don't get rid of that nutter, they may end up with no allies left. (Or perhaps Lieberman wants to cosy up with Putin, who is as unreliable as they come.)

It's as though Pat Buchanan was the American Secretary of State.

[FiveGoodMen]

29. And vice versa

[Blue_Tires]

32. There's the door, Avigdor...What's keeping you from leaving??

[Ash_F]

35. Like who? Saudi Arabia?

Israel said to be working with Saudi Arabia on Iran strike plan

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1014&pid=650144

[roamer65]

40. Go beg Riyadh.

You've been negotiating with them back channel and stabbing us in the back anyway. Get lost, Bibi.

[karynnj]

41. Very intersting article suggesting that the new Labor party leader could agree to join

Netanyahu's government. I don't know the source here, but it could really move Israel toward the center (from the right) if they replaced Lieberman's party with Labor. (I suspect the source is to the right - but thought the idea spoken of is interesting.)

http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/174361#.UpD1aCenf-I