Netanyahu may condition advancing peace talks on Pollard release

[geek tragedy]

The Channel 2 report, which the Prime Minister’s Office would neither confirm nor deny, suggested two possible alternatives for when Netanyahu could insist on Pollard’s release when US Secretary of State John Kerry announces his framework for concluding an agreement between Israel and the PA as early as next month, or when Israel releases the final round of 26 Palestinian terrorists in April.

The cabinet’s approval of the release of the 104 terrorists was conditioned on there being another vote on whether to accept Palestinian requests to include six Arab Israeli citizens in the final round of prisoner releases.

Netanyahu could ask the Americans to free Pollard then, in order to justify the prisoner releases to Israelis.

Channel 10 quoted a White House official saying that Obama’s opinion against releasing Pollard immediately had not changed and that there was no connection between Pollard and revelations that the US National Security Agency (NSA) had spied on Israeli leaders.

http://www.jpost.com/Diplomacy-and-Politics/Report-Netanyahu-will-ask-Obama-to-free-Pollard-as-condition-in-peace-talks-335920

At the same time, Bibi is puffing outrage over the fact that the US dared to spy on Israel, while getting John Kerry to give Israel everything it wanted in his 'security proposal.'

[mike_c]

1. condition any further military aid on advancing peace talks...

...and shutting down the settlements. End of problem.

[geek tragedy]

2. That's the rational policy.

What US policy actually is: okay, we'll let you annex the West Bank without saying you're annexing it, but we'll have to get back to you on starting a disastrous war with Iran.

[R. Daneel Olivaw]

5. No argument there. Smartest thing I have heard today on the whole mess.

[on point]

3. 2 can play. Make it conditional on Israel finishing agreement implementation

[R. Daneel Olivaw]

4. What a laughable asshole, Fibi Netanyahu is.

Now he is trying to put preconditions on the ones that keep his country afloat?

Shut off the money spigot for a while until he comes around.

Oh, and fuck him too.

[oberliner]

6. About three quarters of the U.S. aid to Israel is spent in the United States

Just FYI.

[mike_c]

7. most of it for military hardware and other tools of oppression, I suspect....

That's the way most "foreign aid" works, i.e. we'll give the MIC $X billion in preferred contracts that you can use to buy their products, and call it $X billion in "foreign aid." In fact, it's more often than not a direct tax payer subsidy of both foreign governments AND U.S. corporations.

[oberliner]

9. Yes indeed

It's really just a way to funnel more money into the US Defense industry.

[R. Daneel Olivaw]

11. And more military hardware that Israel needs to stay afloat.

My original point still stands.

[oberliner]

12. Why does Israel need military hardware to stay afloat?

I think Israel's economy would be able to stay afloat without the aid.

[R. Daneel Olivaw]

13. Sure they would, ober.

That's why Israel wanted more aid...because they didn't need it.

[oberliner]

14. Lots of folks want more money even though they don't need it

If you really think Israel needs that aid in order to "stay afloat" then I think you do not have a solid understanding of their economy.

[R. Daneel Olivaw]

15. "Lots of folks want more money even though they don't need it"

Folks? Folks?

Keep on phoning it in in the new year Ober. This place wouldn't be the same without you!

Merry Happy!

[Scootaloo]

16. Let's try some logic here, Oberliner.

Let's say you're a spoiled adult child. You have a job, but your parents pay your rent and utilities. You blast your paychecks on parties, booze, and chrome rims. One day your parents get fed up and cut you off. Uh oh, now you have to pay your rent and utilities out of those paychecks! You're going to have to cut something back, aren't you?

[R. Daneel Olivaw]

10. Thanks. Strange how the proponents of the apartheid state

Always leave that part out.

My original point stands.

[azurnoir]

8. Quelle surprise

when I first read the headline about the US spying on Israel-I thought this will be applied to Pollard's situation, and here we are

[Jefferson23]

17. Yes, and what else will be applied as another bullshit condition?

Perhaps the list Bibi constructs will include that he be recognized as a man of peace, a man
of principle...lol.

The man has no shame, none.

[bemildred]

18. All shit must be thrown against the wall to see if it sticks.

Bibi is grabbing at straws and trying to stir up a duststorm so nobody can see how naked he is now. And the folly of getting involved in US political disputes apparently has never occurred to him, since he has made a habit of it.