Israel/Palestine
Related: About this forumIsrael takes strategic alliance with US for granted
April 29, 2014
This time, its not an anti-American declaration by a marginal, right-wing minister, which has been taken out of context, or leaked criticism by a senior minister against the US secretary of state.
The absence of Israels UN ambassador, Ron Prosor, from the vote condemning the Russian invasion of Crimea and declaring support for the territorial integrity of Ukraine, is a milestone in Israel-US relations. In defense-diplomatic parlance, a no-confidence vote against the United States, at the height of a severe confrontation with Russia, is almost a declaration of cold war. After all, instructing a UN ambassador to vote with his feet on an issue which has serious diplomatic implications is not a decision thats taken lightly. Its one of those decisions made after detailed examination, internal deliberation and weighty consideration.
In recent years weve gotten used to seeing the (Israeli) tail wagging the (American) dog. But after a slight tug, it usually straightens up and calms down. As far as the confrontation over the Ukraine crisis between the two bulldogs, Israel has forgotten which of the two protects it. The strategic asset known as the special relationship between the US and Israel has become a normal relationship between two states.
In an early April interview on Israels Russian-language TV Channel 9, Foreign Minister Avigdor Liberman put the United States and Russia in the same place on Israels foreign relations scale. We have a relationship of trust with the Americans and with the Russians, and our experience with both sides has been very positive, said the man who is nowadays considered Americas favorite son.
Read more: http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2014/04/israel-us-strategic-alliance-ukraine-russia-putin-obama.html#ixzz2zWWtB53h
GoneFishin
(5,217 posts)shaayecanaan
(6,068 posts)LeftishBrit
(41,205 posts)And I doubt that he's Israel's either. Apart from his disastrous domestic policy views, his foreign policy seems to consist of breaking the cardinal if cynical principle of foreign policy - never bite the hand that feeds you- and also breaking the cardinal rule of common sense: don't get yourself or your country mixed up with the Godfather of the Mafia, oops I mean Putin!
Lieberman needs to be sacked before he drags Israel off a cliff.