Whatever it does next, the US will be taking Israel on

[Israeli]

Analysis: While military understandings remain in tact despite tensions between Obama and Netanyahu governments, the political side remains fair game in American eyes.

Alex Fishman
Published: 11.01.14, 12:42 / Israel Opinion

When senior US administration officials say to you, "I won't be in town when you get here," they're actually saying, "It doesn't suit me to meet with you now." And sometimes, the response is a little more subtle: "I won't be in town, but let's coordinate your visit at a later date." In the case of Israeli Defense Minister Moshe (Bogie) Ya'alon, Washington experienced a mass exodus; all of a sudden, no one was home.

When Ya'alon departed, he was already aware that Washington wasn't waiting for him. All efforts to arrange meetings for him in keeping with diplomatic protocol – via the military attaché and the Israeli Embassy – were doomed to failure from the outset.

Not only is our ambassador in Washington, Ron Dermer, not the most popular figure at the White House, but Congress is in recess now, of all times, ahead of the elections.

When tensions between the White House and the government of Israel stem from political-ideological disputes, maintaining a semblance of business-as-usual is still possible. But when things spill over into the personal domain, the style and the insults become personal too.

Source: http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4586668,00.html

Fascinating insight ....highly recommend reading all of it .
What do you Americans think ??

[peacebird]

1. Fascinating read, essentially Israel continues to get everything it wants from the usa

While continually insulting & undermining our President.

AND whining about getting snubbed when they come to DC during congressional recess.

We should cut off ALL public aid to Israel, and pull those "loans" we are giving them to purchase more military arms. Israel behaves like an arrogant ungrateful teenager, spoilt rotten. It's time to take away their allowance.

[oberliner]

2. The US also continually insults and undermines the Israeli PM

Leaking that someone called him an expletive is not something you see every day among allies.

All of the loans we give Israel comes back to the US since they are required to use much of that money to be American-made weaponry.

It's sort of a sneaky way for the US to increase its own out of control military spending.

[Jefferson23]

4. Undermines Bibi? How the heck do you figure that? Bibi is going to look

like a giant to his right wing idiot racist voters..they despise Obama.

Netanyahu wants to preserve the status quo, continued occupation and get his
facts on the ground permanently set. He'll be pressured and so will Abbas to accept
a Kerry type plan again. You think this will leave the Palestinians a viable state?

It will be something to see if Obama is bold enough to ensure that will happen. The irony
is that Kerry's plan demanded no major concessions from Israel and Bibi was too cowardly
to sell it to his right wing..he loves being PM too much. The pressure will continue from the
EU too.

[King_David]

5. It's bound to be the best offer Abbas gets

And it's gonna take a right wing prime minister to make the concessions like Sharon or Begin did, Bibi needs to grow some ....

[Jefferson23]

6. Abbas wants to stay alive, he should reconsider selling out. But yea, he won't receive

what is necessary for a viable state from the present Israeli cabinet.

[King_David]

7. Amazingly how some western armchair activists

think they have the right to lead the Palestinians and call their one time elected leader a "sellout ".

What would they do without these western wannabes like Alex Kane who advised Hamas not to accept the Egyptian brokered ceasefire way before the death of 2000 Gazans.

[Jefferson23]

8. Your armchair warrior support for the Palestinians to not have a viable state is showing

through, loud and clear.

[King_David]

9. That's simply not true,

[Scootaloo]

12. Yes it is n/t

[King_David]

13. Now that's credible

LOL

[oberliner]

11. Calling the PM of an allied country a "chickensh*t" seems pretty undermining

If Netanyahu said the same thing about Obama, I would think that would be pretty insulting

[Jefferson23]

14. To undermine what, oberliner..the non-existent peace process?

Netanyahu has threatened the president of the US by telling him
to not second guess him.

It's not as if Obama has taken measures to end the settlement expansion..he has
not. Bibi could see actions that could do that and worse, nothing of the sort
has occurred so far.

[oberliner]

23. US expresses 'unequivocal' opposition to new east Jerusalem housing plans

WASHINGTON - The Obama administration has condemned yet another announcement of settlement activity on Monday, this time citing its frustration with Israel's apparent disregard of Washington's concern.

The Jerusalem District Planning and Building Committee on Monday agreed to approve 500 new housing units in Ramat Shlomo, a neighborhood in Jerusalem beyond the pre-1967 Green Line.

"It is unfortunate that after the unequivocal and unanimous position last week of the international community opposing construction in Jerusalem at this sensitive time, authorities chose to move forward," State Department spokesman Edgar Vasquez told The Jerusalem Post over e-mail.

"We continue to engage at the highest levels with the Israeli government to make our position absolutely clear that we view settlement activity as illegitimate and unequivocally oppose unilateral steps that prejudge the future of Jerusalem," Vasquez said.

http://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/US-Opposition-to-east-Jerusalem-housing-plans-unequivocal-and-unanimous-380663

[Jefferson23]

24. Very nice, but how does this answer my question?

Who is doing the undermining, in your view?

[bemildred]

15. What goes around, comes around. nt

[Israeli]

18. Yup......

When someone in the Prime Minister's Office describes Obama as a novice, cowardly and indecisive, the White House hears of it right away, and barbs are fired in return.

[bemildred]

19. The usual thing at this point would be to destroy him, make an example of him.

They may not go that far, but for sure they will try to humiliate him.

[oberliner]

20. Both sides have been zinging the other for some time now

And here we are.

[bemildred]

22. It's an interesting situation.

Usually, some time ago now, Mr. Peres or some similar fellow, perhaps Mr. Biden on the US side, would have papered it over and people would mind their tongues for some reasonable interval. But I don't know that it's ever come to "chickenshit" and the like before, and so obviously from the White House, and so obviously intended as a personal insult.

[Israeli]

16. Agree 100% . n/t

[snappyturtle]

3. +1 I think the congressional recess is providing a much

needed cooling off period.

[shira]

10. Sounds about right to me...

If the Republicans take over after Tuesday, then domestic policy is out the window. All Obama will have to focus on is foreign policy for the next 2 years, which hasn't worked out too well the first 6 years (Libya, Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran).

Focusing on Israel is probably the way Obama will go. Not that that front has worked out all too well either. I can't see Kerry 2.0 happening again like last year. What's the point? But maybe the Saudi Initiative since Israel's interests and other 'moderate' Arab regimes throughout the region have the same common interest vs. the Jihadi movements like ISIS.

[Israeli]

17. Did you miss this bit ??????......

He learned instead of the intensity of the affront and resentment on the part of the Americans in the informal talks he held in Washington, particularly with senior media representatives. There, he was told exactly what Washington thinks about Jerusalem.

The possibility that the United States will not veto a UN resolution calling for the establishment of a Palestinian state in keeping with the 1967 borders is not a theoretical threat. Jerusalem has internalized the fact that this is a realistic option and is preparing for it.

[shira]

21. Call me when the UN passes a Security Counsel resolution....

...and as a result of Israel not complying the world starts taking genuine steps to BDS Israel until it responds accordingly.