Netanyahu: Seeking Salvation

[Meshuga]

By MJ Rosenberg, July 30, 2009

Benjamin Netanyahu has a problem. The Obama administration is insisting on a settlements freeze and the Israeli prime minister, who is resisting such demands, is not getting the support he might have expected from the American pro-Israel community. Usually, when an American president makes any sort of demand on Jerusalem, pro-Israel (primarily Jewish) organizations compel Congress to pressure the president to cease and desist. It usually works, but not this time.

So what's an Israeli leader to do? Netanyahu is turning to a tried and true strategy: Call on Christian fundamentalists-who see maintaining Israel's occupation as paramount-to galvanize popular pressure against President Barack Obama. But just like the last time he played this card, the tactic is unlikely to work magic for Bibi anytime soon.

For one thing, it's clear that Netanyahu is on shaky ground with the mainstream pro-Israel lobby on settlements. At the president's meeting with Jewish leaders at the White House on July 13, Obama heard virtually no criticism of his policy on the settlement issue.

Even the more conservative Jewish groups held their tongues. The only exception came when one participant urged the president not to change his policy but rather keep his differences with Israel private, so that there would be "no daylight" visible between Israeli and American positions. Obama responded that past administrations did not have much success with that approach. "For eight years, there was no light between the United States and Israel, and nothing got accomplished," he said.

There are numerous reasons why the Jewish community is not rushing to Netanyahu's defense. First, there has never been much support in the United States for West Bank settlements. AIPAC, the pro-Israel lobby, has never had any use for the settlements nor have most of the other mainstream pro-Israel organizations. The pro-Israel, pro-peace organizations like Israel Policy Forum, J Street, Americans for Peace Now, and Brit Tzedek oppose settlements and fully support the president's position.

In addition, Netanyahu has never been a popular figure in the American Jewish community. His previous tenure as prime minister was a failure; he was turned out of office in near-record time (Ehud Barak holds the record)...


http://www.israelpolicyforum.org/commentary/netanyahu-seeking-salvation