ANALYSIS: Clinton visit may be first move in looming Israel-US spat

[bemildred]

---

Netanyahu may be shying away from a two-state commitment out of genuine ideological belief - he is a known hardliner - or he may be wary of alienating potential hardline partners in a government he seems fated to form.

These potential partners, all of whom Netanyahu needs if he is to form a majority coalition, include parties which reject any form of Palestinian statehood.

They also champion Israeli settlement in the occupied West Bank, something else which is likely to accelerate another collision with the Obama administration, which expects Israel to adhere to commitments to halt all settlement activity.

On both these issues Netanyahu finds himself faced with the choice of either alienating his potential allies in government, or Israel's main ally on the world stage.

http://www.monstersandcritics.com/news/middleeast/news/article_1462561.php/ANALYSIS_Clinton_visit_may_be_first_move_in_looming_Israel-US_spat_

[azurnoir]

1. Well we can always hope

but it was what I was reading right before coming here

US Israel support 'unshakeable'

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has restated "unshakeable" support for Israel, whatever type of government emerges from current coalition talks.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7920210.stm

that picture is creepy, its just me, I could not help but wonder where Bibi's other hand was

[bemildred]

2. A fine looking couple.

I hope Bill is not jealous.

Boilerplate protestations of support are worth just as much as boilerplate threats to get tough, that is nothing. It's all show biz. Got to follow your script. One has to watch for those few occasions when the politicians attempt to unambiguously DO something to figure out what they are up to.

I think the Israelis want business as usual, which makes sense in a way, the only way you can rule Israel is to do nothing, it you try to change anything much you will piss a lot of people off and then there goes your ruling coalition. That is one reason for all the dick-waving, it's politically safe to do.

The root problem is that Israeli and US interests are no longer seen as coinciding in the way they have in the past. I have no idea at this point how Obama will try to deal with that, so far all we have is mumbles and grumbles, jockeying for position, etc.

[oberliner]

3. How are Israeli and US interests no longer coinciding in the way they have in the past?

What interests that coincided say ten or fifteen or twenty years ago no longer coincide today?

[bemildred]

6. Read the OP, that's what it is about. nt

[oberliner]

7. Not seeing anything of that nature in the OP nt

[bemildred]

8. So whadda ya think the "looming US-Israel spat" is about then?

I thought it went into that.

[oberliner]

9. But I think there have been similar spats over the years

Specifically between Netanyahu and Mrs. Clinton's husband, as well as Papa Bush and Shamir. I don't think these spats are anything new.

[bemildred]

11. Indeed, more than you mention too.

All the way back to Eisenhower. The question is not if it's new, the question is what is it about?

[T Wolf]

4. The US needs to cut Israel loose. If that country wants to continue their disastrous ways, we

should not be paying for it.

It has been clear for a long time that our interests do not match up with Israel's. And their methods and actions are nothing but the criminal actions of a rogue state.

The US loses by being associated with Israel.

[iconicgnom]

5. Israel will "halt all settlement activity" when there's no more land to settle.

Then everything'll be fine since commitments will be adhered to.

[oberliner]

10. You think Israel wants to settle Ramallah and Gaza City?

Be fair now.

[iconicgnom]

12. I think Israel would love to ethnically cleanse these areas.

Geography is key and I think (from reports I read) Israel aka "the Zionist entity" is now concentrating on Jerusalem, in particular, while using a wider net-like procedure (settlements, travel-routes) in the west bank. I don't think the Zionists will try to formally annex Ramallah (a rather small town, really) and Gaza city at this time.

[oberliner]

13. The Zionist entity? What is that supposed to mean?

I really do not think there is evidence to support your claims about Israel wanting to ethnically cleanse the areas I mentioned.

[iconicgnom]

16. Zionist Israel.

There's plenty of evidence. You just don't have eyes to see.

[oberliner]

18. Can you provide evidence that the Zioinist entity wants to ethnically cleanse Gaza and the WB?

Thanks in advance.

[iconicgnom]

23. The settlements.

[cali]

14. lol. yes, yes. Israel is the fount of all concentrated evil in the world, dear.

it's all very simple, isn't it? At least it is to the simple minded and the bigots.

[iconicgnom]

17. Do you deny that Israel engages in building settlements

and in ethnic cleansing? Why do you think 75% of Gaza is made up of refugees with no right to return. Why do you think Lebanon has a large Palestinian refugee community? Etc. Noticing these things doesn't make a person is a "simple minded bigot". I'd say your position, that Israel is intransigently a racist, Zionist state, lines up closest with simple minded bigotry.

[oberliner]

20. Lebanon does not offer Palestinians equal rights

Amnesty International has documented their mistreatment in Lebanon. The vast majority have lived in Lebanon for two or three generations. Yet Lebanon still makes sure they stay in camps and do not have equal treatment under the law in Lebnaon.

There are over a million Arabs currently living in Israel. What does that tell you?

[iconicgnom]

22. It tells me that Lebanon took in refugees, and Israel refused their right to return.

Because they're Arabic, not Jewish, in background.

[LeftishBrit]

19. The 'Zionist entity'? That's Ahmadinejad's term...

surely you're not getting your information about Israel from his speeches? That would be like getting all your information about Iran from Netanyahu.

[iconicgnom]

21. haha.

I was feeling a bit snarky and decided to throw DU Zionists some red meat.
A rose is a rose by any other name.

[azurnoir]

24. I always find the selective memory when it comes

to the meaning of a word or phrase being in ditdits kind of humorous, faux scandale

[Jim Sagle]

25. And so is a piece of shit.

[iconicgnom]

27. Yes, but it's you who's calling Zionist Israel "shit".

[Jim Sagle]

28. You just go right ahead and believe that.

:rofl::beer:

[bemildred]

15. Clinton: Israeli demolition of East Jerusalem homes violates road map

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton on Wednesday blasted Israel's plans to demolisg Palestinian homes in East Jerusalem as a
violation of its international obligations and "unhelpful" to Middle East peace efforts.

"Clearly this kind of activity is unhelpful and not in keeping with the obligations entered into under the 'road map'," Clinton said, referring to the long-stalled peace plan.

"It is an issue that we intend to raise with the government of Israel and the government at the municipal level in Jerusalem," she added at a joint news conference with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

Clinton said she planned to take up the issue with the incoming Israeli government, which is expected to take office in the coming weeks.

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1068546.html

[azurnoir]

26. So how many times does the road map have to be

violated before we can say its been gang banged?

This quote must have been another understatement

During a meeting with Defense Minister Ehud Barak the Secretary of State said that Israel must do more to open the border crossings into the Gaza Strip to larger amounts of humanitarian assistance so that civilians there could get some relief. She also appealed for a broadening of the list of items that it considers "humanitarian aid," and called the humanitarian situation there problematic.

[bemildred]

29. Well stay tuned. It's not going to get prettier as time goes on.

These are just the opening shots in a long, ugly war. We will see where the real power lies by virtue of who backs off and who does not.