Results 1 to 7 of 7

Thread Information

Users Browsing this Thread

There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)

  1. #1
    Senior Member AirborneSapper7's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2007
    Location
    South West Florida (Behind friendly lines but still in Occupied Territory)
    Posts
    117,696

    Obama to Israel's PM Netanyahu: 'No more blank cheques'

    Obama to warn Israel's PM, Benjamin Netanyahu: 'No more blank cheques'

    Barack Obama is to deliver a blunt warning to Israel's prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, that the era of the blank US cheque is over.

    By Leonard Doyle in Washington
    Last Updated: 12:36PM BST 17 May 2009


    Mr Obama has already shocked Israeli officials by publicly declaring that a two state solution was in America's national interest Photo: AP

    The President will use a meeting with Mr Netanyahu in Washington on Monday to tell him that from now on Israel must earn its privileged relationship with America.

    Mr Obama will make clear that he will not allow his foreign policy objectives to be dictated by the Jewish state's interests, and that its leaders must resume working for peace with the Palestinians.

    The President has already fired warning shots across the bows of the Israeli government to signal that he will not be pushed around by Mr Netanyahu's newly elected right-wing coalition. Many within Israel's government are openly hostile to two key aspects of American policy on the Middle East: statehood for the Palestinians and engagement with Iran.

    Martin Indyk, a former US ambassador to Israel, said: "Netanyahu is caught between a rock and a hard place, the rock being the president's determination to achieve a two-state solution and the hard place being his political base which opposes it. He's inching toward the Obama position but trying to avoid saying the words, 'two-state solution.'"

    Mr Netanyahu's political survival may depend on him sticking to his position. Avigdor Lieberman, the Israeli foreign minister whose right-wing party is essential to the survival of the Likud-led coalition, is forthrightly opposed to the creation of a Palestinian state.

    But Mr Obama's hand in confronting Mr Netanyahu was strengthened last week by a new Zogby poll revealing that voters who backed him in the election overwhelmingly support a policy which amounts to "get tough with Israel" - ending illegal Israeli settlements within Palestinian territory and establishing a Palestinian state. Jewish voters, 78 per cent of whom voted for Mr Obama, are among the strongest supporters of the plan.

    Mr Obama has already shocked Israeli officials by publicly declaring that a two state solution was in America's national interest - a clear sign that Washington will no longer automatically leap to support Israel regardless of the impact on the US.

    The Obama administration has also broken a long-standing taboo against discussing Israel's nuclear weapons, by calling for Israel to declare and give up its weapons arsenal, said to number around 50 warheads. A senior State Department official said the US wants Israel to sign the nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty and commit to disarmament. What he has not done yet, is query the $3 billion in military aid which US taxpayers send Israel every year, although that could yet happen given the straitened times.

    But Israel is meanwhile rattled by Mr Obama's willingness to attempt dialogue with Iran, seen by Mr Netanyahu and Mr Lieberman as the biggest threat to the Jewish state.

    As he scans the Oval Office for friendly faces, Mr Netanyahu's eyes may light on two of Mr Obama's most trusted advisers, the White House chief of staff and former congressman Rahm Emanuel and the Presidents chief political adviser, David Axelrod. Both men are veterans of Chicago's rough and tumble politics, where Mr Obama cut his teeth - and both are also closely connected to Americas Jewish community.

    Mr Emanuel's father was born in Israel, and during the 1991 Gulf war the future White House chief of staff served as a civilian volunteer helping the Israeli Defence Forces.

    But alarm bells rang in Jerusalem earlier this month when it was reported that he had warned that efforts to stop Iran would depend on peace talks with the Palestinians.

    Though protective towards Israel, both advisers are said to consider that for many years American policy has been skewed by hard-line allies of Israel who do not represent the majority Jewish American viewpoint. Both spent months during the presidential election campaign trail helping to brief Mr Obama on the intricacies of Israeli-Palestinian affairs, and both are convinced of the need for a two-state solution.

    Mr Netanyahu, one of the most Americanised Israeli leaders in recent history who has many friends and supporters among the Republican Party, will do his best to smooth the relationship, despite the worrying developments for Jerusalem since Mr Obama took office. Mr Obama will deliver his own tougher line with characteristic charm and perhaps even an arm around the shoulder

    But there was concern in Israel when Mr Obama moved to allow US aid to flow to members of the Palestinian unity government who were backed by Hamas - a sign that the Obama administration may be prepared to talk to enemies it considers terrorists, if circumstances change.

    Mr Obama also sent his CIA chief, Leon Panetta, on a discreet mission to Israel two weeks ago to warn Mr Netanyahu not to lose patience over Iran's progress to nuclear weapons - and above all, not to launch preemptive air strikes against suspected nuclear enrichment facilities.

    Mr Panetta's message to the Israeli prime minister was that Iran would not be a serious threat even if it develops a nuclear weapon. With the outcome of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq still in doubt, the US has neither the stomach nor the manpower to take on another major conflict which Israel will not be able to fight on its own.

    On his way to Washington, Mr Netanyahu sought to convince Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and King Abdullah II of Jordan that the Iranian nuclear programme threatens them as much as Israel. He told them that the Iranian regime was attempting to use nuclear weapons to impose its agenda on Arabs as much as Israelis and that it could be stopped by working together

    http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldne ... eques.html
    Join our efforts to Secure America's Borders and End Illegal Immigration by Joining ALIPAC's E-Mail Alerts network (CLICK HERE)

  2. #2
    ELE
    ELE is offline
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Oct 2007
    Posts
    5,660

    It will be interesting to see how this plays out.

    Some claim that Israel was covertly involved in 9/11 and that they hit the towers and made it look like Islamic Extremists did it so that the US would not just side with them in words but send physical troops over to the Middle East. I don't know if that is true or not.

    I do suspect that if Israel is expecting help from Obama in their struggles against the Arab world, they are not being realistic about has strong ties Obama has to the Muslim world. Personally, I think that Obama is still a Muslim. The Koran says that it is acceptable and in fact celebrated to lie and/or deceive infidels if it furthers the cause of Islam.

    PS
    Remember that before Obama was elected President, he made sure that Israel got money to rebuild after a conflict. I believe Obama did this to gain favor with Jewish voters.
    Join our efforts to Secure America's Borders and End Illegal Immigration by Joining ALIPAC's E-Mail Alerts network (CLICK HERE)

  3. #3
    Senior Member WorriedAmerican's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Location
    Maine
    Posts
    4,498

    Re: Obama to Israel's PM Netanyahu: 'No more blank cheques'

    That's because he gave the money to the Palistinian (Hamas) PUKES!
    If Palestine puts down their guns, there will be peace.
    If Israel puts down their guns there will be no more Israel.
    Dick Morris

  4. #4
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Nov 2006
    Location
    TEXAS - The Lone Star State
    Posts
    16,941
    yeah barack, ya twit, lets see what you do when iran attacks israel.
    you going to offer support to israel, iran or hamas???

    i think i know the answer

  5. #5
    Senior Member Tbow009's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2006
    Posts
    2,211

    Give me a BREAK

    IRAN is NOT going to attack Israel. You sound like a freakin AIPAC, Israeli-lobby-puppet, neo-con. lol

    Israel needs to get the heck out of the west bank and gaza and let the palastinians have their own country already. That means dismantling ALL west bank settlements. Im sick of having to support Israel and its aggression in building more and more west bank settlements for their (Greater Israel)

  6. #6
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Jul 2008
    Location
    NC
    Posts
    11,242
    After the Yom Kippur war, there was a joke going around DC: "The Arabs and Israelis were having a war, and the Arabs threw grenades. The Israelis pulled the pins and threw them back."
    While we have numerous treaties with allies for defense, I don't understand why we are always the ones giving our lives and money to support battles around the world? What is scary is that we also have a defense treaty with Taiwan, which China is still claiming as their territory, and has threatened to take back a few times.
    Just wish I had a direct vote into how the Congress decides to spend my money.
    Join our efforts to Secure America's Borders and End Illegal Immigration by Joining ALIPAC's E-Mail Alerts network (CLICK HERE)

  7. #7
    Senior Member WorriedAmerican's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Location
    Maine
    Posts
    4,498

    Re: Give me a BREAK

    I think the Hamas lob rockets at the Israeli all the time.
    Israel has GIVEN ENOUGH up already!!!!

    Here's a little history of what Israel has GIVEN UP!

    http://www.terrorismawareness.org/what-really-happened/
    If Palestine puts down their guns, there will be peace.
    If Israel puts down their guns there will be no more Israel.
    Dick Morris

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •