Mere Rhetoric, October 18, 2008:
Memo to ostensibly pro-Israel Obama supporters: circa 2010 there are going to be headlines about the "severe crisis in US-Israel relations." You're not going to be able to say that you didn't know.
Reuters, March 15, 2010:
Israeli envoy sees "historic crisis" with U.S.:report - Israel and the United States are in a "crisis of historic proportions" over a settlement dispute that has brought relations to a 35-year low,Israel's ambassador to Washington was quoted on Monday as saying.
The Washington Post writeup about Clinton's over the top condemnation also included the line "the close allies are facing their deepest crisis in two decades." But the headline wasn't as on point and elegant as with the Reuters story, so that's what you got.
The idea is nonetheless the same throughout. Netanyahu had announced a temporary construction freeze that excluded East Jerusalem. Clinton had described the freeze as an "unprecedented" concession. Then Israel announced new construction within that framework.
But sensing the opportunity to pick a public fight with Israel, Obama personally ordered Biden to "condemn" the Jewish State. Clinton followed up by insisting that the US had been "insulted." For their part the Palestinians tweaked their ever-expanding construction halt demands, setting up Israel to take the blame for failed proximity talks. All over a neighborhood that borders two other Jewish neighborhoods and that had never, ever been controversial before.
Coincidentally - and just in time - there are a flurry of articles being published with different reasons why the US-Israeli relationship should be abandoned. This morning's is from Mark Perry, who "reports" how Israelis are getting American boys and girls killed. His FP article fails to note his previous job as an Arafat adviser, though that detail did seem salient to Laura Rozen. Also seemingly salient: "There seems to be more in the ether in recent days suggesting a diverging of perceived U.S. and Israeli interests in the region." Yes, there do seem to be that.
The really obnoxious thing? We're supposed to pretend that this policy is a reluctant recourse by an otherwise pro-Israel administration. Or that journalists are slowly discovering and objectively describing the situation. Come on now.
References:
* Obama Campaign Demands Ban On Republican Jewish Group, Escalates Thuggish Intimidation [MR]
* Israeli envoy sees "historic crisis" with U.S.: report [Reuters]
* Clinton rebukes Israel over East Jerusalem plans, cites damage to bilateral ties [WaPo]
* Israel putting forth 'unprecedented' concessions, Clinton says [WaPo]
* Biden: Obama Made Me Do It [Peretz / TNR Spine]
* Report: U.S. vows to halt Israeli building in East Jerusalem [Ha'aretz]
* Israeli settler plan 'unacceptable': Palestinians [AFP]
* The Petraeus briefing: Biden's embarrassment is not the whole story [Perry / FP]
* The Petraeus-Mullen briefings [Rosen / Politico]
Related Mere Rhetoric Categories:
* Anti-Israel Diplomacy
* Jewish Politics
* Democratic Politics
