U.S. Furious at Barak for Exaggerating his Role in Peace Process

MONDAY, JANUARY 3, 2011

"Obama blames Barak ... "

SOURCE: MIDDLE EAST AND TERRORISM
by Barak Ravid

The U.S. administration is furious with Defense Minister Ehud Barak over the stalled peace talks, sources have told Haaretz.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and President Barack Obama's senior advisers say that for more than a year and a half Barak misled them about his persuasive powers with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu regarding the peace process.

(Note: No, Obama, Israel has not misled you!  The Palestinians have been playing a chess game with your administration.  The Arabs and your administration blame Israel, as you both have the same agenda.  Your administration is riding the same wave as the Palestinians - your administration has NEVER been neutral, for you have consistently sided with the Arabs and leave Israel out to dry.  A wise leader would admit his own mistakes and not play the "Blame" game.  Shame on you, Mr. President.  )

The Americans will continue working with Barak on security issues, but he will no longer receive special treatment.

(Really?  When has Israel received "special treatment" from Obama's administration?!)

A senior Israeli official, who requested anonymity, told Haaretz about his recent hour-long meeting with a senior U.S. official who detailed the reasons Clinton and the White House are so disappointed with Barak.

(What happened to all the discussions with PM Netanyahu? This sounds like Obama is attempting to pit one Israeli leader against another.  Israel is united, Obama - get use to it!)

The accusations were confirmed over the past few days by four other sources close to the situation, all of whom requested anonymity.

The Israeli official said his U.S. interlocutor stressed that the infuriation [sic] with Barak reached as high as Obama and Clinton.

This came after Barak reached an understanding with Washington over extending the settlement construction freeze by three months in exchange for a written pledge of diplomatic and military guarantees in September.

Barak promised that Netanyahu would approve the deal, but did not deliver the goods.

"We put all our money on him a year and a half ago," the Israeli official quoted his U.S. colleague as saying. "The entire administration bet on Barak because he said he could nudge Netanyahu toward an agreement with the Palestinians, but he deceived us and led us down the garden path."

(This Israeli official needs to be fired immediately.  Netanyahu is not incompetent - which this statement implies!  Rumors have been implying for the last two years that Obama went behind Netanyahu's back - sure sounds more then a rumor .... )

According to the U.S. official, as soon as Netanyahu formed his government, the White House decided to open all its doors to Barak, and Obama took the unusual step of meeting with him there.

"He charmed us with his intelligent analyses; the president listened to Barak like a student with his teacher and trusted him, but he didn't meet any of his promises over the peace process and the building freeze," the official told the Israeli.

The latter said he left the meeting "in shock .... I almost burst into tears." Barak's last visit to Washington, two weeks ago, was depicted as the watershed in Barak-Washington ties. The brevity of Clinton's meeting with him at the Saban Forum last month - 15 minutes - was intended to signal Barak's loss in status.

The U.S. official said Barak's disappointing behavior evoked a sense of deja vu in Washington, especially at the State Department, recalling his failures as prime minister in the peace talks at Shepherdstown and Camp David.

Barak's office said in a statement on Saturday that he maintains continuous ties at the top of the U.S. administration, detailing Barak's meetings with Clinton, Vice President Joe Biden and Defense Secretary Robert Gates.

According to the statement, the accusations in the report were not raised in any of these meetings, nor did they appear in reports by diplomatic sources.

"Defense Minister Barak is punctilious about presenting situations accurately, without beautifying the facts," the statement said.

Washington is expected to resume its efforts this week to restart the peace process, but its expectations are low. The administration is not walking away only because of its fear of renewed violence that would suck in the United States.

"We lost our hope in this coalition," the U.S. official told the Israeli. "We simply have no more expectations."

(This sounds like the same whine, excuse, propaganda as Abbas and the Palestinian Authority - does not sound like leadership or even, "mediation" .. Obama's biased agenda against Israel failed.  ... and all Israel says, "Amen!")

Both Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas are firmly entrenched in their positions, and a renewal of direct talks is not on the horizon.

The Palestinians are busy with their campaign against the settlements and for winning recognition of a Palestinian state within the 1967 borders.

This week they will renew efforts to push through a UN Security Council resolution denouncing the settlements.

Netanyahu, for his part, continues to blame the Palestinians for the paralyzed peace process.

Original URL: http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/u-s-officials-barak-deceived-us-about-his-role-in-peace-process-1.334697

Barak Ravid

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