Laura Rozen–one of the decent reporters working at the dubious Politico–reports on the latest complaints concerning Barack Obama and how he approaches Israel and Middle East policy (emphasis added):
Israel’s Ambassador to the United States Michael Oren is reported to have told Israeli diplomats that the U.S. and Israel are experiencing a “tectonic rift,” not a temporary crisis. [snip]
“Oren noted that contrary to Obama’s predecessors – George W. Bush and Bill Clinton – the current president is not motivated by historical-ideological sentiments toward Israel but by cold interests and considerations,” Haaretz reports.
Imagine that: a President of the United States approaching Mideast policy and the State of Israel with American interests trumping everything else.
I know that putting America first is what an American President is elected to do, but I’ve also marveled over the years at how when it comes to Israel we must follow policies that do not necessarily serve our National interest. It would be nice if that changed. Such a change would be better for the USA, Israel and Palestine.
When it comes to the decades old mess in the Middle East a little more focus on the cold interest and considerations of America would be a good thing. As I said, I hope this report turns out to be true.
Time will tell.
Cheers
flukebucket
Cold interests and considerations. Damn that sounds so good.
General Egali Tarian Stuck
The tectonic shift and historical ideological sentiments are mostly coming from having asswipe Likudite Netanyahoo running the show right now for Israel. He treated Clinton like his personal man servant and I hope Obama sticks to demanding our interests and the overall interests of the ordinary people of the region are supported. Not the wet dreams of war mongering neo cons. Israeli or American ones.
Mike Kay (Team America)
as long as he’s not a end-times rapturist loonie christian using Israel to usher in the return of JC, that’s all I ask.
Dennis G.
@flukebucket:
That’s what I thought as well. It is way past time for a Middle-East policy that puts the cold interests of America first. And the occupation and settlements are not in America’s interests–we have other concerns and catering to this extreme foolishness does not help.
I hope this reported shift turns up to be true.
Cheers
Ash Can
o snap
New Yorker
You know, there have been a few posts here and at Sully’s place recently that made me realize how under-appreciated George H. W. Bush was as president. He worked with Democrats to pass a budget that led to the late-90s surpluses that his dunce of a son pissed away. He fought a war swiftly and competently, and with international support, and then ended the war when the goals (eviction of Saddam Hussein from Kuwait) were achieved. He also was the last president willing to tell Israel to go fuck themselves when they did things that worked against American interests. I’m hoping Obama can re-kindle this country’s ability to tell the Israelis to stick it where the sun don’t shine when necessary.
I guess he was the last gasp of Yankee Republicanism before the party was completely hijacked by rapture-obsessed loons and assorted neocon crackpots. Recall that he was basically deemed a traitor by much of the party for actually raising taxes to fight the budget deficit.
frankdawg
@New Yorker:
I thought that I was the only lefty in the world that thought poppy was almost as good as a Republican President could get. He had his problems like the other two decent Republican Presidents (Clinton & Obama) but he was a damn sight better than the Big Dick, Ford, St. Ron or Boy Blunder.
Napoleon
@New Yorker:
I could have easily voted for him and would have but for 1) after an insane Reagan Admin. that preceded him and 2) the Iran Contra cover up.
Sly
@New Yorker:
Poppy is an old school New England Republican, whose political heirs have become Democrats or left the GOP over the past decade or so. Same deal with the old Rockefeller Republicans of NY, and the moderate Republicans who made up the bulk of PAs suburban bloc who either just left the party or became Democrats in 2008. Its part of a larger trend in the NE, where the GOP brand has become completely toxic.
His popularity among Democrats is attributable to the same reason that John Paul Stevens is considered a flaming liberal: every other Republican around him went insane.
Mike Kay (Team America)
@Napoleon: don’t forget the racist campaign he ran, using lee atwater.
tomvox1
Micheal Oren, Jeffery Goldberg…what’s the dif really?
Via Juan Cole in his excellent rebuttal of the latter describes the former:
salon.com/news/opinion/feature/2010/03/17/goldberg_israel_nationalism
Mike Kay (Team America)
@frankdawg: shorter frankdawg: “there’s no difference btw Bush and Gore!”
Only a wacko would say obama and (10 years ago) Gore are republican.
republicans don’t pass $1,000,000,000,000 health care bills (every single republican in the house and senate – every single one – voted against HCR).
republicans don’t expand SCHiP funding by 52%.
republicans don’t support repealing DADT.
republicans don’t shake down BP for a $20,000,000,000 Gulf relief trust fund.
republicans don’t support withdrawing from iraq.
But have your fun tossing molotov cocktails outside the white house. In your hate filled united front, there’s no difference btwn the firebaggers and the teabaggers.
Allison W.
Is this Oren guy the putz that went on The Colbert Report and complained that Gaza didn’t want the snacks that Israel allowed them to have?
Uloborus
I took Obama at his word from the beginning that he wasn’t interested in blindly adulating Israel. The problem is, congress still is. I’m not sure how much Obama can do. Here’s hoping.
Corner Stone
@New Yorker:
And we all see where that got him.
cat48
Kyle
The Israeli lobby and the Xtians have propagandized Americans for decades into believing that you must unconditionally support Israel or you aren’t a good Christian, putting it beyond rational calculation of American interests into the authoritarian realm of don’t-challenge-my-religion. It has become a doctrine of the American version of Christianity, with unquestioning belief and conformity exalted and any questioning met with extreme anger and hostility.
Mike Kay (Team America)
@Uloborus:
Yes, even lefty icon alan grayson dutifully clicks his heels when AIPAC calls.
maxblumenthal.com/2009/12/progressive-hero-alan-graysons-secret-life-as-an-aipac-tool/
liberal
@New Yorker:
That’s funny—I’ve said for a long time that there were two really good things about Bush 41: (a) the Budget Enforcement Act, which was a good law that got better, was a compromise between Congressional Dems and Bush, and (b) his stance towards Israel.
PIGL
Not to rain on the parade, but I would say that fundamental justice calls for an American foreign policy to be conducted for forty years in the interests of the Palestinians and of Lebanon. Since that is clearly too much to hope for, it’s probable that narrow self-interest would have a better result for the wronged parties than this obsession with an Israel that has not existed since, what, the 1970s?
I mean, I am probably the most pussy-whipped guy on the planet, but even I stop bringing the flowers and chocolates eventually. Time to wise the hell up, boys.
El Cid
@PIGL: When the extraterrestrial Federation lands with its apparently magic ruling powers, we’ll see if something like that might happen.
Paul in KY
It’s about damn time we had a president think about Israel along those lines.
manwith7talents
@frankdawg: I was really hoping that after 8 years of an actual Republican president like W that we could put to rest the idiotic idea that Clinton ( and Obama! ) governed like a Republican. I guess not.