President Obama has given more help in military aid dollars and military equipment to the state of Israel than any other US leader, something I find reprehensible given Israel’s plainly un-democratic apartheid regime. However, credit where it is due – he’s finally given up his obsession with preserving his options and taken the advice of his military leaders, using an un-ignorable proxy to end any chance of Israel dragging the world into a senseless regional conflict at least while Obama is in office.
Stunned by a rebuke from the United States’ top general, Israel is preparing a climbdown strategy in its war of words over Iran’s nuclear programme, aware that its room for manoeuvre is shrinking rapidly.
…In a move that dismayed Israeli ministers, U.S. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Martin Dempsey, told reporters in Britain last week that the United States did not want to be “complicit” in an Israeli attack on Iran.
He also warned that go-it-alone military action risked unraveling an international coalition that has applied progressively stiff sanctions on Iran, which insists that its ambitious nuclear project is purely peaceful.
Dempsey’s stark comments made clear to the world that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was isolated and that if he opted for war, he would jeopardise all-important ties with the Jewish state’s closest ally.
“Israeli leaders cannot do anything in the face of a very explicit ‘no’ from the U.S. president. So they are exploring what space they have left to operate,” said Giora Eiland, who served as national security adviser from 2003 to 2006.
“Dempsey’s announcement changed something. Before, Netanyahu said the United States might not like (an attack), but they will accept it the day after. However, such a public, bold statement meant the situation had to be reassessed.”
Well done, Mr. Obama.
TIME: U.S. Scales Back Military Exercise with Israel, Affecting Potential Iran Strike — “Basically what the Americans are saying is, ‘We don’t trust you.’â€
Al Monitor:
Make sure to read the whole damn thing — Feldman makes an interesting realpolitik argument as to why a unilateral strike on Iran would endanger Israel’s nuclear deterrent capabilities.
…has been higher than any other US president?
“Everything around you that you call life was made up by people that were no smarter than you and you can change it, you can influence it, you can build your own things that other people can use.” ~ Steve Jobs
I still can’t quite figure out what is going on, what Israeli leaders think they’re doing in particular.
Poor babies. Is this group therapy or international relations? Since when does a country lay out its war plans in detail?
There seems to be something of a media consensus developing that Israel isn’t going to attack Iran this week and the President and the Prime Minister are bffs.
@MicahZenko just tweeted “Obama should get Netanyahu + Ahmadinejad together while they’re in NY for UNGA, and brief them both on CENTCOM plans for bombing Iran.”
Next week Bibi will be having a tantrum again. This is just nuts.
Reuters, Nov 2011: “”I try not to pat myself too much on the back, but this administration has done more for the security of the state of Israel than any previous administration,” Obama said.
And Colin Kahl, Obama Has Been Great for Israel – Anyone who tells you otherwise is distorting reality.
“Everything around you that you call life was made up by people that were no smarter than you and you can change it, you can influence it, you can build your own things that other people can use.” ~ Steve Jobs
2007 – 2.4 billion
2012 – 3.075 billion: $75 million more than in fiscal year 2011
“The great humanistic and historical task of the oppressed is to liberate themselves and their oppressors as well” ~ Paulo Freire
did Obama decrease or increase military aid to Israel?
“The great humanistic and historical task of the oppressed is to liberate themselves and their oppressors as well” ~ Paulo Freire