For whatever reason, I tend to react strongly when a foreign leader disrespects the United States, and its President. I didn't like it when Hugo Chavez of Venezuela insulted President Bush; I don't like listening to Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan lecture the U.S. on its sins, and I'm not happy when certain Pakistani leaders gin-up righteous indignation about American behavior when it was their country that served as a refuge for the greatest mass murderer in American history.
And so I was similarly taken aback when I read a statement from Prime Minister Netanyahu yesterday that he "expects to hear a reaffirmation from President Obama of U.S. commitments made to Israel in 2004, which were overwhelmingly supported by both House of Congress."
So Netanyahu "expects" to hear this from the President of the United States? And if President Obama doesn't walk back the speech, what will Netanyahu do? Will he cut off Israeli military aid to the U.S.? Will he cease to fight for the U.S. in the United Nations, and in the many international forums that treat Israel as a pariah?
Goldberg seems to forget that Obama and Hillary Clinton out and out lied to Netanyahu and the Israelis about those 2004 commitments, which were used to persuade Israel retreat from Gaza and sign on to the Roadmap. And that in this particular speech of Obama's, the president flushed UN Resolution 242 away like it never existed.
From Netanyahu's reaction, it's obvious that Obama didn't inform the Israelis of what was coming. Is that how one treats an ally?
Goldberg also apparently doesn't read the NY Times, which reported not only that Obama Administration sources admitted that the timing of Obama's speech was planned intentionally to undercut Netanyahu's address to Congress next week but that the president is deliberately trashing Netanyahu, saying he lacks the ability to negotiate a peace deal..as if it was the Israelis and not the Palestinians who were boycotting talks!
After all that, Goldberg has the nerve to wonder why Netanyahu is calling our president out on keeping his word?
Goldberg's reaction is to be expected. Like a lot of Jews on the Left, he worships the idol Obama...and he's simply chosen sides. But I have no problem calling it exactly what it is.
As for his sneering condescension what Israel is going to do about it, he obviously doesn't realize how valuable an ally Israel is to America, or what kind of message throwing them to the wolves sends to both our friends and our enemies.
The Israelis are not going to commit national suicide on Obama or the EU's say so. They produce things the world wants to buy, have a valuable strategic and military presence may very well decide to find other alliances if the current occupant of the White House continues to defecate on them.
It is protocol for this administion to hang an ally out to dry. Even though Mubarak was heavy handed with his people, which I did not condone, that situation as like what just happened with Israel should have been handled with more respect. Who is left of our allies that will trust the United States under an Obama administration?
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