Obama snubs Netanyahu

[Holly]

The White House announced on Tuesday that President Barack Obama would not meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a U.S. visit later this month, as tensions escalated over how to deal with Iran's nuclear program. An Israeli official said the White House had refused Netanyahu's request to meet Obama when the Israeli leader visits the United States to attend the U.N. General Assembly, telling the Israelis "the president's schedule will not permit that." This announcement was made on the same day the Israeli prime minister said said the United States had forfeited its moral right to stop Israel from taking action against Iran's nuclear program because it had refused to be firm with Tehran itself.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/0...n_1874814.html
Netanyahu believes he has Obama at a disadvantage with a presidential election due in November and he seems to think that he can bully Obama into attacking Iran or at least condoning an Israeli attack. The fear of losing the New York and Florida Jewish vote and deferring to the Israeli lobby is generally considered a strong motivation in keeping The U.S. loyal to Israel but this time Netanyahu might have crossed the line. Be prepared for shock and awe over Tehran while the votes are being counted in November.

[musashi]

The White House announced on Tuesday that President Barack Obama would not meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a U.S. visit later this month, as tensions escalated over how to deal with Iran's nuclear program. An Israeli official said the White House had refused Netanyahu's request to meet Obama when the Israeli leader visits the United States to attend the U.N. General Assembly, telling the Israelis "the president's schedule will not permit that." This announcement was made on the same day the Israeli prime minister said said the United States had forfeited its moral right to stop Israel from taking action against Iran's nuclear program because it had refused to be firm with Tehran itself.

Netanyahu believes he has Obama at a disadvantage with a presidential election due in November and he seems to think that he can bully Obama into attacking Iran or at least condoning an Israeli attack. The fear of losing the New York and Florida Jewish vote and deferring to the Israeli lobby is generally considered a strong motivation in keeping The U.S. loyal to Israel but this time Netanyahu might have crossed the line. Be prepared for shock and awe over Tehran while the votes are being counted in November.

To be frank, the lobby does have the president in a bind.
But is that florida/new york axis axiomatic?

[DCon]

Obama has a scheduled appearance on David Letterman.

He has an election to win after all

[Captain Con O'Sullivan]

Hmm ... a brave move and makes me wonder whether the White House has something planned that would take the wind out of Binyamin's sails on his party-whipping tour of Washington.

[Count Bobulescu]

This WaPo piece got more than 5,000 comments in a couple of hours,

The White House informed Jerusalem that the meeting . . . won’t be possible due to the president’s agenda,” the Israeli Embassy in Washington said of a possible New York meeting.

The White House issued a statement saying that a meeting was impossible because “they’re simply not in the city at the same time.” Obama plans to depart New York immediately after his Sept. 25 address to the General Assembly, while Netanyahu will not arrive to deliver his speech until Sept. 27. Obama and Netanyahu, the statement said, were in “frequent contact,” and Netanyahu will meet with Clinton “and other officials.”

“The world tells Israel: ‘Wait. There’s still time.’ And I say, ‘Wait for what? Wait until when?’ Those in the international community who refuse to put red lines before Iran don’t have a moral right to place a red light before Israel,” Netanyahu told reporters in Jerusalem.

In a further statement late Tuesday that indicated growing concern over the tensions, the White House said Obama and Netanyahu had spoken by telephone “for an hour tonight as part of their ongoing consultations.” It said they discussed “the threat posed by Iran’s nuclear program, and our close cooperation on Iran and other security issues” and “reaffirmed that they are united in their determination to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, and agreed to continue their close consultations going forward.”

Administration officials struggled Tuesday not to respond in kind to what they viewed as another in a series of Netanyahu provocations that could affect the U.S. presidential race.

But in a reflection of what U.S. officials see as political disagreements within Israel itself, Barak issued a statement Tuesday evening that appeared designed to temper Netanyahu’s remarks.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/...y.html?hpid=z1


WaPo Ed

The White House has been saying that, despite Tehran’s progress in enriching uranium and refusal to bargain seriously with an international coalition, there remains “time and space for diplomacy,” a position we’re inclined to agree with. Israel, suggesting that Iran is approaching a “zone of immunity” in which its program would be nearly invulnerable to attack, has been signaling that it could act unilaterally in the coming months.

Certainly there would be dangers to a more explicit presidential statement, including that the United States would start down a slippery slope toward war. But if Mr. Obama really is determined to take military action if Iran takes decisive steps toward producing a bomb, such as enriching uranium to bomb-grade levels or expelling inspectors, he would be wise to say so publicly. Doing so would improve relations with Mr. Netanyahu and deter unilateral Israeli action — and it might well convince Iran that the time has come to compromis

e.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinio...y.html?hpid=z4


Then there is this typical anti Obama Ed from WSJ.

The Administration's diplomatic rebukes to Israel are also telling Iran that it is that much freer to move ahead with its nuclear plans. If Israel does strike Iran, Mr. Obama's mishandling of our ally will be a major reason.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000...ditorialPage_h

[Holly]

To be frank, the lobby does have the president in a bind.

Only if he is too scared to upset the Jewish lobby.

But is that florida/new york axis axiomatic?

There are more Jews in metropolitan New York than anywhere else in the world outside Israel.

Trio in New York

Very many New York Jews have retired to Florida which is a swing state.

Retired Jews in West Palm Beach, Florida

[Captain Con O'Sullivan]

“The world tells Israel: ‘Wait. There’s still time.’ And I say, ‘Wait for what? Wait until when?’ Those in the international community who refuse to put red lines before Iran don’t have a moral right to place a red light before Israel,” Netanyahu told reporters in Jerusalem.

That is the sort of justification psychology that all rogue regimes use. I have heard no suggestion that Israel is willing to leave the UN. So it sort of gives one an insight into the regard Israel has for international law at the UN.

Israel only acknowledges green lights and ignores the rest.

[fluffybiscuits]

The White House announced on Tuesday that President Barack Obama would not meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a U.S. visit later this month, as tensions escalated over how to deal with Iran's nuclear program. An Israeli official said the White House had refused Netanyahu's request to meet Obama when the Israeli leader visits the United States to attend the U.N. General Assembly, telling the Israelis "the president's schedule will not permit that." This announcement was made on the same day the Israeli prime minister said said the United States had forfeited its moral right to stop Israel from taking action against Iran's nuclear program because it had refused to be firm with Tehran itself.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/0...n_1874814.html
Netanyahu believes he has Obama at a disadvantage with a presidential election due in November and he seems to think that he can bully Obama into attacking Iran or at least condoning an Israeli attack. The fear of losing the New York and Florida Jewish vote and deferring to the Israeli lobby is generally considered a strong motivation in keeping The U.S. loyal to Israel but this time Netanyahu might have crossed the line. Be prepared for shock and awe over Tehran while the votes are being counted in November.

That is fairly accurate portrait I think of how things would play out. Netanyahu wants to believe he has Obama over a barrel here with this. Dont forget aswell that Obama is angry at the continued expansion in the West Bank so perhaps this may add to the storm that is brewing. Israel has ran an ad campaign telling Jewish expatriots that America is no place for them (http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/06/op...to-israel.html) wanting them to return so Israel is not exactly currying favour with America at the moment. With elections coming up Obama doesnt want to rock the boat, he will let Romney hang himself given enough rope.