Stephen M. Walt, The Washington Post, Sep 20, 2009
Like so many of his predecessors, President Obama is quickly discovering that persuading Israel to change course is nearly impossible.
Obama came to office determined to achieve a two-state solution between Israelis and Palestinians. His opening move was to insist that Israel stop building settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem — a tough line aimed at bolstering Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and persuading key Arab states to make conciliatory gestures toward Israel. These steps would pave the way for the creation of a viable Palestinian state and the normalization of Israel’s relations with its Arab neighbors, and also help rebuild America’s image in the Arab and Muslim world.
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I read the letter. Typical Zionist BS, Steney f*ing Hoyer included…
TPM
The letter, sponsored by Republican Eric Cantor and Democrat Steny Hoyer but obviously written by AIPAC, demonstrates just how bipartisan indeed members of Congress can be when it comes to groveling at the feet of AIPAC, which is basically the American arm of Binyamin Netanyahu’s right-wing Likud Party. The true source of the letter is revealed by the fact that its sponsors either forgot or simply didn’t bother to remove AIPAC from its filename when PDF copies were circulated to members of Congress (“AIPAC Letter Hoyer Cantor May 2009.pdf.”).
What the letter demands of President Obama is patently ridiculous. First and foremost, the letter demands that the U.S. assume no more aggressive a role in the peace process than that required to ensure that Israel’s interests receive paramount consideration, claiming absurdly that Israel “will be taking the greatest risks in any peace agreement.” Furthermore, the letter demands that in peace negotiations America work “closely and privately” with Israel: not with the Palestinians or with other members of the international community, and not in public view. Here the letter also demands that in peace negotiations the U.S. act as “a devoted friend” exclusively of Israel. Finally, the letter places the burden of bringing peace squarely on the shoulders of the Palestinians, demanding nothing from Israel.
G: