Middle East Focus: Friedman Nearly Awake, Netanyahu as Obama…………………

Arabia Deserta

Friedman Nearly Awake, Netanyahu as Obama…………………

“I think that — rather than fuming and making up — would have sent a very useful message for two reasons. First, what the Israelis did played right into a question a lot of people are asking about the Obama team: how tough are these guys? The last thing the president needs, at a time when he is facing down Iran and China — not to mention Congress — is to look like America’s most dependent ally can push him around. And second, Israel needs a wake-up call. Continuing to build settlements in the West Bank, and even housing in disputed East Jerusalem, is sheer madness. Yasir Arafat accepted that Jewish suburbs there would be under Israeli sovereignty in any peace deal that would also make Arab parts of East Jerusalem the Palestinian capital. Israel’s planned housing expansion now raises questions about whether Israel will ever be willing to concede a Palestinian capital in Arab neighborhoods of East Jerusalem — a big problem…….”

And NO the Obama administration will not get tough with Israel. Not with an ongoing tough campaign in process for both houses of Congress. However, it will probably get tough with everybody else, including Iran, precisely because there is a tough campaign for Congress this year.
But Friedman reads Netanyahu completely wrong: he is another “Obama Administration”, and will not make tough decisions.
Cheers
mhg

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