Yoaz Hendel
The American threat
Obama shows diplomatic sensitivity worldwide, with the exception of Israel
One reprimand by Hillary Clinton, a half-threatening tone from the Obama Administration’s direction, and there we have the Diaspora Jew hidden in the genetic code of all of us breaking out fearfully.
Now you will say that the Netanyahu government shot itself in the foot, and that during such a significant visit on behalf of our master it allowed the community’s bureaucrats to run wild. You will say that the crisis is unbearable and that the Americans are fed up with the Mideast’s harsh realities.
Closet Hatred
Moshe Dann
Moshe Dann pleased that Biden, Clinton emerged from Obama's closet hatred of Israel
Yet with all these words, secret government sessions, and apologies, someone may forget that after all we are dealing with a sovereign Jewish State here. A state allowed to declare that Jerusalem is its capital and allowed to plan construction on days and at sites the current US Administration is not comfortable with.
And yes, we are a state that is allowed to err when it comes to diplomatic codes of conduct and whose officials are allowed to behave like bureaucratic bulls in a political china shop.
Many pages, articles, and books can be written about the importance of the Israel-US friendship. All of it is true. Yet we must not forget that diplomatic friendships and strategic alliances should not imply that the identity of one of the sides is invalidated.
Jewish fear
The Obama Administration understands it well. It has demonstrated its diplomatic sensitivity almost everywhere in the world, yet here of all places, among friends, it resorts to threats and a tough attitude in order to exert influence.The reason for this (with all due respect to Netanyahu) is us, the citizens, with the constant dual message and Jewish fear we convey.
Officials in Washington recognized the laud applause at Tel Aviv University following Vice President Joe Biden’s critical remarks and were certain that the entire country thinks the same. They hear Netanyahu’s apology, the anxious preoccupation with the crisis, and realize that the decision regarding Jerusalem had not yet been taken.
Those who think that foreign interference in Israeli policy is good for us fail to understand the meaning of being a sovereign. One may argue that we must not build in Jerusalem or that we must not build there at this time (even though Zionist history never identified a good timing for anything,) but those making the decisions about these issues should be the State of Israel’s citizens.
So don’t worry about Hillary and Obama – the moment we speak up clearly, they’ll understand.
