"Israel's massive arsenal has failed to stall a nuclear
deal between Washington and Iran. ... In
practical terms, Netanyahu has failed to pursue a policy of opposition to
Washington without provoking it, unlike his predecessor Yitzhak Shamir. ... Instead
of accusing the United States of abandoning Israel, Netanyahu should be more
concerned about how his own actions impact the people of Israel."
To
the rhythm of the Geneva talks, a behind-the-scenes battle has been taking
place between the Israeli Government and the American administration, the
outward signs of which have been revealed in the form of statements,
communications, threats, military operations and settlement activity. Nevertheless,
Israel's massive arsenal failed to stall a nuclear deal between Washington and
Iran.
As
Israeli Communications Minister GiladErdan accused John Kerry of working for the Iranians, Netanyahu
devoted much of his energies to rallying pro-Israel forces in Congress to
undermine any potential accord with Iran - which led President Obama to decline
taking his phone calls several times. Netanyahu then launched airstrikes on an abandoned
Syrian military outpost near Latakia claiming to have
struck missiles headed for Hezbullah, yet Russian-American contacts showed that
except for the presence of a few Russian experts, the location was empty. This raised
the ire of the Kremlin, which issued a strongly-worded warning to Israel not to
repeat the feat. The aim behind the raid was in fact to provoke the Syrian regime
so as to reshuffle the cards in the region.
In
order to sabotage negotiations with the Palestinians, the Israeli government
has escalated settlement building activity, most recently announcing the
construction of 20,000 settlement units, which was speedily cancelled after the
U.S. issued an ultimatum.
This
was certainly not the only response taken by the Obama Administration to
Israeli interventions into American politics. It also leaked communications
from the former Bush Administration to Congress pertaining to the loss of Israeli
military power, Israel’s consequent resort to proxy wars, and its inability to
wage a decisive war after its conflict against Lebanon. Following the kidnapping
of the two Israeli soldiers in southern Lebanon, former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert reportedly told President Bush that the outcome of the
battle would be secured within hours, and that the battleground would be the
southern suburbs of Beirut. Israel
failed to do so and incurred heavy losses.
Moreover,
U.S. National Security Advisor Susan Rice has summoned leaders of the American Jewish
community to harshly criticize Netanyahu. Describing his policy as "irrational,"
she said criticism of U.S. policies would not be permitted to threaten Americans
who have rallied around their president or any accord with Iran. Such an
accord, she pointed out that once the details of the agreement are elaborated, it
would also enjoy the support of the people of Europe as well as the Gulf States.
In
practical terms, Netanyahu has failed to pursue a policy of opposition to
Washington without provoking it, unlike his predecessor Yitzhak Shamir, who
opposed negotiations [with the Palestinians] while carrying on with frequent
visits to the United States, apparently undisturbed by its administration’s
inattention or refusal to meet with him.
The
agreement with Iran has become a reality despite Israeli opposition. As Rice
pointed out, in addition to its commitment to Israel, the United States has
other important interests in the region. Instead of accusing the United States
of abandoning Israel, Netanyahu should be more concerned about how his own
actions impact the people of Israel.
