The Obama administration seeks to recover from the stagnation it imposed on the peace process a year ago by doubling down on its strategy of making impossible demands on the Israelis, hoping that this time they will cave.
The administration thought it had discovered a way forward in the form of proximity talks, in which the U.S. would serve as mediator in indirect negotiations between the two sides, being that the Palestinians are refusing direct talks (this ongoing Palestinian refusal, of course, earns zero criticism from the White House).
But now the administration is attaching new demands to the commencement of the talks:
to reverse last week’s approval of 1,600 housing units in a disputed area of Jerusalem, make a substantial gesture toward the Palestinians, and publicly declare that all of the “core issues” in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, including the status of Jerusalem, be included in upcoming talks.
It should be obvious, at this point, that Obama is trying to manufacture an immense political dilemma for Netanyahu by forcing him to choose between two crises — one with the United States should he accept the demands, the other with his coalition partners and the Israeli public should he reject them. For Netanyahu, this is a no-win situation. The only choice is between less damaging options.
Netanyahu should reject the new demands, because they are not made in good faith, they are a reversal of previous Obama commitments, and, most important, the proximity talks themselves are a trap.
Obama has demonstrated very clearly that he is not an “honest broker” — he is instead behaving as a lawyer for the Palestinians. The danger of proximity talks in which all the “core issues” of the conflict would be on the table is that the U.S. would act not as mediator but in tandem with the Palestinians to pressure Israel into making dangerous and unprecedented concessions. As Haaretz reported two weeks ago,
According to a senior official in the Palestinian Authority, the Obama administration has promised Abbas that if either side fails to live up to expectations, the United States will not conceal its disappointment, nor will it hesitate to take steps to remove the obstacle. In addition, the PA was promised that the United States would not be satisfied with playing the role of messenger. According to what the official read to me, the Obama administration will present its own proposals in an effort to bridge the gaps.
Obama has shown very clearly that, as on health care, he is personally passionate, emotionally invested, and possessed of the belief that he has the power to push through sweeping changes. The proximity talks would give Obama just the opening he needs to subject Netanyahu to an escalating series of demands and punishments — confronting him with the same dilemma he faces right now, only even more severe. Danger lies ahead.
These people live in a parallel universe that overlaps with ours only at certain limited points. The fake one was probably added for internal consumption.
If there was indeed a fake, I can see the left claiming that as proof that the Iranian regime is not a threat and needs to resort to trickery to defend themselves against belligerant threats from the US and Israel. Just like the left latched onto that ridiculous NIE report earlier this year.
I think they just have a certain number of long range missiles- so why shoot off 10% of your entire inventory. I have always believed they are doctoring their military assets to try and make them appear stronger.
One of their “new advanced fighter jets” is really a 30 year old F-5 with new wings attached on the back like a starter kit..
JAF: a “certain number of long range missiles” has been estimated at 24. Twenty-four!! With merely adequate intelligence, eliminating most of those should not be insuperably difficult.
reuters debacle? the “debacle” was israels attack on lebanon.
While that photo looks shopped, this other one of the launch doesn’t. http://cache.valleywag.com/assets/images/valleywag/2008/07/missile2.jpg
Easy for some to say whats doctored, when not personally within missile range.
Those missiles can easily hit our fleet in the Persian Gulf, our bases in Iraq and Afganistan, and Tel Aviv.
Take them seriously.
it is actually positive news if the Mullahs and IRGC are doctoring their propaganda, it means they do not have enough of an inventory to shoot off 8 or 10 SSMs at a time but need to restrict them to 3 to protect their strategic reserve..
I have no evidence to support my theory, but I suspect that domestic unrest is increasing in Iran, and that all this missile-rattling activity is going on in order to increase patriotism and stop internal dissent.
Of course, that doesn’t make it any less dangerous.
Did you notice, Lester, that Israel didn´t photoshop any of the dead bodies, either their own or Hezbollah´s?
C´mon now, laddie! Admit that the Israelis don´t lie!
Hey lester,
If the Israeli invasion was such a disaster, why is it Lebanon remains without a government, is a complete socio-economic basket case and would definitely be forced to use what little army they possess against Hizballah were Nasrallah to even think about another attack against Israel?
As for Iran and the Mullah’s; Iran’s going to launch attacks against neighboring Arab/Muslim countries if attacked? Oil has an unlimited potential to rise in price. All this is complete horsepuckey. Hell, where’s Baghdad Bob, did he find a new employer?
elixelx- all governments lie. oh well, at least this gives the lower life forms at LGF something to do for the next month
So lester, you´re not denying that the pics were fotoshopped, you just want to say it´s ok to do it ´cos everybody else is also doing it, and because Israel does it more than others?
C´mon laddie, admit it! You don´t care about missiles, or fotoshopping or nuclear threats, or Iran or Timbuck3! All you really care about is criticising Israel! Right?
Is it possible they were photoshopped in order to remove the launch vehicle? The vehicle is evident in the unedited photo, but erased from the edited one. Perhaps they felt it revealed something they didn’t want known. And then the original somehow leaked out, or someone overruled that decision when people began to notice that the first one was edited.
Just a theory.