Yesterday — for the third time this week — AP reporter Matt Lee asked the State Department spokesperson what the U.S. had done to meet its June 8 commitment to include Israel in the Global Counterterrorism Forum (GCTF), which the U.S. established and co-chairs.
Monday, the spokesman said he was unfamiliar with the issue; Tuesday, he was unable to provide any details; yesterday, Lee pitched the question again:
QUESTION: So I’m led to believe that you have an answer to my question about Israel and the Global Counterterrorism Cooperation Forum or whatever it’s called?
MR. VENTRELL: I do, Matt.
QUESTION: Yes?
MR. VENTRELL: We believe that Israel would make a valuable contribution to the Global Counterterrorism Forum. We have raised the issue of Israeli participation in relevant GCTF activities with a number of GCTF partners at very senior levels. We will continue to do so as we move forward. Our discussion with Israel concerning the GCTF – our discussions have focused on Israeli participation and relevant activities to allow Israel to share its counterterrorism expertise with CT practitioners from GCTF-member and other countries.
So the U.S. has “raised the issue,” and “will continue to do.” The spokesperson added that “our strong hope” is that Israel will be involved in a working group, and then “potentially become a full member.” Lee’s follow-up confirmed that Israel has not yet participated in the GCTF.
The administration’s third-try answer begged three obvious questions: Why wasn’t Israel included in the GCTF originally? Why wasn’t it included in the 29-nation GCTF conference this week, notwithstanding the U.S. raising the issue “at very senior levels”? How did the specific pre-conference commitment become only a post-conference “hope”? Perhaps Lee or some other reporter should give this a fourth try.
Reminds me of the "strong hope” that Iran won't develop nuclear weapons. Nice to know that the US will not let little things like a boycott of Israel or state sponsored anti-semitism keep us from giving our country's money, prestige and expertise to this conference. Odd that none of the countries demanding the exclusion of Israel were treated to the blistering public lectures that Netanyahu received from the Obama administration over a couple of low level bureaucratic housing approvals. If this is what our ally Israel can expect from its supposed best friend in the White House, I shudder to think what it can look forward to from a lesser friend, an enemy, or someone indifferent.
Or a second Obama term. His first term certainly qualifies him to be a "lesser friend".
Israel needs to just say no. It needs to start winding down intelligence cooperation with the US.
Israel is not as fickle as the US. And despite all the blather from those who rant about 'Israel firsters' taking over the country, it is not as ungrateful or as unconcerned about its allies as the US.
Yes, but that's not what "begging the question" means. Somewhere, H.W. Fowler's (and Addison Schacht's) eyes are rolling.