Israel has audaciously gone public with their instructions to the United States of America. Previously their demands were given in private.
Here is what awaits SoS Hillary Clinton – Israel’s red lines. – Steve Clemons is chagrined. Et moi.
In today’s Ha’aretz:
Israel to present Clinton with ‘red lines’ on talks with Iran
Israel plans to present U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton with a series of “red lines” it wants Washington to incorporate into its planned dialogue with Tehran about Iran’s nuclear program.
Clinton arrived in Israel Monday night and will meet with various Israeli officials Tuesday.
The red lines were jointly formulated by the Foreign Ministry and the defense establishment, and Prime Minister-designate Benjamin Netanyahu has been briefed on them. The document recommends that Israel adopt a positive attitude toward the planned U.S.-Iranian dialogue, but proposes ways of minimizing what Israeli officials see as the risks inherent in such talks. Its main points are as follows:
1. Any dialogue must be both preceded by and accompanied by harsher sanctions against Iran, both within the framework of the UN Security Council and outside it. Otherwise, the talks are liable to be perceived by both Iran and the international community as acceptance of Iran’s nuclear program.
2. Before the dialogue begins, the U.S. should formulate an action plan with Russia, China, France, Germany and Britain regarding what to do if the talks fail. Specifically, there must be an agreement that the talks’ failure will prompt extremely harsh international sanctions on Iran.
A time limit must be set for the talks, to prevent Iran from merely buying time to complete its nuclear development. The talks should also be defined as a “one-time opportunity” for Tehran.
Timing is critical, and the U.S. should consider whether it makes sense to begin the talks before Iran’s presidential election in June.
The red lines were approved by Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni and Defense Minister Ehud Barak at a meeting with senior defense officials last week. All three plan to raise them at their respective meetings with Clinton Tuesday.
Within the defense establishment, the majority view, led by chief of Military
Intelligence Amos Yadlin, is that Israel should regard the U.S.-Iranian dialogue as an opportunity rather than a threat. The minority view, spearheaded by the Defense Ministry, is that the dialogue entails grave risks.
Where does Israel stop or the more appropriate question is when will Israel stop dictating to the world?
From Steve Clemons, The Washington Note
Israel is Crossing the Line
One of the interesting things to observe after George Bush issued his dictate to the world — “You are with us or against us” — was how some of those nations “with us” began to assume that their importance to and relationship with the United States was “unconditional” and that they could do virtually anything without worry of harming that relationship.
Taiwan and Israel were the two most interesting nations to watch because both suffer types of identity crises. Taiwan wants to be a fully recognized independent state by all parties but knows that China’s ascending power is undermining that fantasy rapidly. Israel, on the other hand, is the only true superpower in the Middle East but lives within borders that are in dispute and with some of its citizens trying to colonize territory that the international community has determined do not belong to it.
To his credit, George Bush instructed his Ambassadorial equivalent in Taipei, American Institute in Taiwan Director Douglas Paal, to tell Taiwan’s premier that the US would not countenance any declaration of independent status from China by Taiwan. Bush set his own red line and told Taiwan there were conditions to the relationship — real ones.
Israel, in contrast, seems not to have been given any red lines or conditions by the Bush team — other than perhaps pretending to be interested in the Annapolis peace process. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and even Bush himself complained about the ongoing expansion of settlements by Israelis in occupied territories — but no firm penalties were applied by the US to Israel for these illegal settlements.
Now Israel has gone one better and is issuing instructions to the United States on what America’s red lines with Iran should be. The implication of course is that Israel will take matters into its own hands if these lines are crossed — whether America does or not.
[.]
Israel should be rebuffed by Hillary Clinton. She should listen to Israel’s views on the region of course — and consider proposals. But this kind of instruction manual on what red lines can be tolerated or not is pretty outrageous — and borders on the type of irresponsibility and consequences of what a Taiwanese declaration of independence from China would mean.
In other words, if Taiwan wants to declare independence from China — so be it, but America will not be there as a stabilizer, defender or buffer. And if Israel has the audacity to make America’s strategic choices — particularly in public — then Israel can bomb away — but needs to know that such an act will irreparably harm US-Israel relations. A collision with Iran has nothing to do with Israel — despite Obama’s and Lieberman’s and Cheney’s and Clinton’s and McCain’s rhetoric.
[.]
Israel is crossing the line by instructing the American Secretary of State and President where there lines “should be”.
(emphasis added)
Conveniently, Israel is ignoring secretary of defense Robert Gates’ statement on the weekend:
Iran is not close to having a nuclear weapon, which gives the United States and others time to try to persuade Tehran to abandon its suspected atomic arms program, U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said on Sunday……”They’re not close to a stockpile, they’re not close to a weapon at this point, and so there is some time,” Gates said on NBC television’s “Meet The Press.”
Hmmm….but, this leaves much to ponder:
Netanyahu: Clinton and I found common ground
Prime Minister-designate Benjamin Netanyahu met with U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in Jerusalem on Tuesday, saying following their meeting that he had “found common ground with Clinton in attaining the common goals of our two countries.”
“We need to think creatively in order to move forward and create a different reality, both in terms of security and politically, and this is a common goal for both sides,” Netanyahu added.
Clinton met with Netanyahu after having met with President Shimon Peres and Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni earlier in the day as part of a 36-hour visit, her first trip to Israel in her new capacity as secretary of state.
Netanyahu did not offer details on his meeting with Clinton, but mentioned that the conversation between them “was deep, important and good.”
“We spoke about the Iranian issue and the Palestinian issue and we promised to meet again after the establishment of a government [in Israel]. We will work together closely in order to bring peace and prosperity to the region,” Netanyahu concluded.
Questions of the day.
What can be decoded from this diplomaticspeak? Has SoS Hillary accepted Israel’s red lines?
Can this guy be trusted?
When Bibi is satisfied, it’s time to grab a corner in the bunkers.
Memo To Netanyahu: Iran is not the threat. Look in the mirror, the enemy is within — tagged ethnic cleansing, collective punishment, apartheid, land theft and let’s not forget the pasta, macaroni, medicine blockade.
Not clever by half. Ask the Afrikaans.
