I don’t know or particularly care whether or not the Obama administration is intentionally pursuing a policy of undermining Netanyahu’s coalition government (although I lean towards Josh Marshall’s view). But, I do know this: if Obama wants to get Netanyahu to do what he wants, he must make it clear to every Israeli that Bibi is acting under extreme pressure.
I may not agree with the prevailing political attitude in Israel right now, but I recognize that Netanyahu was just elected on a platform that is completely at odds with Obama’s policies. Netanyahu should not be expected to violate his campaign promises without a very compelling reason for doing so. It would be unfair and probably fruitless if Obama failed to put massive pressure on Netanyahu. This probably has to come in the form of a threat to withhold military aid, but I’m open to ideas for intermediate steps.
Ha’aretz puts it like this:
Netanyahu now understands what he already knew before the [Cairo] speech: The moment of political reckoning that he so feared is now rapidly approaching. The thunder he hears in the distance is the sound of the Likud legions and the West Bank settler hordes rolling down the mountains. The light on the horizon is not that of a new day, but of a train coming right at him – a night train from Cairo.
Netanyahu will have to decide over the coming weeks whom he would rather pick a fight with: the powerful U.S. administration, whose president sees himself in an almost messianic role, or his own coalition and members of his party.
The Obama administration can make his choice easier by being very visibly tough.
