By Aluf Benn and Barak Ravid, Haaretz Correspondents
The U.S. has renewed pressure on Israel to evacuate illegal outposts in the West Bank and has asked Jerusalem to broaden efforts to help West Bank Palestinians in the run-up to the Annapolis peace summit next month.
During talks in Jerusalem late last week, National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley said the U.S. expects Israel to take measures that will assist Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas.
Hadley’s message was that if Israel wants to delay the discussions on the core issues – refugees, Jerusalem and borders – it must help the Palestinians change the situation on the ground and evacuate the outposts.
Israel has promised to evacuate all the outposts set up in the West Bank after March 2001, but has failed to abide by this. The U.S.administration has not raised the issue for the past three years in light of Israel’s withdrawal from the Gaza Strip in 2005.
Hadley also made it clear that the White House is fully coordinated with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, dismissing any impression that Rice is acting independently and that her efforts do not enjoy the backing of President George W. Bush. CONTINUE
The U.S. is a paper tiger when it comes to her muslim enemies. It will however push Israel around because that comes with no dangerous risks, as it would if we stood up to muslims. I can envision a scenario where the U.S. government takes harsh measures against Israel, such as holding back vital military assets. This is why the U.S. prevents Israel from developing its own fighter jets for example. It isn’t really about competition. The U.S. government wants Israel dependent on it militarily in order to have leverage. That isn’t to say I think Israel should aquiece to the administration’s demands, in fact I think Israel should say no, but if it does, it will have to be prepared for the worst. From what I have read, president Bush can be a very spiteful and vengeful man if one doesn’t bend to his will.
George Bush is trying to leave a legacy of peace in the Middle East by siding with the oil interests in the region. By siding with the Muslims, the oil cartels and other big business corporations, he feels that strength in numbers is to his advantage.
His failure is joining up on the wrong side and acting as if he were a radical left winger. He will not accomplish his goals by the end of his terms because the Israelis will awaken to the threat and bare her teeth. Peace is what he wants at all costs but it is war that he would get and one that even the US would not want nor abide with.
Israel needs to get into the propaganda war with both feet by waking up Jews and Christians
around the world to be aware of the disaster if she loses.
If Olmert were to have the guts to say no, he would soon find out what the Bush administration could do.
The worst that would happen would be for the Americans to pull out all the stops to bring Israel to its knees. If such was the case, Olmert would have time to accept that American position and it would be no worse then having said yes as soon as America made the demand.
By the same token, American reaction to Olmert saying no, might not be as bad as the foregoing worst case scenario which likely would open the door for Olmert to at least negotiate a position vis a vis America that is not as bad as the foregoing worst case scenario.
The best case scenario would be for America to be shocked that Israel is not falling into line and they would find themselves in a state of confusion as to what to do given the unimaginable has happened, in which case Israel would get away with saying no and derive all the benefits saying no would entail.
As I have stated many times, Israel should try saying no to America. They just might find America can be a paper tiger at times and learn from that as to when Israel can say no to America again.
Right you are Bill but if Olmert says NO! what could Bush and Condi really do? I have been asking this for a long time NOBODY HAS AN ANSWER! SO I HAVE TO SAY OLMERT WANTS THE SEEMING PRESSURE TO ADVANCE HIS AND RAMONS AND THE LEFTS AGENDA! What is not said in public is more interesting than what is said!
The Americans are virtually in panic mode to improve their standing in the Middle East.
There is no longer any pretence in the policies and actions of the Bush administration to disguise and hide the fact that it is applying maximum pressure on Israel to conform to American wishes. America is now openly doing all it can to force Israel to concede even more ground and position to the Palestinians without even asking the Palestinians to make their usual false and empty promises in return.
Israelis are not fools, but they sure are acting like fools if they do not even admit to this fact.
And what of American Jews? In spite of there being nothing wrong with their senses and faculties, they too are acting like they are deaf, dumb and blind when it comes to the treacherous efforts by the Bush administration to force Israel to march ever closer to the death chambers of Palestinian and Arab Jew hatred.