israel

Efraim Halevy: Obama showed "leadership of historic dimensions" to save Israelis in Cairo embassy

Last night at Israel Policy Forum's symposium in New York on "Security and the New Middle East," former Director of the Mossad Efraim Halevy spoke directly about President Obama's efforts to "extricate" the six Israelis trapped inside the Israeli embassy in Cairo last Friday night:

Jerusalem Post: ""Pressure on Israel? Americans Don't Care"

In yesterday's Jerusalem Post, Shmuel Rosner, reports on a Pew poll which finds that Ameriocans overwhelmingly suppport President Obama's push to stop settlements and get to serious negotiations.

Ambassador Indyk Tells All: Pretty Amazing Interview

Check out this interview from Yediot Achronoth.  And, unconstrained by official responsibility, he actually says what he thinks.  This interview will not make him more popular in Israel but it will confirm the view here that few, if any, in this country understand the Israeli-Palestinian and Israeli-American scenes better than Indyk.

Emanuel Says Obama Insists On Implementing Two State Solution, No Ifs, Ands, or Buts

Yedioth Achronoth, the largest circulation daily in Israel, reports today that President Obama intends to see the two-state solution signed, sealed and delivered during his first term.

Rahm Emanuel told an (unnamed) Jewish leader; "In the next four years there is going to be a permanent status arrangement between Israel and the Palestinians on the basis of two states for two peoples, and it doesn't matter to us at all who is prime minister."

A Palestinian View: More of the same

The incoming Israeli government has already received a frosty reception from almost all concerned parties, including close friends of Israel.

US President Barack Obama said the new government is not going to be helpful to the peace process. The EU has said that the upgrading of relations with Israel will depend on the new government's commitment to a two-state solution and later added that if Netanyahu did not commit to such a solution it could have negative consequences for EU-Israel relations.

Interview with Amb. Pickering on "A Last Chance for a Two-State Israel-Palestine Agreement"

We spoke yesterday afternoon with Ambassador Thomas Pickering. Pickering is a former ambassador to the United Nations, Russia, India, Israel, Jordan, El Salvador and Nigeria. He also served as Under Secretary of State under President Clinton. Pickering was one of ten distinguished signers of a policy paper developed by the US/Middle East Project.

Pulse: One of the more intriguing points that is made in the US/Middle East Project paper is that the Obama administration should shift its objective from ousting Hamas to modifying its behavior. Does this mean the US should drop the 3 conditions altogether, and just focus on Hamas not engaging in violence?

Obama Rebuffs Israeli Hawks on Iran

Chas Freeman may have been banned from the National Intelligence Council but that does not mean that the neocons are winning the hearts and minds of the Obama administration.

Quite the contrary.  

It appears that the President intends to pursue the diplomatic route with Iran and has no intention to give anybody the "bombs away" sign.

Another campaign promise is being kept.  Diplomacy first. And, hopefully, last.

Firestorm As Freeman "Withdrawal" Explodes in MSM

Until today the story of the "pro-Israel" right's efforts (ultimately successful) to keep a critic of Israel's policies out of the National Intelligence Council has been confined to the blogosphere. As is usually the case with this subject, the so-called MSM is afraid to touch this issue with a ten foot pole. Of course, that is what the whole Freeman case was about. Worse than that, it is about the fact that the President is prevented from appointing a distinguished public servant to an intelligence post because he is critical of Israeli policies.

The Path Back To Square One

Benjamin "Bibi" Netanyahu's expected election victory in Israel has sent chills throughout the international community. At a time when Washington has embarked on a comprehensive Middle East approach with promises to find an Israeli-Palestinian peace, stabilize Afghanistan, withdraw from Iraq and pursue diplomacy with Iran and Syria, the election of an Israeli Prime Minister whose election promise in 1996 was to undo the Oslo process and who dismisses diplomacy with Iran and promises that Israel will take action if others won't, will make the Obama administration's already arduous task next to impossible.

Congressman Ackerman Becomes Attackerman (Apologies to Spencer)

Congressman Gary Ackerman (D-NY) had some strong words about Israeli policies at today's hearing of the House Subcommittee on the Middle East and South Asia, which he chairs.

According to the JTA, Ackerman said, "that he was not trying to draw a moral equivalence between Israeli hard-liners and Palestinian terrorists, 'but they are all part of the same destructive dynamic.' "