Israel/US Relations

[itamar]

Hi All,
I was wondering what is being said @ the IDC about the seeming increase of tension between the American and Israeli governments?

I live in Los Angeles and am a product of mainstream media spins and am keen to reach out to hear about the local take.

Clearly, these tensions are viewed as setbacks, but is there a sentiment that a two state solution is in the near future? It's hard to believe, but I keep crossing my fingers. It would be the surprise of the decade for me if Netanyahu's coalition is the one to bring about the two states into fruition.

It seems clear to me, through the media in the US, that the Americans set the bar too high for both sides and are now having to backtrack.

What's the way out of this debacle?

[omristern]

Prudent questions you raise, Itamar.

I find that a good dose of international media balanced with some Israeli media is fitting. With media outlets in the US screaming at you on every corner, you can find respite in the miracle of the internet - no matter where you are, you can be informed if you have some solid sources. That being said, I recommend following: http://www.nytimes.com, http://www.haaretz.com, http://www.ynet.co.il, and Uzi Machanaimi's sunday column in the London Sunday Times (http://www.timesonline.co.uk).

In terms of the recent crisis, though it may seem clear that the Americans have set the bar high, this is not something that is unprecedented. In fact nearly every American administration has advocated that Israel not build infrastructure in East Jerusalem. However in practice, nearly every US president has not demanded that Israel fulfill these demands as it was agreed that the Jerusalem issue would be pushed back to final negotiations, in light of the high sensitivity of the issue for both Israelis and Palestinians, not to mention the whole world watching. It has always been implied in this de facto agreement, however, that Israel take commensurate steps to engage in the peace process, and the most recent regime for this has been the infamous Road Map.

The most outspoken question I hear people asking is: Why all of a sudden does the US want Israel to stop construction in East Jerusalem? What has changed now that was different from before?

To boot, the Netanyahu government does not recognize the Road Map. From a purely theoretical perspective, this means Obama CAN make such demands and still play by the "rules." However, politics in this realm being so elusive, this explanation does not suffice.

Another angle is that the American Administration is trying to balance a new adage of power in the Middle East. There appear to be two blocs forming, the moderate side lead by the US and Israel, and followed by Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, vs. the extremist side lead by Iran and followed by Syria, Libya, and terrorist organizations sprinkled all over the Levant. US Defense Secretary, Robert Gates, has stated that a delay in reaching peace between Israelis and Palestinians poses a threat to US security interests, as the Iranian bloc uses the volatility to foment extremism and instability, part in partial as tools to buy them time to build the bomb. One can't help but see logic here, Israel has been fighting against such extremism for decades - the secret ingredient for a strong terrorist infrastructure is lawlessness and instability.

Yet another explanation is that this crisis happened by a comedy of errors. In Israel, as you know brother, a funny thing happens on the way to the Knesset. The public bodies that authorize settlement construction are loosely monitored, as evidenced by Netanyahus recent pledge to build a commission to monitor building developments. (This was his promise to Obama as a means to defuse the crisis) I can imagine that had the Jerusalem blueprint been kept under wraps, then this crisis might have been averted, diverted, or converted...if you grasp my innuendo.

[ArianaS]

I've felt that since living in Israel, my stress level has decreased (oddly enough?). When in the US I worried about Israel constantly: how my neighbors view this state, what policies will be bestowed upon it... etc. Now that I am here, I am calm about it, because what seems like such a big deal doesn't exactly have an immediate effect on Israelis. According to Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu relations between the US and Israel "remain solid" (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/03/2 ... 16880.html).
Did Vice President Biden's visit alter the discussion- not really! In my opinion settlements have been in the discussion for some time... and Biden's comments, among other Biden comments (he is known for making remarks that are silly? - he recently swore on live TV) remain questionable. Are the realtions as solid as they could be? I think not. Am I worried? Here, now- no I am not.

[AlexDavid]

Hi all,

the funniest.. well, let's call it funny, in order not to use any other less objective language... in this otherwise quite tragic middle-eastern reality, is a very little known or talked about fact:
The actual builders of those forbidden houses are non others than Palestinians. As one explains, with unemployment so high in the territories, the only way they can make ends meet is by working for Israelis on construction sites. More than that, the fact that these sites are in the territories make it much easier for them to go and work, were they, in Israel, they'd have to go through work permits, barrages, soldiers, clandestinity, lesser wages, etc.. there, in the territories they can just go to work and go back home without a hassle. As one of them explained to an Italian journalist who cared to go check it out" I have always worked for Israelis in the settlements. What can I do? I need the money." Mohammed earns between 800-1000 dollars a month. He further explains that the Palestinian Authority is not able to give alternatives in order to fight unemployment, so he cannot/ will not criticize those who work for the Israelis even in such disputed projects. His red line is the (in-)famous Wall (that separates Israel and the territories, called Security fence by some and Apartheid Wall by others). He said he would never work there and help build that wall.
And I think that just shows again the complexities of the issues in this part of the world. Yes you have state leaders, promises, diplomacy (even though Israel seems to have lost track of the meaning of the word somewhere along the wall), but the reality on the ground is far more complex. One part of the buildings have been halted, following the "crisis", ... but not the others that were not even mentioned. More than that, the real crisis seems to be within the territories and in the unemployment fight. Hassan Abu Lidbeh, Minister of Labour & Social Affairs, is trying to pass a law that would render illicit any work contract between Palestinians and Israelis, thereby rendering buildings more complicated for the latter, however, as another builder points out: "this blocking of the buildings may be good for the Palestinian people, but it is not good for me" , and he adds that the Palestinian Authority needs to open new factories and create jobs for Palestinians, that a freeze of construction will not suffice.


So, may be the real issue that should be addressed is how can Israelis and Palestinians work together with the help, under the umbrella of the US in order to address real issues, not just "diplomatically correct" ones. There are a few realities on the grounds that cannot be ignored, for they will only make matters worse and in this part of then world, to make matters worse means to give up on perfectly sane, good-willing, pragmatic, peace oriented people and let them join extremist groups for lack of bread to bring home!

Alex