AIPAC’s Chief Executive Gets Tough with Obama
After his first round of meetings with President Obama, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reaffirmed that “Israel must have the ability always to defend itself, by itself,” and must remain the “master of its fate.” Continuing, the Israeli prime minister noted: “When it comes to Israel’s security, Israel has the right, the sovereign right, to make its own decisions” — a clear indication that Netanyahu was saying it is up to Israel, not any American president, to decide when Iran has crossed the “red line” after which no option other than force will remove an Iranian nuclear threat.
As journalist Eli Lake pointed out today, the two sides oppose each other and it is rather difficult to see how they will come to any serious mutual agreement. Lake writes that Obama’s goal “will be to assure the Israel prime minister that the United States will use force to delay Iran’s nuclear program if the current round of sanctions don’t work,” while “all the while, Netanyahu’s objective will be to avoid having to make a direct commitment to the president not to order his jets to bomb Iran’s nuclear infrastructure.”
The issue is what the trigger is after which Israel’s leaders believe they have no option available except that of striking Iran. The Obama administration seems to believe that it will occur when Iran already has a weapon, while Israel’s leaders seem to indicate the red line will be way before when Iran already has all the components ready to put together. As Lake puts it: “The Israelis seek to destroy Iran’s ability to manufacture an atomic weapon, whereas President Obama has pledged only to stop Iran from making a weapon.”
To Israel, the time to act is now; to the current American president, it seems the time to act has not yet arrived. How, one wonders, can these two very different assessments be made compatible?
In this context, the speech to AIPAC this morning by Executive Director Howard Kohr assumes great importance. A well-known Democrat with ties to the White House, Kohr — while trying to put the best face on the president’s speech the previous day — presented a tough message to the executive branch.
On the vital issue singled out by Lake, Kohr had this to say:
It is not necessary for Iran to actually have the bomb to demonstrate beyond doubt that they have crossed the nuclear threshold. Iran with simply the capacity to quickly produce a weapon is a risk to peace, and a threat to the world. Iran, as a threshold nuclear state will strengthen our foes and frighten our friends. … That is why all U.S. officials must speak with one voice so Tehran clearly hears that America is unified in its determination to prevent a nuclear capable Iran.
Kohr, bluntly speaking, said to the president that Israel’s understanding of the threat from Iran — not his own — was right. For a left-leaning, pro-Obama Democrat, these are the toughest of words.
Indeed, he reiterated that while time for diplomacy might still exist, “that time is running out, quick.”
Moreover, he also slyly referenced Obama’s objections to “loose war talk,” by noting:
When American soldiers entered Iraq in 2003 and Tehran feared it would be next, Iran stopped work on developing a nuclear weapon. But when the mullah’s fear diminished, Iran’s nuclear scientists returned to business as usual and have been at it ever since. The reality today is that the Iranian regime is not frightened enough. We must increase the pressures on the mullahs to the point where they fear failure to comply will lead to their downfall.
Tonight AIPAC attendees will hear the long-awaited comments of Netanyahu, which will be made only a few hours after their last meeting of the day. It should indeed prove to be most interesting.
(Also read: J Street Thanks Obama for Rational and Thoughtful Approach on Iran.)
Kohr’s speech would have been brave, timely, appropriate and, in this season of Purim, even Mordechai-like, if this were a few years ago and there was some time before Iran is likely able to field nuclear weapons.
But we are now apparently right down to the wire so it is pathetic to see Kohr offer such bouquets to BHO: “President Obama and his administration are to be commended. They have — more than any other administration — more than any other country — brought unprecedented pressure to bear on Tehran through the use of biting economic sanctions … (w)e must recoil from any inclination to make this situation — or allow others to make this about parties or politics”.
It is as if George Orwell had written an essay commending Neville Chamberlain for his staunch anti-fascist career in 1940, with the Wehrmacht blitzing Norway.
One wonders if pampered American Jewish leaders such as Kohr can even appreciate what is like to face even the pre-nuclear expeditionary forces of Iran w/o political support, for example as an Israeli soldier in Lebanon in 2006 or as an American solider in Iraq in 2007.
End the problem.
Obama’s campaign has never provided evidence of his eligibility for POTUS. The pdf file posted on WhiteHouse.gov was proved to be Fraudulent and a forgery, manufactured digitally using Adobe and Adobe Illustrator by Sheriff Joe Arpaio. You can pull the BC from the site itself and examine it. Here are the step-by-step instructions, along with the proof: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7s9StxsFllY
A self-admitted dual citizen (father was British National from Kenya at the time of Obama II’s birth), he does not meet the “natural born citizen” requirement required by the Constitution. An explanation of natural born citizen is here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qz0_LNLA9GY
If the courts won’t examine evidence, why doesn’t the Congress call for Obama to release his records (the evidence)?
http://obamareleaseyourrecords.blogspot.com/2010/12/exposed-attorney-who-worked-on-mccain.html
Failure on the part of Congress to begin investigation and arrest of a Usurper who has committed unknown thousands of felonies is in itself a felony – Misprision of Felony by our elected officials.
An election does NOT overturn the Constitution and the rule of law. Is a Congressman not a “proper authority” to look into such serious concerns and isn’t the oversight function of Congress among its most important duties?
Americans demand redress.
Letting Iran acquire the bomb is like letting Adolph Hitler have the bomb during WWII.
What Israel Will Do
Am I the only one who thinks that if and when Israel attacks, it won’t be only from the air?
And that the top mullahs on the ground will be taken out, on the ground?
As in Chop off the head and the body dies?
Iran may want the bomb for their own mad mullah agenda, but it is not necessary for them to have the bomb in order to terrorize the world’s economy based on oil prices. Iran need only to continue playing brinksmanship to extort and sandbag the west. The suffering of their own people does not seem to be a factor in their calculations.
N.Korea used the bomb as a bargaining chip for concessions. Saddam threatened with both an empty weapon and terrorism to keep his power and offend the world. Those have to be the prime examples of working the west. China and Russia are playing their own backdoor games with Iran as an allie.
Iran does not have to strike nuclear. Mining the straits in half a day would tie up world oil traffic and prices for a month. For now, their power is in the threat and peripheral attacks, not the deed.
Will these AIPAC speeches be put up on the net?
What are the military benefits of waiting longer?
The benefit is the very real possibility of not having to use the military.
It’s Mr. Shuck and Jive in action. According to the Washington Free Beacon he has failed to supply enough funds for Israel’s missile defense: http://freebeacon.com/missile-meltdown/
“President Obama failed to request enough money to fully fund critical U.S.-Israel missile defense programs, according to a top Democratic lawmaker on the House Appropriations Committee. Asked today if President Obama had sought adequate funding for joint U.S.-Israel missile defense programs in his 2013 budget proposal, Rep. Steve Rothman (D-N.J.) replied, “No.” The Free Beacon was first to report that Obama has requested to reduce the amount of money Israel receives for its critical missile defense systems by $6.3 million relative to the 2012 budget proposal”
FACT CHECK: US Aid for Israel Missile Program:
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hfrxj1Cp8OMR4yZ34ly9mX3AdS-g?docId=2821d328891b4e7697fcaced5276916d
Well, I, for one, am comforted by the fact that Valerie Jarrett spent all those years living in Israel.
That Jeremiah Wright preached to the Obama’s in those pews for 20 years about the goodness and greatness of Israel and Jews.
That Bill Ayers was involved with putting together a sea-going vessel for the advancement of Israel’s interests.
That Robert Malley has an Israel loving heritage and that he secretly met with the Mossad in order to talk to them about recognizing their legitimate interests.
That Obama has openly stated his frustration with having to deal with Abbas every day.
That Obama has been adamant about Israel having defensible borders and has been discreet in talking about Israel’s timeframe for taking out Iran’s nuclear buildup.
Obama’s Jewish outreach program with NASA and other agencies has been inspiring.
Had all of the above things not been true, one might be inclined to see his present recitation of talking points as a cynical and cheap attempt to spout empty rhetoric in exchange for Jewish dollars.
Israel and all Jews worldwide should sleep easy tonight. Obama has a lifetime of surrounding himself with pro-Israel sentiments. Trust him. This …ONE …LAST…TIME.
I still do not know why any Jew would vote for President Obama again. I remember my father a democrat at the time changed parties and voted for Reagan. I was to young to understand. Well now I do and for various reasons I would never vote for Obama.