Likud: Obama Has Crossed The Line

[Purveyor]

US President Barack Obama's administration's criticism of Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu's policies has crossed the line into interfering in Israeli politics, top Likud ministers and MKs said Tuesday.

Kadima officials responded to the allegations by disagreeing that the US was meddling but expressing concern that such a perception by the Israeli public would harm their party and end up strengthening the prime minister. They accused Netanyahu's associates of portraying Obama as an enemy of Israel in order to unite the public behind him.

The charges of American interference began April 16 when Yediot Aharonot quoted Obama's chief of staff Rahm Emanuel telling 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 ."

Likud Minister-without-Portfolio Yossi Peled said Tuesday that the statement was inappropriate and was just one of many examples of American interference in Israeli politics since Netanyahu's election in February.

Vice Premier Moshe Ya'alon, also of the Likud, has accused Israeli Leftist groups of coaching Obama's administration on how to handle Netanyahu.

Netanyahu himself appeared to endorse that assertion when he told a Likud MK over the weekend: "What do they want from me? Do they want my government to fall?"

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JERUSALEM POST: http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1243872317025&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

[no_hypocrisy]

1. Obama's interfered with THEIR politics? Oh, the irony . . . .

Cue AIPAC.

[havocmom]

10. Really. How dare the President of the United States of America have an opinion

which has not been approved by hawks in the Middle East.

:sarcasm: icon for those who have trouble with such exercise

[no_hypocrisy]

41. Well, THAT didn't take long, did it?

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=103x453403

[Howardx]

2. laughable

more hubris.

[kirby]

3. Oh the Chutzpah...

How can they say that with a straight face when they dictate/interfere with our politics?

[mix]

4. pissing off Likudniks is always a good thing n/t

[Sebastian Doyle]

15. Well..... yes and no

Yitzhak Rabin pissed off the Likudists in the 1990s. I'm a little nervous that Obama's running around the Middle East right now..... :scared:

[mix]

18. me too, worried n/t

[Ron Green]

5. Dog wags Tail = news?

[Zodiak]

6. I want the Likud to fail

They are a filthy right-wing warmongering party that does not represent the opinion of a majority of Israelis. In order to get power, they formed a weak alliance with the other right-wing Israelis. They are hell-bent on destroying peace in the middle east, and as belligerent as any terrorist or rogue state. I hope their coalition with the other Israeli right-wing groups collapses, and FINALLY we can get some sanity in the Israeli government.

Until then, Obama can tell them to piss up a rope, and I would think that the rhetoric didn't go far enough. Fuck the Likud party!

[Richard Steele]

11. I agree completely. nm

[Recursion]

7. Woah! I missed that Rahm quote.

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

Ouch. The SNL impression of Rahm wasn't quite hardcore enough. "You will get in line or I will stamp your f**king ticket".

[bvar22]

33. Unfortunately, Rahm feels the same way....

...about the Democratic Wing of the Party.

[ecstatic]

8. I'm sure he'd stay out of it if it weren't for the 3 billion or so

that we give to them every year. :shrug: :eyes:

[Martin Eden]

28. Let's stop "interfering" ... stop sending them $$billions

They want our money with NO strings attached ...

... while they spend heavily to lobby OUR government to shape OUR foreign policy ...

... a policy that results in considerable BLOWBACK (9/11 ring a bell?) and hurts our national security interests.

If Netanyahu doesn't like it, let him lump it -- and get by without our help.

[TahitiNut]

9. Likud to U.S.: "Just send money and shut up!"

:eyes: They must be taking PR lessons from GM's Waggoner.

[Captain Hilts]

21. Agree. Let's just turn off the financial taps. nt

[L0oniX]

12. Like AIPAC doesn't interfere with ours?

[unblock]

30. aipac is an american organization

so this is not a good parallel. yes, aipac is pro-israel, and leans more toward the conservative side within israel, and one could argue that through its ties israel has influence on american policies through aipac, but this is not nearly the same thing as netanyahu coming to america and criticizing obama's policies.

[hobbit709]

13. Translation: He didn't kiss their ass.

[hootinholler]

14. Sounds like we should take AIPAC espionage seriously and actually punish someone. n/t

[havocmom]

19. WORD!

[robertpaulsen]

25. For starters, Judge Ellis must uphold his original sentence for Larry Franklin.

That means ten years of prison!

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

16. Obama is doing something right in my book

if he makes these warmongers angry.

[Kalyke]

17. When Israel starts returning our $3-4 billion a year in aid, then

BibiNutinYahoo can talk about the US president "crossing the line."

:eyes:

[RaleighNCDUer]

20. You think there is any connection there with this:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x3905554

[Blue Meany]

22. The US has been interferring for years by providing military

aid to Israel. If that interferrence were to end, the peace process might have a chance.

[cascadiance]

23. And they have the NERVE of accusing US of "interfering" with THEIR politics!??

ARGGHHH!!!

Time to shut down AIPAC NOW if we want to respond in kind to their criticism!

[rateyes]

24. IBT thread gets relegated to the dungeon. nt

[Burma Jones]

26. Right Wingers are pinheads all over the world.........

[Fresh_Start]

27. LOL crossed the line into interfering in Israeli politics

pretty terrible when the chickens come home to roost
I'm looking forward to this battle

[Taverner]

29. Fuck the Likud. They're nothing more than Nazis

And I mean that, Godwin or no Godwin.

[On the Road]

31. One Can Only Hope That

Obama is beginning to do to Israeli hawks what he's doing to the GOP -- pursue sensible policies ina gracious way which drives them into extreme reactions and make them look like idiots. It's going to take a sea change or a hinge event of some kind to get a real solution, and strange as it sounds, this might be a start.

[Peacetrain]

32. Oh give me a break already...

Likud needs to calm down

[Ganja Ninja]

34. I didn't know Dick Cheney was jewish?

It sounds like he joined the Likud. Or maybe its the other way around, the Likud has been secretly running the GOP.

[Sebastian Doyle]

40. Well, they definitely run PNAC, AEI, and all those other right wing "think tanks"

that make up Darth Cheney's small, but dedicated "fan base".

[bvar22]

35. As one of the harshest critics of Obama's Policies at DU...

...I am delighted to be given an opportunity to stand up and cheer for our President !!!

:woohoo:

[Festivito]

36. Obama's words more powerful than Israel's entire Likud party! Wow!

He speaks, and suddenly Israel's policies melt. Perhaps they shouldn't be so weak.

[RainDog]

37. okay. no more aid.

because the settlers have got to get out of the west bank. no ifs ands or buts.

and frankly, I would be happy if Netanyahu's govt. fell because he's part of the problem.

[mitchum]

38. Barking piss ants

[Chulanowa]

39. Israel is a democracy, at least for most of the population

If the Israelis hear something that makes them want to chuck Likud - or any of the rest of the Likud-lite parties - out on their ass, tough noogies.

[rug]

42. I'd consider $3,000,000,000 a year interfering in Israeli politics.

[underpants]

43. Okay give us back the $3 billion we gave your for THIS YEARS IDF budget

otherwise shut up

[backscatter712]

44. Fuck Israel's neocon wingnut party.

Seriously. Likud can go to hell.

And "interfering in Israeli politics?" After their lobbying and bribing of most of Congress? :rofl:

I'm sure some twat's gonna come out of the woodwork and call me "anti-Semitic"...