Did Israel Intentionally Undermine Obama's Outreach To Iran?

[grassfed]

Did Israel Intentionally Undermine Obama's Outreach To Iran?

MJ Rosenberg
Washington Director of Policy Analysis, Israel Policy Forum
POSTED MARCH 21, 2009 - 10:14AM

Yesterday, when the New York Times inexplicably gave Shimon Peres' insulting message to Iran equal play with President Obama''s, I thought it might be no coincidence.

Peres, who is an uberhawk on Iran, suddenly sends "greetings" to the Iranian people urging them to rise up against their government at the same moment that Obama respectfully addressed the "Islamic Republic of Iran" with the most conciliatory US message in decades. Coincidence? Maybe.

Of course, the Iranians would not view it that way. They would see America and Israel playing "good cop, bad cop," diminishing the effect of Obama's remarkable overture.

I hear that the White House is furious.

more
http://www.israelpolicyforum.org/blog/did-israel-intentionally-undermine-obamas-outreach-iran

[theoldman]

1. Use your brain.

Who do you think the Iranian people will listen to, Obama or an Israeli? BTW, the Iranians like American people but not our government. The Americans do not like the Iranian people or their government. Which do you think is the bigger problem?

[grassfed]

2. Israel's greeting to Iran: Is the tail wagging our dog, or is the dog pissing on our leg?

Ilene Cohen makes a similar point about the gestures:

A little observation about the NY Times. There's an article online entitled, "Obama and Israeli Leader Make Taped Appeals to Iran," which is mostly about President Obama's truly groundbreaking message to the people and government of Iran. No threats. No nuclear talk. No regime change talk. Peres of Israel, by contrast, issued greetings to the people of Iran in a typically cheesy Israeli production urging them to think twice about Ahmadinejad; the smallness screams out. I found it offensive to see the two sets of greetings packaged together by the Times, since other than that both were "messages" to Iran, they have nothing else in common. Mr. Peres, you are no Barack Obama.

And here's another Jewish writer echoing that point to me:
This is amazing. The President of the United States offers an olive branch but the Times couples it with bullshit from the twobit President of a pissant country. Also, is it a coincidence that Peres issued this today? Or is his intent to make it look like a coordinated good cop/bad cop act.

http://www.philipweiss.org/mondoweiss/2009/03/finally-just-a-little-observation-about-the-ny-times-theres-an--article-onlineentitled-obama-and-israelileader-make-taped.html#more

[norepubsin08]

3. Why can't I recommend this post

Just tried and it said I can't recommend from this forum..then tried to recommend a different post and that worked fine?

[Howardx]

5. posts in i/p cant be recommended

for no good reason i have ever heard.

[ConcernedCanuk]

10. something to ponder

.
.
.

Of course, if they can't be recommended then they will never show up on DU's home page, greatest . .

hmmmmm . . .

:freak:

[Howardx]

18. who benefits from that arrangement? n/t

[IndianaGreen]

19. Yes, who benefits from controlling the message. Here is what Desmond Tutu had to say

The archbishop attacked the political power of Jewish groups in the United States, saying: "People are scared in this country, to say wrong is wrong because the Jewish lobby is powerful - very powerful. Well, so what?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/1957644.stm

[geek tragedy]

4. Of course Israel did. They want us to sacrifice our own

soldiers and go to war with Iran.

[LeftishBrit]

8. Just what the American Right would like Israel to do with *its* soldiers!

But I doubt very much that either Israel or America will go to war with Iran - both too overcommitted elsewhere, even if they wanted to.

For that matter,I also doubt that Iran seriously wants to start a war right now.

There has been plenty of sabre-rattling on all sides, much of it IMO for domestic consumption. Let's hope this starts to decrease.

[geek tragedy]

11. Well, apparently Cheney and Olmert were hot to trot

last November. But Bush, (BUSH!!!) overruled.

No doubt that Netanyahu and Lieberman are Ya'alon are chomping at the bit.

[Turbineguy]

6. Israel is like a teenage punk

who needs his ass kicked.

At least some in Israel make it look that way.

[rateyes]

7. America, listen up:

Israel is neither our ally, nor our friend.

[shira]

9. yes, Israel intentionally sent a message to Iran

believing for some odd reason that Iran poses an existential threat to them the moment they have nukes and hand them off to Hamas and/or Hizbullah. Why must this be seen as intentionally undermining Obama?

[Idealism]

12. Shira, you have no clue about the history of Iran nor its current state.

I can recommend several documentaries if you would like, though I am not sure if you have the interest for it. To you they must all be "haters."

[shira]

17. of course you're right.....it's not as if you constantly make up shit here and are corrected

over and over again.

[Idealism]

20. I can think of 3 things you were wrong about and got corrected in the past two days.

But thanks for the laugh, Ms. "Desmond Tutu says there is no genocide in Darfur"/"Taba was all Arafat and the Palestinians' fault"/"Chas Freeman is a communist-loving hypocrite."

[grassfed]

21. touché

merci

[shira]

22. are you serious?

1. It was Carter who denied genocide in Darfur. Carter is part of a group called the Elders, and Desmond Tutu is one of them. Yes, I was wrong about Tutu specifically, but not wrong about Carter and other Elders in Tutu's org. who deny Darfur genocide. Besides, my claim was about Mr.Tutu, not Ms. Tutu, so that's your mistake.

2. For the longest time, we discussed Camp David, you denied Palestinians not making counter-offers, and until recently you didn't blame Arafat for CD's utter failure. As for Taba, that wasn't another open Camp David summit. The Clinton initiative was a final offer, the ceiling - as far as Israel could go. It wasn't a springboard for far more Israeli concessions. And it was rejected by Arafat.

3. I have no idea what you're rambling aout Chas Freeman being a communist lover. I never wrote any such thing. Yet another thing wrong you've written and are now being corrected on.


How many times in the past week have you been corrected by Pelsar and Shaktimaan for making claims out of thin air?

[Idealism]

23. Why is it you can't read?

I never claimed it was "Ms Tutu." I was referring to you. Reread it.

The Palestinians did offer counter-proposals at CD and Taba, which you still deny. You still deny that Israel is mainly at fault for Taba's failings, yet I can admit CD was probably more Arafat's.

You keep complaining about Chas Freeman's views on China, when you have no idea what he even thinks on the issue outside of a message board post.

And no, Pelsar and Shakti haven't "corrected me" on claims out of thin air. Pelsar, understandably, has not read a book I recommended to him although I am sure he will at some point. Shakti may have misinterpreted what I was talking about, which is also understandable. You on the other hand simply cannot read nor admit culpability which is amusing.

But thanks for taking this thread so off-topic: when you want to learn about Iran you can ask me whenever you'd like. I'll even compile a list of documentary's to start with, because clearly you know nothing of the people outside of one man's audacious ramblings.

[grassfed]

24. Jimmy Carter RAAAAWWWWCKSSSS!!!!!

J'AIME JIMMY!

[ProgressiveMuslim]

13. It will be interesting to see how this unfolds. Yet more evidence that the tide has turned. nt

[oberliner]

15. What evidence? What tide?

What are you talking about?

[bemildred]

14. Yeah, Peres loves those Iranian people and would only kill them as a last resort. nt

[IndianaGreen]

16. Israel has no qualms in doing a BOHICA to America, and without lubrication!

Israel and her American zombie brigade will stop at nothing to undercut and sabotage Obama's peace efforts in the Middle East. These people are as much our enemies as the GOP and Focus on the Family.