Obama, Netanyahou and Health Care Reform
Hillary Clinton asked Benjamin Netanyahu to take back his decision to build 1600 apartment buildings in East Jerusalem. The Israeli Prime Minister responded yesterday, promising that the construction will not begin in the near future and proposing that the U.S. stick to a discrete handling of the "don't ask, don't tell" policy.
Such was the tone of a telephone conversation between Netanyahu and Clinton, according to the American and Israeli press.
Netanyahu cannot cancel the construction plans in the ultra-Orthodox neighborhood of Ramat Shlomo — situated beyond the 1967 border — without stirring up the ire of the Shas party, which is part of his coalition and forced the current iron fist situation — hence Netanyahu's counter proposal.
Will Barack Obama accept the terms and leave it at that? Surely, in the short term he must, while waiting on Congress to vote on his health care reform.
Washington can decide to maintain pressure on Israel. Yesterday's statement from the Quartet on the Middle East demands a stop to colonization and thus supports Mahmoud Abbas, who has made that a prerequisite for taking up indirect negotiation with Israel. If Obama insists on these declarations and refuses to compromise on Netanyahu’s terms, it will mean that he is looking to burst the power coalition in Jerusalem.
If the House of Representatives passes the health care reform bill on Sunday, Netanyahu will have some worries.
Such was the tone of a telephone conversation between Netanyahu and Clinton, according to the American and Israeli press.
Netanyahu cannot cancel the construction plans in the ultra-Orthodox neighborhood of Ramat Shlomo — situated beyond the 1967 border — without stirring up the ire of the Shas party, which is part of his coalition and forced the current iron fist situation — hence Netanyahu's counter proposal.
Will Barack Obama accept the terms and leave it at that? Surely, in the short term he must, while waiting on Congress to vote on his health care reform.
Washington can decide to maintain pressure on Israel. Yesterday's statement from the Quartet on the Middle East demands a stop to colonization and thus supports Mahmoud Abbas, who has made that a prerequisite for taking up indirect negotiation with Israel. If Obama insists on these declarations and refuses to compromise on Netanyahu’s terms, it will mean that he is looking to burst the power coalition in Jerusalem.
If the House of Representatives passes the health care reform bill on Sunday, Netanyahu will have some worries.