Obama Smashed Netanyahu's World View

Unlike previous presidents, Obama turned his eyes straight at Israel and made a demand: start moving it! The problem is that this ambush is only the preview, and he has no intention of giving up.

This has been a preplanned ambush. A spin of serenity and “business as usual” was dispersed by all the president’s people for days – up until the echoing boom of the yesterday evening. Currently, we’re in the full swing of the political drama. On the threshold of a rare diplomatic confrontation between Washington and Jerusalem, between Israel and the United States and between Barack Obama and Benjamin Netanyahu.

In the days before, the prime minister’s spokespeople came forward to the media, one after another, and swore that nothing would happen. Much ado about nothing. Not ’67, not ’48 and nothing like that. President Obama is not into our crap at the moment; the only thing he’s interested in is re-election.

Well, since yesterday night, all that Benjamin Netanyahu should be interested in is preventing Barack Obama from getting reelected. Another Obama term means a real clash between Israel and America (assuming Netanyahu remains prime minister). Because this president is earnest and resolute. He has no intention of giving up. That’s his way; he believes in it; he goes with it.

Yesterday’s ambush is only a preview. In the second term, Netanyahu will probably be missing the Geneva Agreement. It’s not worthwhile for the political opponents of Netanyahu to rejoice in his pain. Bibi is the premier of all of us. Relations with the United States are a strategic asset for all of us. The state of affairs is serious, perhaps even worrisome. Netanyahu has outmaneuvered himself into an embarrassing situation, but we must not forget that we’ve stuck there with him.

He’s going to enter the Oval Office in the White House today like a rebuked student. He heard, for the first time in history, the American president pointing out expressly the ’67 borders as a basis for arrangement between Israel and Palestinians. He didn’t hear a word from this president on refugees. This president, who currently looks like a strong president with a promising future, has smashed Netanyahu’s world view, according to which there is no partner. First, let them prove that they want; first, let them dismantle their weaponry; first, let them declare Israel is a Jewish state; and overall, facing the changes in the Middle East, nowadays one must hold any action.

The Speech Does Not Force the Palestinians to Do a Thing

This president thinks totally differently. He thinks that transformations in the Middle East reinforce the need to reach an arrangement. He opposes intermediate agreements. He’s directing his eyes straight at Israel, looking at her point blank, but saying the truth to her face: America is eternally committed to the security and thriving of the state of Israel, but America is also not interested in continually lying to Israel and to herself. Everybody knows what the solution is; everybody’s familiar with the formula. Look, we have it right in front of us. Israel, would you please sign here, and here, and here – and start doing it!

It’s sad that Obama’s speech yesterday does not compel the Palestinians to do anything. They have already agreed to a demilitarized country, ’67 borders and transfers of territory. It was Israel who didn’t agree. The speech was cast down on Netanyahu’s head like a sledgehammer gift-wrapped in lots of rustling cellophane paper and candies. It’s also sad that no one knew. Once, in the not so distant past, there was no precedent for the American president surprising the Israeli prime minister that much. That wasn’t in the lexicon at all. But we’re in brand new circumstances that do not promise to be good.

Obama has learned just one thing from his predecessor, George W. Bush. The strategy of “shock and awe,” which served the American army during the occupation of Iraq. This condition of “shock and awe” was the one to prevail yesterday night between Netanyahu’s people. Not believing the U.S. did this to them, and on top of that, having to pick their belongings and get on board a plane.

In the reality check, the rule of the right-wing in the last two years caused enormous damage to the right-winger ideas. In the Olmert period, even in the Annapolis process, no one brought up the ’67 lines. No one intended to go to the United Nations. Israel was not isolated. There was a bilateral political process, between Israel and the Palestinians, with no international involvement. There was construction in the settlements. There were no freezes. And, most importantly, the relations with America were at an all-time best.

The backing was absolute and comprehensive. Tzipi Livni would spend another five years in pleasantries with Abu Ala, while the real estate bubble of Tel Aviv keeps swelling. Now, nebech*, the government is rightist, the prime minister speaks strongly and even authorizes hundreds of new residential units in the territories on the eve of taking off to Washington.

Netanyahu Is Going to Need to Say “Yes” or “No”

But the reality is hard. The ground is burning. On Tuesday, in Congress, Netanyahu is going to need to say “yes” or “no” to Obama. As much as we know him, he’ll try to say both yes and no. Let him ask his patron Shimon Peres – he was specializing in this at his time. The problem is that Obama, as he looks right now, won’t buy this.

Yesterday, he took revenge on Netanyahu for two difficult years. For the hazing of the vice president. For the dawdling. For the campaign in Congress. For the fact that he’s using the Republican Congress in order to signal the president. For the unfulfilled promises. For the whole thing. Apparently, he’s deadly serious. And still, we must not forget that Obama’s real test is going to be not in talks but rather in deeds. Yesterday, he gave his bar-mitzvah speech; the question is what he’s about to say to Bibi tête-à-tête and, more than that, what he’s about to do in the field.

And a closing word: true, at this minute, it’s harder many times over, and you surely don’t have a head for the stuff inside of this drama, but Prime Minister Netanyahu, you have to lay today the issue of Jonathan Pollard on Obama’s desk, with all possible weight. Yes, there are harsh controversies; the speech was not easy; the worst of all is yet to come – but there is a full consensus about this matter, the vital necessity to release Pollard before he fades away in jail, after 26 years of imprisonment.

In America, too, they already understood the enormity of injustice. Bibi, please, employ all your famous powers of persuasiveness and publicity so that Obama realizes how desperate and urgent longing of the people in Israel is for setting this wretched man free. This has nothing to do with politics, the peace process or voices of the war. This is moral, this is just and this is crucial now more than ever. If Obama wants to prove that he really means to do well by us, as he said in his address, this is the opportunity. Please let Jonathan Pollard go now!

*Translator’s Note: Nebech is an untranslatable Yiddish expression that means a combination of commiseration, scorn, drama and ridicule, and it is usually used to describe an unfortunate or impoverished person.