Israeli Government Ignores Obama

By Bill Fletcher, Jr. -Guest Columnist- | Last updated: Sep 24, 2009 - 7:51:56 AM

The initial weeks of the Obama administration seemed to frighten the new Israeli administration of Benjamin Netanyahu. Pres. Obama called upon Israel to halt new settlements in the Occupied Territories. In fact, in his historic speech to the Muslim world, he made it clear that his Administration would not support the continuation of the settlements.

Israel was, for a short amount of time, rocked by this approach. This seemed to differ dramatically from the uncritical support that Israel received from the Bush/Cheney administration. Right-wing elements within Israel began subtly and not-so-subtly attacking President Obama, sometimes in ways that were outright racist in tone and intent. It was clear that Mr. Netanyahu and company deeply feared that the Obama administration would take actions against them.

It is now clear that not only does the Israeli government hold no fear of the Obama administration, but they are actually holding it in contempt. The announcement that settlement expansion will continue was a complete slap in the face to the Obama administration and particularly toward the efforts by Pres. Obama's special envoy George Mitchell to jump start negotiations. The actions of the Israeli government are tantamount to a dismissal of the Obama administration as a player in the future of the Israeli/Palestinian conflict.

During the U.S. Presidential campaign, then Vice Presidential candidate Joe Biden noted that within the first few months of a new Obama administration, President Obama would be tested by international events. As things have unfolded, he is being tested by both domestic and international developments.

Within the U.S., the political Right is doing all that it can to undermine efforts at national health care reform. Internationally, there have been several tests, but few with such long-lasting significance as the Israeli/Palestinian conflict. The problem, however, is not that there has been a test. The problem rests with the answers coming from the Obama administration.

After announcing to the world, through his speech in Cairo, Egypt, that Israeli settlement expansion in the Palestinian territories would not be tolerated by the United States, there has been absolutely no penalty that the Obama administration has been willing to issue and enforce in the face of Israeli intransigence. The fact that the Israelis continue with these settlements means that they anticipate no significant actions.

For some months anti-Palestinian forces, in Israel and the U.S., have been attempting to refocus their message in order to gain support within the U.S. for Israeli settlement expansion. The objective was clearly to put the Obama administration in a position where it could not act. The tragedy is that the pro-settlement public relations effort is hardly underway and the Israeli government moves forward with no fear of reprisal.

President Obama through his oratory has inspired millions of people in the U.S. and around the world. Yet it is fair to ask whether the rhetoric will be backed by action. If the U.S.A. is saying that the Israelis should stop the settlements, what is the Obama administration prepared to do? Are they prepared to cut aid? Cut military assistance? Or can they possibly believe that through nice words and good intentions, that the President can simply convince the Israelis to do the right thing?

Most independent observers have concurred that Israeli obstinacy is at the heart of the problem in resolving the Israeli/Palestinian conflict. In fact, there is a growing sense that the long hoped for two-state solution (Israel and a Palestinian state) is impossible in light of the Israeli expansion into Palestinian territories. Are the Palestinians and their friends around the world to expect that the eight years of the Bush/Cheney open support for Israeli aggression will now be followed by the 4-8 years of an Obama administration that is prepared to remain silent and do nothing in the face of that same aggression?

(Bill Fletcher, Jr. is a Senior Scholar with the Institute for Policy Studies, the immediate past president of TransAfrica Forum, and the co-author of “Solidarity Divided.” He can be reached at [email protected].)

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