US - Israel Relations Sour

An interesting article from Israel Insider.

US: Israeli diplomat slams Israel's policy
Consul general in Boston distributes letter titled, 'Sad thoughts on Israel-US relations'. Many circles in America, he writes, feel Obama administration 'is forced to deal with the disobedience of governments in Iran, North Korea and Israel'

Senior Israeli diplomat serving in United States launches scathing arrack on Netanyahu government's policy: Nadav Tamir, Israel's consul general in Boston, has distributed a letter saying that "an image of a conflict between the Israeli government and the Obama administration is harming the support for Israel in the public opinion, much more than the criticism over the aggressiveness and harm caused to civilians during Operation Cast Lead or the battle against Hezbollah in 2006."


The letter signed by the consul general was spread in wide circulation among Israeli delegates in the US and Foreign Ministry officials, and was also sent to Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The three-page document, titled 'Sad thoughts on Israel-US relations', was first reported by Channel 10. It includes some harsh statements on the deteriorating relations between Washington and Jerusalem. "The favored Israeli approach is to always say to the Americans 'yes, but…' over 'no'. It has been clear to our decision makers that this is the most important power in the world, as well as our closest ally.

"Therefore, we must sacrifice tactical issues for the sake of strategic ties… One can mention Prime Minister Sharon's positive response to the Road Map, despite a long list of reservations… It should be mentioned that there have always been differences in the two countries' approaches, whether in terms of the settlements or, for example, in terms of Hamas' participation in the Palestinian elections, but the level of coordination between the governments was maintained."

Tamir added that "the damage in the American public opinion's support is already apparent in recent public opinion polls, and the damage is expected to be even worse… Many circles in America feel these days that while the Obama administration is attempting to solve conflicts across the world, it must deal with the disobedience of the governments in Iran, North Korea and Israel.

'We're not sacrificed in favor of Muslims'
He warned that "the sense of conflict between the Israeli government and the Obama administration puts the American Jewish community in an extremely problematic place, where it must choose between the two… and this conflict draws many of them away from the State of Israel."

After expressing his concern over a recent poll showing that the support for US President Barack Obama in Israel is the lowest in the world, the consul general noted that "the Americans are trying to reduce the publicity of disagreements, while we are the source of making these differences public.

"As for the suspicions over the Obama administration's alleged intention and willingness to sacrifice Israeli interest for the sake of moving close to the Muslim world, I see no such indication," Tamir wrote.

"The Obama administration is determined to show leadership in order to deal with the two most strategic challenges Israel is facing: The threat of Iran and its messengers and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict...

"There is not country in the world which can benefit more from the American move than us, and I wonder why we prefer to stress negative tactical issues over the positive strategic move, when we 'focus on the trees instead of on the forest.'"

Tamir concluded by recommending a "dramatic change" in Israel's relations with the American administration. "I suggest talking about our aspirations for peace and our support for the two-state solution in a more convincing manner and not as if we are giving in to American pressure…

"We can influence the ongoing American policy in terms of Iran, Syria and the Palestinian much more if we restore our status as partners to the administration's moves, rather than as a country which has to be communicated with through State Department briefings, as done with Venezuela or North Korea."


The Prime Minister's Office said in a statement that "the letter in question is not worthy of a response." However, a senior official close to the prime minister said that "this is an unprofessional document worded like Friday evening chitchat, and reflects the writer's personal political opinion.

"The document's title and the fact that it was distributed to dozens of different elements leads us to conclude that it is a documents aimed at making the writer's political thoughts public, rather than a professional diplomatic text. It's a shame that an Israeli diplomat launched such an attack on Israel's policy, attempting to cause deliberate damage."

My C0mmentary: The fact that the US-Israeli Relationship is being questioned at all is a sign that we are living in perilous times. When you see the President or his envoys continually re-affirming a relationship you can be certain the relationship is strained. This does not bode well for America.

Jimmy Root Jr

Distant Thunder, Book One of the Lightning Chronicles A Prophetic Fiction Thriller Release Date: August 10, 2009 www.lightningchronicles.com Available on the website or at Amazon.com

Distant Thunder, Gog and Magog, Israel, Iran, Radical Islam, Ezekiel 38 and 39, Jimmy Root Jr, Rapture, Nuclear Weapons, Bible Prophecy, Russia, European Union, Lightning Chronicles, Terrorism, Ahmadinijad,