Saturday, May 30, 2009

Sometimes, "no" really does mean "no."


Via Cliff, we learn that some folks are finally going to have their toys taken away:

Last night, shortly after U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told journalists that the Obama administration "wants to see a stop to settlements -- not some settlements, not outposts, not natural growth exceptions," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called a confidante. Referring to Clinton's call for a settlement freeze, Netanyahu groused, "What the hell do they want from me?" according to his associate, who added, "I gathered that he heard some bad vibes in his meetings with [U.S.] congressional delegations this week."

Awwwww ... poor Bibi's going to lie on the rug, kick and scream and hold his breath until he turns blue. And it doesn't look like it's going to get any better:

In the 10 days since Netanyahu and President Barack Obama held a meeting at the White House, the Obama administration has made clear in public and private meetings with Israeli officials that it intends to hold a firm line on Obama's call to stop Israeli settlements. According to many observers in Washington and Israel, the Israeli prime minister, looking for loopholes and hidden agreements that have often existed in the past with Washington, has been flummoxed by an unusually united line that has come not just from Obama White House and the secretary of state, but also from pro-Israel congressmen and women who have come through Israel for meetings with him over Memorial Day recess. To Netanyahu's dismay, Obama doesn't appear to have a hidden policy. It is what he said it was.

"This is a sea change for Netanyahu," a former senior Clinton administration official who worked on Middle East issues said.

Why, yes, it is a sea change for him, isn't it? Someone finally taking Netanyahu aside and whispering, "You know, Bibi, here's a thought -- how about you stop being such a thieving, genocidal fuck and see if that works? It's just a suggestion."

Now we'll see if Obama can make this stick. I'm not optimistic but, hey, stranger things have happened. For instance, Blogging Tory "Neo Conservative" might not have mocked a murdered minority or a dead Canadian soldier once. I'm sure it's happened. Maybe.

1 comment:

Cliff said...

My favorite line from Ambassador Indyk:
“I think,” he said, “that Bibi suffers from the fact that many people in the Obama administration know him too well: they were there during Clinton’s time. They have not forgotten.”