In a recent post, we discussed Hope ‘n Change’s strong-arming of Israel and the animus toward Israel among the new crop of ideologues filtering into the government. And now it appears as if the pressure is ratcheting up a few notches.
While the Israelis never talk about it, it’s pretty well known that Israel has had nukes for about 40 years. And no American administration – regardless of party – has ever pressed Israel on the matter, understanding that the Israelis were (a) rational and humane people like us, and (b) were understandably concerned about their own self-preservation in a bad neighborhood.
But it was also a matter of historical memory: the generation that fought World War II and saw genocide face-to-face – real genocide, not the rhetorical variety – understood that Israelis had a simple philosophy, which was ‘never again’.
But now Hope ‘n Change, who’s about as arrogant and ineducable as they come, is pressuring the Israelis to publicize and relinquish it’s nuclear weapons. In an exclusive, Eli Lake of the Washington Times has revealed that the administration is trying to force Israel into the Non-Proliferation Treaty, regardless of Israel’s legitimate fears for its own survival.
And in doing so, the administration is overturning 40 years of policy toward Israel.
President Obama’s efforts to curb the spread of nuclear weapons threaten to expose and derail a 40-year-old secret U.S. agreement to shield Israel’s nuclear weapons from international scrutiny, former and current U.S. and Israeli officials and nuclear specialists say.
The issue will likely come to a head when Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meets with Mr. Obama on May 18 in Washington. Mr. Netanyahu is expected to seek assurances from Mr. Obama that he will uphold the U.S. commitment and will not trade Israeli nuclear concessions for Iranian ones.
Assistant Secretary of State Rose Gottemoeller, speaking Tuesday at a U.N. meeting on the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), said Israel should join the treaty, which would require Israel to declare and relinquish its nuclear arsenal.
“Universal adherence to the NPT itself, including by India, Israel, Pakistan and North Korea, … remains a fundamental objective of the United States,” Ms. Gottemoeller told the meeting, according to Reuters.
She declined to say, however, whether the Obama administration would press Israel to join the treaty.
A senior White House official said the administration considered the nuclear programs of Israel and Iran to be unrelated “apples and oranges.”
Asked by The Washington Times whether the administration would press Israel to join the NPT, the official said, “We support universal adherence to the NPT. [It] remains a long-term goal.”
The official spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue.
Although there’s a good deal of back-pedalling and wishy-washy going on, the fact that the administration would talk openly about this sensitive subject tells us where their collective head is at. But Rose Gottemoeller may well be something of a loose canon – one hired by the administration, nevertheless. It’s being reported in the Jerusalem Post today that everyone – Israeli and American – is making nice and acting as if there’s no change in long-standing policy. Maybe.
PM Netanyahu’s meeting with Hope ‘n Change on May 18 will doubtless be interesting indeed. But I wonder what gift Hope ‘n Change will give Netanyahu? He’s done so well in the gift-giving department thus far. Perhaps a bag of frozen bagels? Something real classy, I’m sure.
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