U.S. GOVERNMENT “A MATTER OF SERIOUS CONCERN”
URGES OBAMA ADMINISTRATION TO WORK TO
IMMEDIATELY DEFUSE THE TENSION WITH ISRAEL
The Obama Administration’s recent statements regarding the U.S. relationship with Israel are a matter of serious concern. AIPAC calls on the Administration to take immediate steps to defuse the tension with the Jewish State.
Israel is America’s closest ally in the Middle East. The foundation of the U.S-Israel relationship is rooted in America’s fundamental strategic interest, shared democratic values, and a long-time commitment to peace in the region.
Those strategic interests, which we share with Israel, extend to every facet of American life and our relationship with the Jewish State, which enjoys vast bipartisan support in Congress and among the American people.
The Administration should make a conscious effort to move away from public demands and unilateral deadlines directed at Israel, with whom the United States shares basic, fundamental, and strategic interests.
The escalated rhetoric of recent days only serves as a distraction from the substantive work that needs to be done with regard to the urgent issue of Iran’s rapid pursuit of nuclear weapons, and the pursuit of peace between Israel and all her Arab neighbors.
We strongly urge the Administration to work closely and privately with our partner Israel, in a manner befitting strategic allies, to address any issues between the two governments.
As Vice President Biden said last week in Israel, “The cornerstone of the relationship is our absolute, total, unvarnished commitment to Israel’s security. Bibi, you heard me say before, progress occurs in the Middle East when everyone knows there is simply no space between the United States and Israel. There is no space between the United States and Israel when it comes to Israel’s security.”
Biden also declared on Thursday “President Barack Obama [and I know] that the United States has no better friend in the community of nations than Israel“. The vice president was speaking at Tel Aviv University at the conclusion of a three day trip that reaffirmed what the he called America’s “unbreakable bond” with the Jewish state. Biden also spoke about the threat of a nuclear-armed Iran. “The United States is determined to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons, period,” he said. Biden emphasized that Iran is not just a threat to Israel. “[T]he acquisition of nuclear weapons by Iran [is] a threat to the security — short-term, mid-term, and long-term — to the United States of America,” he stated
They’re already backing down
Rahm assures Eric Cantor that Biden never told Netanyahu that our Israel/Palestine policy is endangering Americans overseas, as was reported.
Petraeus denies that he ever asked to get Palestinian territories moved into his command, out of concern that the occupation was endangering Americans. At least the language is formal:
“I have never made a formal recommendation to add Israel to CENTCOM,” he told members of the Senate Armed Services Committee, “but we certainly keep a close eye there.”
-AA