Meeting Addresses Concerns with Obama's Policy Toward IsraelPresident Barack Obama met Monday with the leaders of American Jewish organizations in an attempt to answer criticisms on his divide with Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu's government over settlement growth. Leaders had the opportunity to question President Obama on what some in the American Jewish community see as an increasing divide between the U.S. and Israeli governments over Middle East peace.
While the White House forbade participants to directly quote the president from the meeting, details emerged from attendees about the content of Obama's remarks. Ha'aretz reported that:
One of the participants at the meeting asked the president to take a lower profile regarding the public differences between his administration and the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over the United States' demand that Israel freeze all settlement construction activity in the West Bank.The public divide over settlements has gained more attention in the past few weeks as major European leaders have reiterated Obama's request that the Netanyahu government freeze settlement growth. The LA Times quoted Abraham Foxman, national director of the Anti-Defamation League, as one of the harsher critics saying of the Obama policy that "he disagreed with Obama's remarks at the meeting Monday, and that showing distance between the two countries gave Palestinians the ability to 'play the United States against Israel' in order to gain leverage."
The 45-minute session was Obama's first with Jewish leaders since coming to office in January. During the campaign, he courted the Jewish community by emphasizing his intent to maintain the strong U.S.-Israeli partnership. While he reaffirmed this pledge in his June 4, 2009 Cairo speech, some attendees at the meeting saw his trip to the region as a snub when he did not visit Israel.
Many of the leaders, according to the Chicago Sun-Times, accused Obama of asking more from the Israelis than the Palestinians and other Arab countries. In response, Obama criticized the previous administration's "lockstep" approach with Israel to peace saying that it did not work.
According to Jeremy Ben-Ami, executive director of J Street, "Where people pushed back, the president stood firm."
HEADLINES
Israel FM queries Abbas authority (BBC)
Netanyahu: Palestinians could achieve more if they cooperated (Ha'aretz)
Peace Now: Settlements are a burden on Israel (Ynet)
Blair: Israel not getting enough credit for gestures to Palestinians (Jerusalem Post)
World Bank donates 33.5 million USD for Gaza reconstruction, other projects (Ma'an)
Palestine and the Palestinians
Palestinian officials criticize Israel of deflecting attention (Xinhua)
Haneya: Hamas' resistance "political innovation" (Xinhua)
Israeli bulldozers raze Palestinian farmland near Nablus (Ma'an)
Palestinian TV crew detained at checkpoint (Ma'an)
Jerusalem affairs office to remain open thanks to Qatar funds (Ma'an)
10 Palestinians detained overnight (Ma'an)
Israel
Israel Discount Bank raises $177 million in notes (Reuters)
Interior Min. set to open gates for 8,700 more Falashmura (Ha'aretz)
Tensions between Israel's UN envoy, Al Jazeera (Ha'aretz)
Israeli warships make rare Suez crossing (AFP)
Third of suicides in Israel committed by olim (Jerusalem Post)
Israeli parliament aides object to tasks (UPI)
The Neighbors
Despite saber rattling, analysts see little chance of war with Israel (Daily Star)
Saudi court sentences hundreds (Al Jazeera)
Ayalon: Too early to resume Syria talks (Jerusalem Post)
Jordan sentences al-Qaeda fighter (Al Jazeera)
Syria to EU: Israel obstacle to peace (Ynet)
Suspected Hezbollah arms depot in Lebanon explodes (AFP)
U.S. Foreign Policy
US invites Gulf Arab investment (Al Jazeera)
US House passes limited Iran sanctions (Jerusalem Post)
Appeals court tosses Jerusalem passport case (JTA)
International Relations/Law
EU foreign policy chief upsets Israel with Palestinian comments (Xinhua)
US fugitive is arrested in Israel (BBC)
Iran worried over Israel's F-35 plans (UPI)
Britain denies 'arms embargo' of Israel (Jerusalem Post)
Reports: Trial of Baha'is delayed in Iran (CNN)
Slovakia may temporarily house Palestinian refugees (Spectator)
British MP Galloway heads to Gaza for further visit (Ha'aretz)
Arts and Activism
Leonard Cohen's Ramallah gig called off (Jerusalem Post)
Breakdance breaks out in the Gaza Strip (Electronic Intifada)
US rabbis launch 'Jewish Fast for Gaza' initiatve (Jerusalem Post)
Misc.
Jewish athletes converge on Israel for Maccabiah (AP)
The Seeds of Israel’s Davis Cup Victory (AFP)
Commentary
Sainath: Is Israel guilty of piracy? (Electronic Intifada)
Goldeberg: The US. Should Worry When Israel Gets Quiet (The Atlantic)
Phillips: Can Syria end the Arab Cold War? (The Guardian)
An unworthy envoy (Ha'aretz)
Avnery: The essence of the regime (Counterpunch)
Ben Efrat: Settlements first (Dissident Voice)
Lieberman: Ashkelon speaks (Dissident Voice)
Al-Naami: Hopelessness takes hold (Al-Ahram)
Makdisi: Take it or leave it (Al-Ahram)
Views expressed on this post or on linked web pages do not represent the Palestine Center, the educational program of the Jerusalem Fund for Education and Community Development. All content is for educational purposes only.
