Yesterday’s announced settlement expansions in occupied East Jerusalem could be dramatically widening a rift between the US and Israeli government, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu blasting US criticism yesterday as “disconnected from reality.”
Today the gloves seem to be off, with an unnamed “senior US official” lashing Netanyahu as a “chickenshit” who is unwilling to make any accommodations for peace and “the only thing he’s interested in is protecting himself from political defeat.”
Israeli Economy Minister Naftali Bennett, who condemns Netanyahu as a coward at least a couple of times a week, demanded that the Obama Administration publicly repudiate any criticism of Netanyahu, insisting that he is the “leader of the Jewish state and the Jewish world.” Bennett went on to claim Obama plans to “throw Israel under the bus.”
Public criticism of Israel, once unheard of, is now increasingly common among US officials, who are clearly losing patience with Israel’s policy of undercutting the peace process every chance it gets.
Whether that’s going to mean an actual change in US policy beyond the rhetoric remains to be seen, but we may not have to wait long as the UN Security Council is holding an emergency meeting over Israel’s settlement expansions.
Israel normally counts on the US to veto any UN Security Council resolution even a little critical of its settlements, even if the statements are mirrored in public US comments. Yet as the split widens, the administration may not feel it owes Israel a veto.
In military jargon, chickenshit is the extra-burden piled upon your weary bones that accomplishes nothing but to glorify your officers.
For surely, Israel is chickenshit from start to finish.
…that'd make the Jewish "World" about as credible as it would be under Foxman. Actually they're pretty damn lucky no one really sees him that way outside of whatever weird Zionist cults happen to. Or is that take widespread?
…and after the no veto at UNSC, take 'em straight to ICC.
Netanyahu is NOT the "leader of the Jewish world" or Jewish anything. Millions of Jews, including the organization I work with, Jewish Voice for Peace, oppose Israeli government actions every way we can.
That's exactly what I immediately thought after reading the comment. However, the zionists have been trying to create that image for years and with great success. David Gregory even introduce Netanyahoo as the leader of the Jewish people.
Would that Obama grow a backbone and cut Israel's endless funding by US Congress.
He has nothing to loose by doing so he may need extra security
After the elections maybe he will grow a pair. But I've been saying that for years, and it appears he doesn't have any. I'm frustrated by chickensh!t Obama even more than chickensh!t Bibi.
Ah but backing terrorists and overseeing the destruction of stable secular states to be replaced by twisted Islamic fundies and anarchy? That Obongo can do well…
It may be very difficult to get anything through an "Israeli controlled Congress", as witnessed by the "money talks" resolutions of support for apartheid, ethnic cleansing, Goliath Israel.
Actually, Obama could cut aid rather easily if he had a mind to. Correctly announce that Israel has nuclear weapons and has not signed the NNPT and state that the Symington and Glenn amendments prohibiting foreign aid to nuclear states outside the NNPT will be enforced against Israel.
That’s one reason Israel uses nuclear ambiguity. It means U.S. presidents can pretend Israel doesn’t have nuclear weapons.
This kurffuel reminds me of office politics when employees make snide comments about the boss but won’t confront him face-to-face because they know the power relationship is against them.
Obama knows better than to take any serious action against Netanyahoo because he would be on the losing side. Obama was groomed and funded by the Zionists (in the 2008 campaign many called him the First Jewish President), he may occasionally bristle at the Israeli arrogance and disrespect but he also knows his place.
Congress would not allow that to happen. They are more apt to shut down the entire USG instead of cutting off the flow of American taxpayer funds to Israel.
Well the truth of the matter is that Netanyahu's being compared as chickenshite is nothing to waht rest of the world would compare him to be, most proper word be a cows hitlerism, horses hitlerism, and all other shittttt out there.
enough of looking for imaginary splits…US/Israel are joined at the hip:
UN Rejects Cuba Embargo 188-2
Three nations (Micronesia, Palau and the Marshall Islands) abstained, while only the US and Israel voted against the non-binding resolution… http://www.havanatimes.org/?p=106970
America cannot allow this to continue to be made an ass by the Zionist worldwide.
You allow your child to disobey for years on end and expect it to suddenly obey? That is called idiotic and wishful thinking. This child is telling the parents to go…you know what. Let's face it, a "US official" can rant for President Obama forever but Netanyahu will ignore him because he knows that the God-infected US nation will stand with him forever. In fact until the return of Jesus to Jerusalem.
The U.S. has been dragging it’s foot for decades when it comes to Israel, the back talking will continue. It will be business as usual.
AmeriKa is "powerless" to stop them? I guess OUR sovereignty means absolute garbage when such a huge, powerful and well-connected nation tells US what's what.
No, the tail doesn't wag the dog here…
Israel, under Netanyahu's "leadership" is becoming more and more of a liability to the US. How to reverse this? Stop the financial aid and military cooperation and covering for Israel in the UN, for starters. Let the Israeli people know exactly why we are doing this, and let them conduct a little 'regime change' of their own- and then we'll cut a new deal with whoever comes into power after Netanyahu. If that guy doesn't toe the line, so sorry- we'll talk after your next election.
On the bright side Netanyahu may be doing the Palestinians a favor. His actions will bring about a one state solution with eventual political control by the indigenous peoples. The Zionist can not repeat the atrocities they did in 1947 as most of the world is now watching.
Why not, it is not in the wests interests to stop them. Have the Zionists not demonstrated this only this year, 50 days solid bombing, the USA, UK, France, Australia,& all the rest all obeyed the masters. The only Western powers only plea was to be more clinical in the killing of Palestinians, if civilians must be killed, please do so in the hours of darkness when it would be harder to verify.
When Netanyahu snores, the zzzz's are replaced by $$$$$$$$'s.