Yossi Klein Halevi — Six ways that Obama can regain Israeli trust
Are we in the early stages of an American-Israeli crisis? Or are the growing and public disagreements between the Obama administration and the Netanyahu government over settlements and Jerusalem merely arguments “within the family,” as President Obama insisted in his recent meeting with American Jewish leaders?
According to one poll, only six percent of Israelis consider Obama a friend. That perception of hostility is new. Israelis welcomed Barack Obama when he visited here in July 2008 and many responded enthusiastically to his election. But Israelis sense that Obama has placed the onus for restarting negotiations on Israel. Worse, he is perceived as showing weakness toward the world’s bullies while acting resolutely only toward Israel. Many Israelis–and not only on the right–suspect that Obama actually wants a showdown with Jerusalem to bolster his standing in the Muslim world. If those perceptions aren’t countered, the Israeli public will reject Obama’s peace initiatives.
Related Posts:
- Wash Post: Netanyahu ignores Obama, continues East Bank development
- U.S. seeks 4-month Jerusalem building freeze
- CIA Director Leon Panetta: Israel going alone to attack Iran would mean ‘big trouble,’ and Israel knows it
- Wash Post — Obama and Netanyahu: pointless poison
- Reports: US wants Israel to cancel building plan
