Hint from Clinton: My attitude to Israel - is different from Obama

Hillary Clinton, the almost certain Democratic presidential candidate for US presidency, hinted last night (Sunday), that the relationship with Israel in the potential government will be different from that of the current president, Barack Obama. Thereby Clinton broke a long silence about the crisis in relations between Washington and Jerusalem and regarding a statement of a senior in the White House, that the cool attitude towards Israel could spill over to the next government from the current administration.

In a telephone conversation with Malcolm Hoenlein, vice chairman of the Conference of Presidents of Major Jewish Organizations in the US, Clinton said: "We need to work together to restore the special relationship between Israel and the US in a constructive basis, and return to engage in their common interests and concerns common to both countries" .

She stressed that one of these common interests is a two-state solution which will be achieved through direct negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians. She said, "We must make sure that Israel will never be made a party issue in the US".

Hoenlein, who initiated the conversation and posted its contents in a press release, said: "According to Clinton, timing is of particular importance in light of the issues raised recently in relations between Israel and the United States. We note her call for direct negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians. This is the only way, in our opinion, to achieve true peace."

Clinton is expected to formally announce her candidacy for presidency in April, refrained from responding in recent weeks about the flare of hostility between the Obama administration to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, but it seems that she decided to break her silence following the words of a senior in the White House last week, to the Wall Street Journal: "People (in the administration) feel (that Israel) sold them. At this point it is better for Israelis to be really careful because many of these people serve not only in the current government but will serve, perhaps, in the next administration."

The blatant innuendo that a possible Clinton administration may also turn away from Israel forced the potential candidate to take a stand, but she revealed only the bare minimum. What does she think about the settlements? What does she think of the implied threat of the Obama administration to deny Israel the protection of the US veto in the Security Council? She did not say.

The spoil in the Israel - United States relations places Clinton in a grip of cross pressures. The liberal wing of the Democratic Party, which began to gain momentum in the past months, as well as many support sectors, such as black and Hispanic, are outraged by Netanyahu amid what they refer to his joining the Republicans and having no respect for Obama. They support pressure on Israel which will have to flex its position towards the Palestinians and toe the line of Obama. The more moderate wing of the Democratic Party may support Obama in general but opposes his intransigence in the negotiations with Iran and has trouble digesting the verbal blows which are landing from the White House on the Israeli Prime Minister.

Indeed, the website "Politico" revealed yesterday that 12 Democratic delegates in the House, all of them Jews, met last week with Ben Rhodes, deputy national security adviser in the White House, and informed him that they were indeed angry with Netanyahu's speech in Congress, but not less also at the conduct of Obama's administration to Netanyahu.

The senators told Rhodes that the Obama administration must stop behaving as if Netanyahu's statements are the only thing that is holding back the peace process. They stressed that besides the administration's lashing at Netanyahu, Obama refrained from criticizing Abbas, and he is toying with the idea to allow the Palestinians to receive the UN's official sanction to their own country.

In response a White House official said: "We said what we had to say. The message was received and understood clearly. The next step is for the Israelis, probably after a new government is established." The official added that the intention is to Netanyahu's concrete actions, so that one can see that he backs up his words with actions.

The legislators said to Rhodes, according to "Politico," that on the one hand the government is pushing them to sell to the public that the potential agreement with Iran is a good deal that does not endanger Israel, and on the other it attacks Israel all the time.

"You want us to publish that the government supports Israel; How do you want us to do this when our voters believe the administration is sticking a knife in Israel's back?" the lawmakers told Rhodes.

'בחדרי' גם ברשתות החברתיות - הצטרפו!