Hillary Clinton Trashes Israel's Generosity, Empathy -- And Sacrifice

Hillary Clinton -- there she goes again.

• Hillary Clinton, who called Syria's Assad a reformer (before claiming she was really quoting others)
• Hillary Clinton, who said Morsi's Egypt is "a cornerstone for regional stability and peace"
• Hillary Clinton, who said she was responsible for the security failure at Benghazi, but without accepting consequences

Now Hillary Clinton is saying Israel is not doing enough to appease delicate Palestinian sensitivities:

Barry Rubin on Israel’s Situation and Strategy In Obama’s Second Term

The following by Barry Rubin is reposted here with permission:

Israel’s Situation and Strategy In Obama’s Second Term

By Barry Rubin

“Don’t Panic”
Douglas Adams, Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy

What should Israel’s policy and priorities be in President Barack Obama’s second term? There will be two key themes: minimize antagonism and cope with the negative consequences of U.S. regional policy.

1. Protect bilateral relations.

   Israel’s government must ensure continued U.S. aid; intelligence-sharing; and other forms of cooperation. Obama will almost certainly maintain these programs. This status quo situation is protected by support for Israel in Congress and the Defense Department.  Whatever verbal friction or temporary tempests taking place—including signs of Obama’s personal dislike of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu--should not change this.

Obama Administration Will Not Draw Red Lines For Iran's Nuclear Program

"I want the Iranians to know that if I'm the president, we will attack Iran...In the next 10 years, during which they might foolishly consider launching an attack on Israel, we would be able to totally obliterate them."
Hillary Clinton, April 22, 2012, during primaries

Of course, even then -- Hillary only said the US could obliterate Iran. She did not actually say the US would take action, any action, if Iran attacked Israel.

Today, Boker Tov, Boulder notes more Hillary Clinton bluster: despite Clinton's commitments to Israel in July the Obama administration will not draw red lines for Iran on its nuclear program.

Barry Rubin: Hillary Clinton Implies: Pro-Israel Sentiment Doesn’t Reflect America

Hillary Clinton Implies: Pro-Israel Sentiment Doesn’t Reflect America

by Barry Rubin

Sometimes a secretary of state is asked tough questions. How they are answered shows the underlying philosophy of official and government. I genuinely don’t want to make too much out of a single exchange between Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and a Tunisian audience. Yet the problem is how the approach she took fits into consistent themes of the Obama Administration.

Whatever Clinton tried to do when talking to a group of young Tunisians (video here), it’s also important to consider how her audienceinterpreted her statement. Either they thought she was saying that the United States doesn’t really support Israel or they thought that she was telling them a transparent lie that made them more suspicious. Or both of the above.



The exchange also fits with Obama’s own statement to Russian leaders who wants America to get rid of much of its nuclear arsenal, that elections are a nuisance that will only temporarily interfere with him doing what his government–and his interlocutor, too–wants him to do.

Arlene Kushner On Israel And International Law; Clinton 'Concern' For Israel's Democracy

From Arlene Kushner:

December 6, 2011

"The Legal and the Political"

When I wrote two days ago about what Alan Dershowitz said at the Begin Center, I expressed some surprise, relative to one particular issue.

What Professor Dershowitz said was that the ICC (International Criminal Court) has no jurisdiction with regard to states where there is an independent judiciary that will handle the situation.  And, that the most important weapon in defending Israelis in this venue is Israel's strong judiciary.

What I wrote was that, while I am not a human rights lawyer, I found his comments surprising in light of what I know is Israeli concern about the ICC -- concern that the Palestinian Arabs, if they are recognized as having the authority of a state, might press charges for war crimes via the ICC against those who fight Israel's wars (minister of defense, generals, etc).

I said I wanted to check further.

~~~~~~~~~~

Like Biden, Hillary Tosses Her Principles For Obama

We've already seen Biden flip-flop from supporting clemency for Pollard to bragging he got Obama to reject the idea.

Now we see that Hillary Clinton also flip-flops for Obama--claiming the law she voted for recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel is unconstitutional: