The White House might also consider paring down the defense American diplomats give Israel at the UN
White House Press secretary Josh Earnest. | Getty
Friday, March 20, 2015
The Obama administration is considering supporting the UN Security Council’s decision to define the borders of a potential future Palestinian state according to the 1967 lines, sources within the US government told the New York Times on Wednesday night.
The American officials said that the Obama administration may now agree to passage of the Security Council resolution embodying the principles of a two-state solution that would include Israel’s 1967 borders with Palestine and mutually agreed swaps of territory.
The report indicated that the move is being considered following Netanyahu’s statement on Monday, according to which he would oppose the establishment of a Palestinian state in the West Bank, as well as his warning to the Israeli public on election day itself, calling Israelis to go out and vote en masse in light of the high rate of voting within the Arab population.
The White House called Netanyahu’s campaign rhetoric an attempt to “marginalize Arab-Israeli citizens” inconsistent with the values that bind Israel and the United States. White House press secretary, Josh Earnest, told reporters on Wednesday that Netanyahu’s statement was “deeply concerning and it is divisive and I can tell you that these are views the administration intends to communicate directly to the Israelis.”
A senior official, who did not wish to be named, called Netanyahu's words "offensive" and contrary to a democracy, where "we expect that you will treat your citizens equally."
Another senior US official told CNN that Netanyahu's nixing of Palestinian statehood "could change things" for the US-Israel relationship. He warned, "We are in a very, very different situation than we have been in years if that is not the case."
Steven Simon, a former National Security Council official under US president Barack Obama, said that given the strain with Netanyahu, the White House might also consider paring down the defense American diplomats play for Israel at the UN.
The US typically uses its veto power to swat away any anti-Israel resolutions or Palestinian attempts at reaching statehood through the UN. Now, American diplomats could instead authorize some resolutions after edits or abstain from voting on them. "That in itself in the context of administration policy would be a fairly dramatic step," Simon said.
The Palestinians joined the International Criminal Court in January and plan to file their first war crimes case against Israel next month.
US officials and members of Congress stress, however, that the tensions with Israel won't lead to any cuts to the more than $3 billion annually in mostly military funding the US funnels to Israel, or to any change in the close military cooperation between the two countries. "I think the military to military and intelligence cooperation is going to go on no matter who is in that office," California Rep. Adam Schiff, a Democrat, told CNN.
Regarding the rift between Netanyahu and Obama, it seems nobody believes anymore that it can fixed or that either side is interested in mending it.
"From Netanyahu's point of view, he is the person who has been sinned against, who has been treated badly for six years," said Elliott Abrams, a former deputy National Security Council adviser.
Obama had not called Netanyahu to congratulate him
Administration officials told the NYT that although the relationship between Israel and the United States would remain strong, it would not be managed by Obama and Netanyahu. Instead it would be left to Secretary of State John Kerry and to Pentagon officials who handle the close military alliance with Israel.
“The president is a pretty pragmatic person and if he felt it would be useful, he will certainly engage,” said a senior administration official, who asked not to be identified. “But he’s not going to waste his time.”
As of Thursday morning, Obama had not called Netanyahu to congratulate him and left it instead for Kerry to do. The president will eventually call the Israeli leader, administration officials said.
Some administration officials said that it would help if Ron Dermer, Israel’s ambassador to Washington, stepped down. Dermer cooperated with the initiative by Republican Speaker John Boehner to invite Netanyahu to address Congress without first consulting the White House. However, they added, it would not change the underlying divisions over policy.
Martin Indyk, Obama’s former special envoy on recent negotiations between the Israelis and the Palestinians and now the executive vice president of the Brookings Institution, said that although the United States would always be a strong supporter of Israel, Netanyahu was on dangerous ground. “Israel does not need to be, and should not aspire to be, a nation that dwells alone,” Indyk said.