JustOneMinute: Waddya Mean, "American"?

Waddya Mean, "American"?

The NY Times covers Team Obama's debacle in Gaza and has trouble figuring out who is American:

Gaza War Strains Relations Between U.S. and Israel

By MARK LANDLER AUG. 4, 2014 WASHINGTON — When the State Department condemned Israel’s strike on a United Nations school in Gaza on Sunday, saying it was “appalled” by this “disgraceful” act, it gave full vent to what has been weeks of mounting American anger toward the Israeli government.

The blunt, unsparing language — among the toughest diplomats recall ever being aimed at Israel — lays bare a frustrating reality for the Obama administration: the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahuhas largely dismissed diplomatic efforts by the United States to end the violence in Gaza, leaving American officials to seethe on the sidelines about what they regard as disrespectful treatment.

In the first paragraph it is "American anger"; by the second it has become "American officials". Mr. Landler holds off for a few paragraphs before delivering the punchline:

With public opinion in both Israel and the United States solidly behind the Israeli military’s campaign against Hamas, no outcry from Israel’s Arab neighbors, and unstinting support for Israel on Capitol Hill, President Obama has had few obvious levers to force Mr. Netanyahu to stop pounding targets in Gaza until he was ready to do it.

So "American anger" never actualy included the Congress or the majority of the Great Unwashed. So what or whom are we talking about?

The two statements are part of a recurring pattern for this administration: an angry outburst, followed by calmer words and the grudging recognition that little is going to change in the fundamental relationship between the United States and its closest ally in the Middle East.

Sort of like Red Line Fever with Israel substituting for Assad.

Disputes between the United States and Israel are hardly new. President Ronald Reagan sold Awacs surveillance planes to Saudi Arabia over Israel’s fierce objections. George H.W. Bush held up loan guarantees because of Israeli settlement construction. Bill Clinton fumed after his first Oval Office encounter with a newly elected Israeli prime minister, Mr. Netanyahu.

But the chronic nature of this tension is unusual — and, according to current and former officials, rooted in ill will at the very top. “You have a backdrop of a very acrimonious relationship between the president and the prime minister of Israel,” said Robert M. Danin, a Middle East expert at the Council on Foreign Relations.

What, Obama is part of the problem rather than part of the solution? C'mon, how many Nobel Prizes has Netanyahu earned? Oh, we can all do the math - as many as Obama.

Posted by Tom Maguire on August 05, 2014 | Permalink

Comments

I just posted a story on prior thread that says the Sunday school attack was staged by Hamas. Gosh, who'd have thunk dat?

Posted by: JiB | August 05, 2014 at 10:05 AM

OH I see what you did there. Zero has "earned" zero Nobel Prizes...

In other news, the Democrats in Colorado have pulled anti fracking measure from the ballot in November. That combined with the blurb yesterday from the insider who had seen the focus groups, tells you all you need to know about the coming Tsunami...

Posted by: GMax | August 05, 2014 at 10:17 AM

"American" has been redefined, just like everything else.

Posted by: Threadkiller | August 05, 2014 at 10:18 AM

there's a reason, i've dubbed him, Mark 'Tiger Beat' Landler, it's the Arabist contingent, plus the usual confederacy of dunces,

yes, but they came up with this blanc mange commission, that will not come to the right conclusion,

Posted by: narciso | August 05, 2014 at 10:33 AM

Is the NYT instructing its feeble minded subscriber base to be irritated at Netanyahu for slapping President Lame Schmuck for his stupidity? How is Netanyahu different from every other world leader who has taken 'ol Leads From His Behind's measure?

The President has fully earned every bit of the lack of respect which he receives and even a subscriber base as dumb as that of the NYT knows it.

Posted by: Rick B | August 05, 2014 at 10:40 AM

BOzo and his "will not rest" promises

Posted by: DebinNC | August 05, 2014 at 10:51 AM

After hearing a couple of news reports that "an American soldier" was killed and 15 were injured by a guy dressed in an Afghan military uniform, now it turns out that the dead guy is a 2-star General.

Posted by: Dave (in MA) | August 05, 2014 at 10:53 AM

A good reason to outsource our MSM to Hyderabad or thereabouts. These people actually report things that happen right next to them.

Posted by: henry | August 05, 2014 at 10:53 AM

Sunday school attack was staged by Hamas.

Is this the one that the State Dept Valley Galpal was "appalled" at?

Posted by: GMax | August 05, 2014 at 10:53 AM

wrong link, Indian press here.

Posted by: henry | August 05, 2014 at 10:55 AM

NYT: "...leaving American officials to seethe on the sidelines about what they regard as disrespectful treatment."

Disrespectful treatment? Didn't BOzo suddenly abandon a visiting Netanyahu, forcing him to find his own way out of the WH when the dinner bell rang?

Posted by: DebinNC | August 05, 2014 at 11:00 AM

Well you know Obama, it's true that what goes around comes around. Obama gets all wee wee'd up when he think he's been "disresepected" or somebody is "hatin" on him. Well what did Obama do to Netanyahu in the White House visit?

Act like a shmuck--get treated like a shmuck.

Now that may be school yard stuff--but even politicians are people. And Netanyahu leads a nation that faces some existential challenges from Hamas in Gaza. So he is not likely to cut the shmuck in the Oval Office any slack.

Posted by: Comanche Voter | August 05, 2014 at 11:15 AM