If you believe the Israeli and some of the US press, American-Israeli relations are at their lowest point ever. The New York Times accuses Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of “trying to browbeat President Obama into a pre-emptive strike (on Iran).” Israeli press this week ran banner headlines trumpeting the rift.
Prime Minister Netanyahu has used the occasion of the Jewish New Year, which begins at sundown on Sunday, to give a series of interviews to US and Israeli media, explaining his policy on Iran and trying to mend relations with the US. On Meet the Press Sunday, he insisted that a policy of containment for Iran will not work.
“Iran is guided by a leadership with an unbelievable fanaticism,” he said. “You want these fanatics to have nuclear weapons?”
There are clearly differences between the US and Israel over what to do about Iran’s nuclear program. The reports of a crisis in relations were sparked by Netanyahu’s demand that the US set a “red-line” for military action against Iran and his barb that those who refuse “don’t have a moral right to place a red light before Israel.”
Yet, over the weekend, Israeli officials played down the reports of a rift. Intelligence Agencies Minister Dan Meridor told Israel Radio that clashes between the US and Israel are not desirable, but the two countries have dealt with similar disagreements before. He said the US-Israel alliance crosses all party lines in both countries. He said that Israel has succeeded in bringing the issue of Iran’s nuclear program to world awareness.
That may have been Israel’s motivation in threatening a unilateral attack – to convince Iran and the world that a crazy “rogue” Israel could act alone if it believes that is the only way to stop Iran. However, most experts say, Israel does not want to act alone if there is any other alternative and continues to maintain close contacts with the Obama Administration.
“I don’t have a sense that there’s a fundamental falling-out here between the US and Israel,” Mark Heller, an expert at the INSS think tank in Tel Aviv told The Media Line. “I suspect this is all being overplayed because of the sensationalism of the Israeli media and the fever surrounding the US elections.”
Part of the tension came from a sense in Israel that a unilateral Israeli attack on Iran could be imminent. President Obama has warned Israel against acting alone, fearing that an Israeli strike could spark a broader conflict in the Middle East and that the US is likely to get drawn in. He has said the US still believes that sanctions will be effective, a view that Israel disputes.
Over the weekend, Amos Gilad, a senior Israeli defense official, hinted that no Israeli attack is imminent. Speaking about the period of the Jewish holidays, which begins Sunday and ends on October 9, Gilad said he expects “quiet.”
“What Israel will or won’t do – I recommend that this remain behind closed doors,” Gilad told Channel Two television. “But to ``the extent that it is possible to foresee the holidays, it looks like it will be quiet, if you exclude all kinds of events like some maniac or hate crimes that set the entire world on fire.”
Gilad also said the US and Israel agree that “the Iranian threat is a central threat.”
Further corroboration came from US Ambassador to Israel Dan Shapiro.
“There is no crisis (between the US and Israel),” he said on a tour of southern Israel, adding that the US and Israel have “the closest relations ever” in terms of security cooperation.
The reports of the US-Israel rift take on added significance as they come less than two months before the American presidential election. Some in Israel have speculated that Netanyahu was provoking the public rift to give Republican nominee Mitt Romney, who has taken a hard-line position against Iran, a boost in the polls. But most Israeli experts say this scenario is unlikely.
“I’m not a big fan of Netanyahu, but it’s hard for me to believe he’s that stupid,” INSS expert Mark Heller said. “Everyone knows that the most important thing is bipartisan US support for Israel and for Israel not to inject itself into US politics.”
At the same time, he believes that there will continue to be differences between the US and Israel over how to deal with Iran.
“This issue is not going to go away,” Heller said. “If Obama is re-elected there will continue to be differences.”
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