ÿþ<html> <head> <meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html;charset=iso-8859-1"> <title>OnlineColumnist®.com: Putin Punishes Georgia</title> <meta name="generator" content="Adobe GoLive 4"> <style type="text/css"> .style3 { height: 68px; } .MsoNormal {} h1 {margin-bottom:.0001pt; page-break-after:avoid; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; font-weight:normal; text-decoration:underline; text-underline:single; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; } .style4 { font-size: large; font-weight: bold; font-family: Arial; } .style6 { height: 69px; } h2 {margin-bottom:.0001pt; text-align:center; page-break-after:avoid; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:Arial; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; } .style7 { width: 133px; } .style8 { font-size: x-large; font-weight: bold; } </style> </head> <body bgcolor="white" vlink="black"> <center> &nbsp;<table cool width="624" height="2719" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" gridx="16" showgridx gridy="16" showgridy> <tr> <td height="118" rowspan="2" valign="top" align="left" xpos="0" class="style7"> <a href="aboutdiscobolos.html"><img height="110" width="62" src="images/discobolos.logo.transp.gif" border="0"></a></td> <td width="7" height="118" rowspan="2"></td> <td width="482" colspan="2" valign="top" align="left" xpos="140" class="style6"><img height="75" width="450" src="images/banner.GIF"></td> <td width="1" height="118" rowspan="2"></td> <td width="1" class="style6"><spacer type="block" width="1" height="79"></td> </tr> <tr height="39"> <td width="182" height="39"></td> <td width="300" height="39" valign="top" align="left" xpos="322"><a href="aboutdiscobolos.html"><img height="14" width="267" src="images/divisionofNEW.GIF" border="0"></a></td> <td width="1" height="39"><spacer type="block" width="1" height="39"></td> </tr> <tr> <td width="624" colspan="6" valign="top" align="left" xpos="0" class="style3"> <table border="0" width="100%" bgcolor="black" cellspacing="0"> <tr> <td> <table border="0" width="100%" bgcolor="#99ffcc" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="4"> <tr> <td align="center"> <div align="left"> <a href="index.html"><font face="Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular" size="2"><strong> HOME</strong></font></a><font face="Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular" size="2"><strong> &#8226; <a href="articlesindex.html">ARTICLES</a> &#8226; <a href="books.html">BOOKS</a> &#8226; <a href="teflon.html"> THE </a><a href="teflon.html">TEFLON</a><a href="teflon.html"> REPORT</a> &#8226; <a href="mailto:letters@onlinecolumnist.com"> REACTIONS</a> &#8226; <a href="aboutdiscobolos.html">ABOUT DISCOBOLOS</a></strong></font></div> </td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> <tr height="2"> <td height="2" class="style7"></td> <td width="489" height="2576" colspan="3" rowspan="2" align="left" xpos="133" content valign="top" csheight="2573"> <p class="style4">Obama and Netanyahu Mend Fences</p> <p><b><font face="Arial,Geneva,Helvetica">by John M. Curt</font></b><font face="Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular"><b>is<a href="books.html"><br> </a></b></font><font face="Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular"><b> (310) 204-8700</b></font></p> <p><font size="2" face="Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular"><i>Copyright July 6, 2010<br>All Rights Reserved. </i></font>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </p> <bAbout the Author</u> <bAbout the Author</u> <bAbout the Author</u> <bAbout the Author</u> <bAbout the Author</u> <bAbout the Author</u> <bAbout the Author</u> <bAbout the Author</u> <bAbout the Author</u> <bAbout the Author</u> <bAbout the Author</u> <bAbout the Author</u> <bAbout the Author</u> <bAbout the Author</u> <bAbout the Author</u> <bAbout the Author</u> <bAbout the Author</u> <bAbout the Author</u> <bAbout the Author</u> <bAbout the Author</u> <p class="MsoNormal"> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <span class="style8">P</span>resident Barack Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu broke bread at the White House, dismissing claims that the relationship was the most troubled in 30 years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Miscues by Israel March 6 during a peace mission by Vice President Joe Biden led to chilled relations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Biden took umbrage over Israeli Interior Minister Eli Yashai s announcement that Israel would build 1,600 residential units in East Jerusalem the desired capital of a future Palestinian State.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>U.S.-Israeli relations hit a recent low when Israeli commandos boarded a Cypress-based-Turkish-sponsored relief boat bound for Gaza, resulting in the deaths of 11 so-called peace activists.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>When Egypt announced plans to relax its border crossing with Gaza, Netanyahu consented to a partial end to the Israeli embargo.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span> Israel s embargo began June 14, 2007 when Hamas seized the Gaza Strip for the Palestinian Authority.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <![if !supportEmptyParas]>&nbsp;<![endif]><span style="mso-tab-count:1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span>No U.S. president in modern history gave Israel more latitude and support than former President George W. Bush.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>In the wake of Sept. 11, Bush coordinated antiterrorism efforts closely with Israel, a country far more familiar with Islamic terrorism than the U.S.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>For his eight years in office, Bush supported Israel s wars against Hezbollah and Hamas, viewing both a terror group.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span> Despite winning monitored parliamentary elections Jan. 28, 2005, Hamas was never recognized by the State Department, eventually resulting in the 2007 Gaza coup.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span> The United States is committed to Israel s security, Obama told reporters at the Oval Office.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span> We are committed to that special bond.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>And we are going to do what s required to back that up, not just with words but with actions, reassuring Netanyahu that resuming the peace process won t compromise Israel s security.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <![if !supportEmptyParas]>&nbsp;<![endif]><span style="mso-tab-count:1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span>Since Biden s March trip to Israel, U.S.-Israeli relations have been tense but exaggerated by the right wing media.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>With midterm elections in November, Obama wants to get pro-Israel voters back in the Democratic camp.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span> Fighting with Israel does little to advance the peace process, since Israel is expected to make most the concessions for an eventual Palestinian state.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span> There s a depth and richness of this relationship that is expressed every day, said Netanyahu, professing his support for peace talks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span> We re committed to that peace.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>I m committed to that peace, denying as  flat wrong that U.S.-Israeli relations hit rock-bottom.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Loosening the Gaza blockade comes at a time when Israel s public image needs urgent rehab.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Mideast peacemaking is also a good diversion away from Obama s domestic problems, especially the sluggish economy and endless oil spill.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <![if !supportEmptyParas]>&nbsp;<![endif]><span style="mso-tab-count:1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span>Palestinians used the May 31 Gaza blockade debacle to highlight the economic misery in the tiny seaside territory.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Palestinians want to ship all the blame to Israel when, in fact, it s more related to their ongoing civil war.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Since Hamas seized Gaza June 14, 2007, Gaza s leader Ismail Haniyeh has refused to negotiate Palestinian unity with West Bank Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Since PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat s death Nov. 11, 2004, Abbas has been the U.S. peace-partner.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp;&nbsp; </span>After Sept. 11, Bush refused to deal with Arafat because of his close ties to various terror groups, especially Hamas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Abbas became a strong U.S. ally and would have made more progress had Hamas not divided the Palestinian people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span> Abbas wants peace but gets his walking orders from Hamas, insisting on impossible conditions, including Palestinians right of return to Israel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span> </p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <![if !supportEmptyParas]>&nbsp;<![endif]><span style="mso-tab-count:1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span>Ending the blockade, if nothing else, softens Haniyeh s stand on opening up peace talks with Israel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>To date, Hamas has not supported any of Arafat s past peace agreements, including the Former President Jimmy Carter s 1978 Camp David Accords or former President Bill Clinton s 1993 Oslo Accords, where Israeli and Palestinians set the framework for a future Palestinian state.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Hamas, at least on paper, continues to call for Israel s destruction and accepts no prior peace deals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span> We want to resume direct negotiations, but the problem is that the land that is supposed to be a Palestinian state is being eaten up by settlements, said Palestinian Authority negotiator and former Arafat aid Saeb Erekat, forgetting that the Palestinians occupy Israel spoils of the 1967 Six-Day War.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Netanyahu s government wants to return to the bargaining table but not with Palestinian preconditions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span> </p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <![if !supportEmptyParas]>&nbsp;<![endif]><span style="mso-tab-count:1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span>Israeli and Palestinian officials need to jettison preconditions and get back to the bargaining table to start the peace process.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Setting precondition, or, for that matter, expecting the White House to impose them, is unrealistic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Abbas must do a better job of ending his civil war with Hamas before real progress can start.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Erekat said a halt to Israeli construction in the West Bank and East Jerusalem  are not conditions, these are obligations yet he s not in a position to call the shots or make unrealistic demands.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Only both sides starting fresh can make real progress.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span> Neither Israeli s conservative government nor Hamas-dominated Palestinians can make progress.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>For the U.S. to serve as an eventual impartial broker, the State Dept. must insist that (a) Hamas reconcile with the Palestinians Authority and (b) both sides start fresh.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Only then can a real peace process start over.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <b>John M. Curtis </b>writes politically neutral commentary analyzing spin in national and global news. He&#x2019;s editor of OnlineColumnist.com and author of <a href="books.html">Dodging The Bullet</a> and <a href="books.html">Operation Charisma</a>.</p> </td> <td width="1" height="2576" rowspan="2"></td> <td width="1" height="2"><spacer type="block" width="1" height="2"></td> </tr> <tr height="2574"> <td height="2574" valign="top" align="left" xpos="0" class="style7"><img height="172" width="111" src="images/johninframe3.jpg"></td> <td width="1" height="2574"><spacer type="block" width="1" height="2574"></td> </tr> <tr height="1" cntrlrow> <td height="1" class="style7"><spacer type="block" width="133" height="1"></td> <td width="7" height="1"><spacer type="block" width="7" height="1"></td> <td width="182" height="1"><spacer type="block" width="182" height="1"></td> <td width="300" height="1"><spacer type="block" width="300" height="1"></td> <td width="1" height="1"><spacer type="block" width="1" height="1"></td> <td width="1" height="1"></td> </tr> </table> <table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="2" width="597"> <tr> <td><font size="1" face="Arial,Geneva,Helvetica"> <hr noshade size="1"> </font><a href="index.html"><font face="Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular" size="2"><strong> Homecobolos> <p><font size="2" face="Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular">©1999-2005 <a href="aboutdiscobolos.html"> Discobolos Consulting Services, Inc.</a><br> (310) 204-8300<br> All Rights Reserved. </font></td> </tr> </table> </center> </body> </html>