Gershom Gorenberg’s new American Prospect article is now online at their website, “When Bibi Met Barack or “Bibi Wants to Bomb Amalek.” Its subhead is “Netanyahu’s evaluation of Iran is based on mythology. Can Obama hold him back?” But Gorenberg also points out that the focus on Iran has kicked the Palestinian issue to the curb:
Speaking to AIPAC, Netanyahu virtually waved his finger in Obama’s face. “Diplomacy … hasn’t worked,” he said; neither have sanctions, nor will deterrence. …Netanyahu equated hesitation before attacking Iran to America’s refusal to bomb Auschwitz in 1944. As additional support for his case, Netanyahu cited the biblical Book of Esther…. He described Haman, the villain of that ancient story, as “a Persian anti-Semite [who] tried to annihilate the Jewish people.” In Jewish legend, I should note, Haman is understood to be from the tribe of Amalek, which tried to destroy the Israelites when they left Egypt and endlessly keeps trying. The reasoning of Netanyahu’s speech, if “reasoning” can be used in this context, is that Amalek, Haman, Hitler and the current leaders of Teheran are all the same.…. It’s possible—even probable—that Netanyahu will accept an American veto, if made clear enough. But even if that happens, Netanyahu has succeeded in pushing Israeli-Palestinian peace to the margins of the U.S.-Israel diplomatic agenda.Compare this year’s speeches to last year’s. Addressing AIPAC in 2011, Obama devoted about 200 words of a 3,000-word speech to Iran. The concluding section, nearly half the speech, portrayed the urgent need for an Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement, “based on the 1967 lines with mutually agreed swaps.” This year, the proportions were reversed: Obama spent less than 200 words defending the very fact that he’d ever engaged in peace efforts. His long crescendo dealt with Iran. Last year, Netanyahu had to declare, “Peace between Israelis and Palestinians is a vital interest for us,” even while putting all blame for the failure to achieve it on the other side. This year he felt free to leave the word “Palestinian” out completely.That doesn’t mean the issue has disappeared. There’s nothing static about the status quo. Two weeks ago, an Israeli planning authority approved nearly 700 new homes in settlements in an area north of Ramallah that Israel would have to give up in any two-state accord. …Indeed, were Netanyahu rationally preparing for war with Iran, he’d want to make a show of serious negotiations with the Palestinians. That would allow him to bring centrist parties into a much wider governing coalition. It would improve Israel’s diplomatic standing, especially in Europe but also in the Arab world. He’d look like a statesman seeking peace and pushed against his will to use his military against Iran. …
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