U.S. and Israel's Opening Bids -Editorial
It was not hard to discern the incipient cracks in U.S.-Israeli relations behind the show of friendliness between President Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu at the White House. The cracks need not widen into a split.
Obama's envoy, George Mitchell [pictured above], has been seeking to broker measures that might include Arab grants of overflight rights or trade privileges to Israel in exchange for a settlement freeze. Netanyahu is intrigued by the potential of a de facto Israel-Arab alliance on Iran.
It may be that a mere show of U.S. sleeve-rolling on the peace process, along with pro forma Israeli cooperation, will provide adequate cover for Arab states that are eager to join in an anti-Iranian alliance.
(Washington Post)
After Israeli Visit, a Diplomatic Sprint on Iran -David E. Sanger
Obama's declaration that "we're not going to have talks forever" was a warning to the Iranians that serious American engagement with Tehran must bear fruit before Iran clears the last technological hurdles to building a nuclear weapon.
Obama's strategy is based on a giant gamble: That after the Iranian elections on June 12, the way will be clear to convince the Iranians that it is in their long-term interest to strike a deal.
But Israeli officials express skepticism that any combination of new diplomatic openness and gradually escalating pressure will work. Their assessment is that Iran wants the bomb, full stop.
A senior Israeli said the only benchmark that really matters this year is a halt in Iran's enrichment of uranium. Otherwise, he said, Iran just gets closer to a bomb capability every day that talks drag on.
(New York Times)
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It was not hard to discern the incipient cracks in U.S.-Israeli relations behind the show of friendliness between President Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu at the White House. The cracks need not widen into a split.
Obama's envoy, George Mitchell [pictured above], has been seeking to broker measures that might include Arab grants of overflight rights or trade privileges to Israel in exchange for a settlement freeze. Netanyahu is intrigued by the potential of a de facto Israel-Arab alliance on Iran.
It may be that a mere show of U.S. sleeve-rolling on the peace process, along with pro forma Israeli cooperation, will provide adequate cover for Arab states that are eager to join in an anti-Iranian alliance.
(Washington Post)
After Israeli Visit, a Diplomatic Sprint on Iran -David E. Sanger
Obama's declaration that "we're not going to have talks forever" was a warning to the Iranians that serious American engagement with Tehran must bear fruit before Iran clears the last technological hurdles to building a nuclear weapon.
Obama's strategy is based on a giant gamble: That after the Iranian elections on June 12, the way will be clear to convince the Iranians that it is in their long-term interest to strike a deal.
But Israeli officials express skepticism that any combination of new diplomatic openness and gradually escalating pressure will work. Their assessment is that Iran wants the bomb, full stop.
A senior Israeli said the only benchmark that really matters this year is a halt in Iran's enrichment of uranium. Otherwise, he said, Iran just gets closer to a bomb capability every day that talks drag on.
(New York Times)
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