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What Bibi faces in liberated Washington By Gershom Gorenberg Tags: Israel News  Washington at the beginning of the Obama era has the feel of a city that has just been liberated from foreign occupation, or of a person who just snapped out of an inexplicable psychotic episode. The paranoia of the Bush days has passed. The world is no longer divided into children of light and children of darkness. The standard assessment says that after his return to power, Benjamin Netanyahu will have a tense time when he visits Washington - just as he did during his first term when he faced a president who demanded that he advance a peace process. That assessment isn't quite right - because this time, Netanyahu is likely to have an even more tension-fraught time than he did in the 90s. In his new term, he won't be able to count on Congress as a counterweight to the administration in his relations with America. During his first visit to Washington as prime minister in 1996, Netanyahu spoke before Congress to repeated applause. The part of his speech praising deregulation and tax cuts helped him by warming the hearts of the Republican majority. Today that economic approach is correctly seen as the cause of a worldwide disaster, and the Republicans are a defeated minority. Economic spin won't help Netanyahu build a responsible image. Advertisement More important, Congress' attitude toward the Arab-Israeli conflict has begun to shift. The conservative line of AIPAC, the veteran pro-Israel lobby, is no longer the only understanding of how to support Israel. The principle of two states for two peoples has become conventional wisdom on the Hill, as someone with a close knowledge of Congressional discussions of foreign policy recently told me. That's the same principle that Netanyahu refused to endorse during his talks with Tzipi Livni. Rep. Gary Ackerman provided a clear sign of the change last month. Ackerman, a Jewish Democrat from New York, is chairman of House of Representatives' Subcommittee on the Middle East and South Asia. In his opening statement at a subcommittee hearing, he warned of a downward spiral leading to the point where "the two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is finally rendered impossible." He added, "The downward pressure comes from terrorism and the march of settlements and outposts, from the firing of rockets and the perpetration of settler pogroms." Ackerman hasn't been known in the past as a dove, notes another source who keeps close track of Israel-related activity in Congress. Today Ackerman isn't worried that criticizing Israel's policies in the territories will sound heretical. To that, add Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman John Kerry's visit to Gaza - a symbolic breach of the siege of the Strip. Kerry was the first member of Congress to visit Gaza since 2000. Afterward, when he asked Ehud Barak to explain why Israel was blocking shipments of pasta to the Strip, he didn't worry about being labeled anti-Israel if his intervention were publicized. And in just two days last week, Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California signed more than 30 of her colleagues on to a letter to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, urging her to expand efforts to bring Israeli-Palestinian peace. One reason for the change is that AIPAC no longer has a monopoly on concern for Israel. J Street, the new, dovish pro-Israel lobby, pressed senators to sign Feinstein's letter. Members of Congress and their staffers have attended recent briefings held by the new lobby. This isn't a sharp shift. When Barack Obama demands that Netanyahu freeze settlement construction or resume peace negotiations, a certain amount of protest might be heard from Congress, but it will be muffled protest, a low grumbling. Netanyahu's marketing skills and his fluent English won't rescue him from the basic contradiction between his positions and those of the new administration. In liberated Washington, neither will Congress save him. The writer is the author of "The Accidental Empire: Israel and the Birth of the Settlements, 1967-1977." He blogs at southjerusalem.com. Bookmark to del.icio.us   Swine killed over flu Egypt orders pigs killed in anticipation of pandemic. Obama greets Israel U.S. President salutes Israel's 61st independence day.   1.   Let`s hope so, by goodness, Mr. Gorenberg...... 10:38  |  Swiss (Dino) 04/03/09   2.   Playing into the left 10:42  |  Mike Malkovitch 04/03/09   3.   occupation and settlements have nothing to do with .... 10:51  |  dr eric 04/03/09   4.   settlements not the issue -HATE IS THE PROBLEM!!! 10:54  |  dR eRIC 04/03/09   5.   # 4 then Palestinians and Isrealis can live in one state 11:59  |  Bill 04/03/09   6.   #1 Swiss: Yes. Only 60 Years from World War. Feelin` Up? 12:12  |  Ovadiah ben Avraham 04/03/09   7.   Clinically and Forensically Wrong 12:23  |  Ovadiah ben Avraham 04/03/09   8.   #4 Eric in TA 12:50  |  BDS 04/03/09   9.   It is apparent that 12:59  |  Aventis 04/03/09   10.   Netanyahu deserves a big punch on the nose 13:09  |  mehmet 04/03/09   11.   J-street is run by Far Leftist Cukoos; Has No Clout 13:26  |  Jack Levine 04/03/09   12.   perhaps Gorenberg can explain 13:28  |  rich 04/03/09   13.   Does J Street possess AIPAC`S scare factor 13:31  |  Roo 04/03/09   14.   Republican Netanyahu out of step in Democratic D.C. 13:48  |  Giora Me`ir 04/03/09   15.   # 6 Ovadiah ben Avraham, when "The Wall" of expansive Zionism.... 15:05  |  Swiss (Dino) 04/03/09   16.   We Will See, Mr. Gorenberg 16:08  |  Yaakov Sullivan 04/03/09   17.   #5 Bill from--------? 16:25  |  John Allen 04/03/09   18.   #7 Ovadiah 16:36  |  John Allen 04/03/09   19.   to #8 18:02  |  Jake 04/03/09   20.   to #10-mehmet 18:12  |  Jake 04/03/09   21.   #15 Swiss: Location of Wall Hardly Defines an "Empire", Does It? 18:33  |  Ovadiah ben Avraham 04/03/09   22.   Winston Churchill also considered paranoid prior to WWII. 20:02  |  common sense 04/03/09   23.   to dr eric #3 20:09  |  zeev 04/03/09   24.   aipac losing influence 20:46  |  elliot 04/03/09   25.   # 4 dR eRIC Why hate? So easy to figure out 21:07  |  David 04/03/09   26.   Another Israeli happy about America pressuring Israel 21:18  |  Shalom Freedman 04/03/09   27.   Israel is going to be a dirty word for a long time to come ... 21:22  |  Dutch 04/03/09   28.   What does the "J" stand for? 21:35  |  David Zukerman 04/03/09   29.   J Street and assumptions 22:42  |  Darlene Wallach 04/03/09   30.   #I hope for more balance 23:15  |  American 04/03/09   31.   leftists don`t die they just switch jobs 01:43  |  zionrightonist 05/03/09   32.   39 - D Wallach: Demise Of J Street - Wishful Thinking 01:50  |  viewfromafar 05/03/09   33.   Two States for Two People 03:57  |  American 05/03/09   34.   J Street is the wave of the future 04:31  |  Hanna 05/03/09   35.   The Writing`s On The Wall... 05:22  |  Ed 05/03/09   36.   dr eric - No, nothing to do with ... 05:48  |  PADDY 05/03/09   37.   J-street, like j-walkers 10:09  |  a voice 05/03/09   38.   to a voice #37 12:17  |  zeev 05/03/09   39.   Roo # 13 AIPAC and J Street 15:58  |  American in NY 05/03/09   40.   American in NY, 19:26  |  zeev 05/03/09   41.   zeev # 40 Thanks 21:52  |  American in NY 05/03/09   42.   to American in NY #41 04:17  |  zeev 06/03/09   43.   Thank God for Lieberman 05:09  |  Colin Wright 06/03/09   44.   Jack Levine 21:29  |  Connie 07/03/09   45.   J Street 21:40  |  Connie 07/03/09   46.   what if interests diverge? 21:49  |  SK 07/03/09   47.   to Connie #45 09:55  |  zeev 08/03/09   48.   Washington experiencing an era of MAKE BELIEVE 18:27  |  david 08/03/09   49.   yet another defeatist leftist at haaretz 22:23  |  Ben Menachem 09/03/09   50.   SETTLEMENTS MUST STOP 22:50  |  Suzy 10/03/09   51.   gershom.... 22:17  |  dave 21/03/09   52.   #15 20:59  |  Joseph 01/05/09

Read & React U.S. Jewish prof. probed after comparing Israel to Nazis Responses: 90 Shulamit Aloni: Sadly, Israel is no longer democratic Responses: 56 UN: Israel must freeze East Jerusalem home demolitions Responses: 67 Is Netanyahu bringing Israel closer to a 'second Holocaust'? Responses: 58 Saudis: U.S. lied about king's talks with Peres Responses: 41 More Headlines 20:33 Israel, Arab states meet to combat swine flu in region 15:39 IDF attacks Gaza tunnels following Qassam hit 19:01 U.S. drops spy charges against two ex-AIPAC officials 07:19 UN: Israel must freeze East Jerusalem home demolitions 07:18 Netanyahu aides fear 'surprise' demands from Obama 17:52 Barak: Netanyahu more mature, Lieberman more balanced than he seems 18:47 Did FDR try to save Jews from the Nazi Holocaust? 18:21 Israeli soccer team penalized for fans' anti-Muslim chants 21:43 WATCH: Daily news round-up from Israel 18:36 U.S. court turns down Demjanjuk appeal for stay of deportation 07:52 Is Netanyahu bringing Israel closer to a 'second Holocaust'? 17:57 Haredi women get special tour of West Bank separation fence 16:55 Palestinians hurt following spat with West Bank settlers 14:00 'Syria-Turkey ties tighter because of Gaza war' 13:34 Belgian opera shows Jew raping woman in anti-Israel piece 05:23 'Clown costumes encapsulated absurdity of Durban II' Previous Editions Select Day 30 apr 29 apr 28 apr 27 apr 26 apr 24 apr 23 apr 22 apr 21 apr 20 apr 19 apr 17 apr

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