Biden to speak directly to Israelis from Tel Aviv
Biden visit to Israel next week aimed reaching consensus on stopping Iran nukes, says Senator Kerry.
By Barak Ravid Tags: US Israel news Iran nuclearU.S. Vice President Joe Biden will address the Israeli public directly next week during a speech he is scheduled to deliver at Tel Aviv University, focusing on American commitment to Israel's security, Iran's nuclear program and the peace process.
Senator John Kerry, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said Monday in Jerusalem that Biden is seeking to ensure that Israel and the United States are in alignment on the issue of preventing the Iranian nuclear threat.
Kerry, who is privy to the details of efforts to impose sanctions on Iran, hinted Monday at a press conference in Jerusalem after a meeting with the prime minister that Biden's visit to Israel, and that of other senior administration officials, including the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Michael Mullen, aims at restraining Israel against the possibility of unilaterally attacking Iran.
To date the U.S. administration has not made a serious effort to reach out to the Israeli public, unlike addresses by President Barack Obama aimed at the Arab and Muslim world. Obama will continue to convey his message, which began during speeches in Turkey and Egypt, with another during an official visit to Indonesia, the most populous Muslim country.
Obama has also not yet visited Israel as U.S. president.
Biden is due in Israel on March 8, for a three-day visit that will also include the Palestinian Authority.
An Israeli political source has told Haaretz that Biden would like "to make a speech that is important and significant for Israeli-American relations."
The political portion of his visit will likely concentrate on the Iranian nuclear question, with Biden stressing before Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that the U.S. expects Israel to assist in the effort to foil, using diplomatic means, Iran's nuclear ambitions through the imposition of effective sanctions at the UN Security Council, thus avoiding unilateral steps that may include an attack on Iran's nuclear installations.
In response to a question on whether the U.S. is concerned about the possibility of such Israeli action, Senator Kerry said Monday that "the prime minister is more than aware through his conversations with the Secretary of State and the President himself, as well as just through his own common sense - I think he is very tuned in to not being rash or jumping the gun here or doing something that doesn't give those other opportunities a chance."
Kerry explained that one of the reasons for the sort of dialogue that has been taking place with the visits of U.S. officials and "one of the reasons that I am here and other people were here and VP Biden is coming shortly - is to make sure we are all on the same page and that we are all clear about what time frames may exist or what threat levels may be real or unreal and what options may be on the table for us. I think we are on the same page and I found the prime minister tremendously supportive of the initiatives that we are taking right now, and other countries are taking, and very hopeful that they can have an impact."
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U.S. Vice President Joe Biden. |
| Photo by: (AP) |
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Now what is it that people say about US politicians and their Israeli masters? More of the same from Joe "I am a Zionist", Biden. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yAZmO80dLfE Where can you find his "equal"? (another US politician or maybe a Brit politician) Americans must be totally without any sense of shame, given that this guy is their Vice-President. UNBELIEVABLE!
If that was Norman Finkelstein able to speak to people in Israel, it would be worth to stop the work around the Whole World for couple hours... Biden will spread only more hate...
# 12 Labhras from Ireland. Especially for you: "No more of this, 'Tis like the howling of Irish wolves Against the moon". (frm."As you like it" Shakespeare)
Biden is a Bafoon who by days end will insult , embarass and confound his listeners with his stupidity
The lobby was so closely tied to the last administration that they are really pissed off they lost so much influence. They also tied themselves to the most extreme elements of the neocons and are still trying to disentangle themselves. Only one of the current administration's inside advisers, Ross, is closely tied to them. And since both Bush and Obama both seem disinclined to a war we cannot win without at least a doubling of our military, I think chances are still good for a delay. Our crushing debt also is a factor. We have no money and those who say debt doesn't matter are out of power til after 2012.
After Biden and Obama stopped the sale of needed weaponry to Israel, while they approved the sales of offensive weaponry as F-16s to Egypt, Morocco and other Islamist states in the region, Biden has the temerity to play god on Israel. Israel should tell him NO, NO, NO.
Despite being a Zionist... Biden is intelligent. He is a strategist with a lot of connections, and he hasn't got caught yet...
USA should not be telling Israel what to do. We do not live where she is, endure what she endures. And we should respect Israel's right to self-direction. American should extend friendship, and support for national self-determination.
However, as usual, israeli politicians will keep trying to drag our country to foght for them. I dont know if you noticed lateley, the neo cons are morphing and we are seeing Richard Haas and Bret Stephen ex editor of the jerusalem post and now editor of the WSJ trying to sell the idea that it is in the U.S. interest and indeed to world to attack Iran.It is a re run of the Bush pre Iraq war B.S. I am not for Biden to go to israel to calm them down, let them attack Iran and bear the consequences on their own. We can not afford any more wars. Let israel leave us alone.
The U.S. government's (not the people's!) support for Israel is a sham. They sit on their thumbs doing nothing while Israel's enemies arm themselves to the teeth and prepare for another all out war. At the same time the U.S. government endorses the "two-state solution" which is just political doublespeak for dividing the land and giving it away to Israel's sworn enemies. G_d says in His holy word that he will enter into judgment against ALL nations for dividing his land! Joel 3:2 I will gather ALL NATIONS and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat. There I will ENTER INTO JUDGMENT AGAINST THEM concerning my inheritance, my people Israel, FOR THEY scattered my people among the nations and DIVIDED UP MY LAND.
I know you're very keen on Greater Israel, Abs. But I thought you just wanted from the Nile to the Euphrates. Not from the Nile to the Antarctic!
Iran doesn't have thousands of missles that can reach Israel. It probably doesn't even have a hundred. And additionally, its airforce is pitiful. Israel almost took it out in one day about eight months ago when their entire fleet was parked in one location, that is before the Russians saw activity and warned the Iranians. Of course the real problem is Iran's proxy armies in Syria, Lebanon (Hizbulla) and Gaza (Hamas). But that's a battle Israel can handle. It won't be pretty, but every apartment and every building in Israel has shelters. If they attack as a response, we'll be ready.
1. Telling Jews not to reside in certain towns, villages and even neighborhoods of the Jewish people's capital city or any other place on earth, only because they are Jewish, is a form of racism, anti-Jewish racism. Let us hope the US leadership has internalized this. 2. To single out a people, the Jewish people, and to deny it the universally accepted right of all peoples to national self-determination and independence, something some of the supporters of this US administration do, e.g. Louis Farakhan, is a forma of racism, anti-Jewish racism. Sadly, people who call themselves "liberal" and/or "progressive", many of whom are the strongest supporters of the Obama administration, adhere to this form of racism. I hope Biden will be able to put our minds at rest. Yet, that will come only when we see actions; when Jews are not told not to reside in certain neighborhoods of towns and when supporters of Obama are scolded by him for even suggesting that Israel has not right to be.
Israel could not defeat a country thre size of Iran. While Israel has been building their airforce, Iran has been developing their missle technology. Your Arrow defense system is incapable of stopping the thousands of missles Iran will rain on Israel. Sure, you can nuke them but they will then deliver chemical and bio weapons to your doorstep. Plus nuking Iran will cause Russia to enter the war AGAINST Israel. Israel will be no more. I certainly hope saner minds then yours prevail.
that the fate of israel hangs on the ability of the us to maintain their world empire.If the US is involved in another lost cause this will mean that their grip of this region will be destroyed and so israel will be doomed. There are only two ways to stop iran - a ground invasion with 1 million troops or a nuclear attack with big nukes wich destroy entire iran.
Of course this is only my opinion. Israel may attack Irans nuke sites sucessfully. However Irans response will be devastating for Israel. I believe they will retalliate with conventional missles (which is difficult to defend against) targeting every air strip in Israel leaving no place for the returning bombers to land. That could be the end of it unless Israel counters. Of course Iran will send home the inspectors and drop out of the treaty. I suspect they will then actually try to make a nuke in order to protect themselves in the future. If Israel counters with another round of airstrikes, I believe Iran will rain about 10000 missles on the whole of Israel. The Israelis know this which is why they will never attack without help from the US. Help that they are not going to get! Israel is reluctant to war against a country that can actually fight back.
...errors made by his boss, whether based on a sinister agenda or lack of knowledge and understanding of Jewish history. Israel is not the product of the Shoah and its right to be is not due to the Holocaust. Jerusalem = Zion has been at the center of Jewish civilization for over 3,000 years and Jewish drive to re-establish its sovereignty in the Land has been a constant since 70 CE (AD). This affinity and drive were recognized in the Balfour Declaration of 1917 and reiterated in decisions of the League of Nations in the early 1920s, long before the Shoah. And Israel was finally established based on UN resolutions calling for the establishment in the Land of a "Jewish state". Also, Israel's Defense Forces (IDF) to defend Israel's sovereignty and the life of its citizens must never be compared to any other human atrocity as Obama tried to do. Nor the right of Jews, only because they are Jewish. Attempting to limit the living-space of Jews only because they are Jewish is racism.
Every problem in the middle east stems from the simple rejection of Israel, all the way back to before 1948. The Palestinians are refugees because the Arab and Muslim world rejected Israel. If they didn't attack Israel in 1967 and 1973, then Israel wouldn't occupy the West Bank and gaza Strip. If the Palestian Authority would have continued to negotiate as opposed to release Hamas terrorists from Jail, then there might be peace today. Oh, and don't forget to tell Michael too.
Here is the answer: Israel cannot attack any country in the middle east without American support. The support could be military support or could be political supposrt at the UN. The total population of Israel is about 5 millions. Those 5 millions are surrounded by 500 million Arabs and Muslims. If each one of those 500 millions spits at Israel, then Israel will sink into rivers of saliva. Now, here is my question to you: Why do the Americans need to suck up to Israel?? Answer please!!!!
Nice touch Biden---now tell them what they dont want to hear. Also it is telling that Obama refuses to visit the rogue nation. Can,t say I blame him for not visiting a nation that kicks him up the rear every opportunity it gets. read the thread on Jerusalems mayor and the latest "up yours" to Obama and Americans in general.
...if Netanyahu is not alert...
even the saudi foreign minister has pointed out that there is not time for effective sanctions. how long is the united states planning to spend on so-called sanctions which are very unlikely to work. vice president biden needs to address a strict time frame. we have not forgotten that the president had set december 2009 as the time by which iran needed to respond positively to his engagement policy.
don't involve EU in the next South America contra England war. Simple as that.Simpler than WB withdrawal.
Sending Biden to Tel Aviv to address is rather having Obama come to Jerusalem is sending us a very clear message: "Your concerns are less important to us than those of the Arabs. We are keeping you at arm's length." We should not let misguided American efforts at appeasing our enemies impede Israel's defense against Iranian threats.
Good comment, Mark. As much as I agree in principle, I need to ask a genuine question: As a US citizen, how realistic do you see the the chances of the US to delay anything Israel wants, given the impact that the Lobby / AIPAC have on US politicians ? gorm
Which lets face it aren't exactly the most stable and lucid on Planet Earth, and explaining to the Israeli people what is going to happen and how we are going to achieve it is very important. Biden bypassing Avigdor (the nightclub bouncer) Lieberman and the nuttier Israeli politicians and speaking directly to the vast majority of good decent honest israelis whose voice is currently drowned out by the nutjobs. Hopefully will enable these Israelis to find a voice to neutralise the Israeli Far Right, who are currently (unbelievabley) in government.
The price of US amd world support for Israel against Iran should be Israeli withdrawal from the West Bank. Simple as that. Right now, Obama is playing AIPAC's game, ignoring the occupation and going after Iran. Stupid. really dumb.
First, Obama not only has NOT visited Israel, he has not so much as directly addressed the general Israeli public. Giving a video speech at a rally geared towards only a small portion of the Israeli public doesn't count. And seeing how he has directly addressed the Muslim world not only once, but twice, and soon to be a third time, each from a different muslim nation, only goes to show the Israeli people how Obama thinks more of those that attack the US, than those who support it. Regarding trying to stop us from preventing Iran from going nuclear, we don't care what the US says, if they can't muster up the support for full and effective sanctions immediately, Israel will do what we have to.
The US should focus on delaying the Israeli attack until after our troops are out of Iraq and then be clear to Israel that if they initiate war, the US will observe only and protect its own interests. US interests are in keeping the Persian Gulf free for shipping and keeping our troops in Afghanistan and Iraq and our Navy intact and unharmed and our allies in the Gulf undamaged. Looking to the protection of the people of inside Israel may be a US interest, but your politicians and settlers definitively are NOT. If your politicians want a war that bad, give up the West Bank, strip it of troops, and build some invasion ships or buy some US surplus. We have a fleet of WWII surplus in the Sacramento River. They may be for sale cheap. We could use the money.
The Muslim's using yes men catholics to tie israel's hands and israel don't even know it
usa is mistaken again . why not let israel strike IRAN,S nuke sites ? israel has drones and missiles capable of reaching nuke sites . israel is talented in this kind of work . it bombed iraq,s nuke site , so why restrain israel ? usa is afraid of reactions on it,s troops in afghanistan and iraq and all-over ME. but the question is : can israel actually do the job ? can israel bear the heavy consequances of such an act ? can israelis live normally in the region ? i need answers plz .