John Kerry Against the Israel Lobby

by Charles Lenchner · 2009-03-04 19:47:00 UTC
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For most of Israel's existence, it has rejected the idea of 'regionalization' or 'internationalization' of the conflict or the diplomatic process. As an alternative, it demanded bilateral negotiations without preconditions. This was in contrast to the PLO, the Arab world, and the USSR who thought it would be more productive to have all the parties to the conflict discuss a way out together.

The Madrid Peace Talks in 1991 represented a huge defeat for the Israeli approach. Basically, America's allies in the Arab world forced the US to pressure Israel to attend as payback for supporting the first Gulf War against Iraq. For most of the past 15 years Israel has been free to move back and forth diplomatically, focusing on Syria when convenient (as Ehud Barak did after he was elected, so as to keep the Palestinians waiting submissively) or on some other arena.

The Saudi Peace Initiative, later approved by the Arab League, was rejected by Israel in part because it was a return to the regionalization approach. With Israel on one side of the table, and all the Arab countries on the other, it's more likely that Israel will be pressured to make concessions it would rather avoid, like ending the expansion of settlements.

In a bold move, Senator John Kerry has joined Israel's historic opposition. Today he spoke in Washington DC, reflecting on his tour of the Middle East. Among other things, he said:

To start with, we need to fundamentally re-conceptualize the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as
a regional problem that demands a regional solution. The challenges we face there – Iran,
Iraq, Syria, Lebanon and the Middle East peace process – form an interconnected web that
requires an integrated approach.

Damn. This might get ignored in some quarters, but trust me: the Israeli Embassy in DC is sending some urgent cables back to Jerusalem. This means that the centrist, national security wing of the Democratic Party, of which Kerry is a part, is getting ready to push Israel out of the comfort zone.

Read his prepared remarks here.

We just might have a chance here. Obama has got the right wing (Clinton, Beers, Eagleberger) Democratic power elite to support his efforts to push Israel around here and there. As Mr. Burns might say, excellent.... Stay tuned for backlash. Stay tuned for impotent, ineffective backlash by an isolated, shrill and pathetic lobby, angry at losing influence in today's Washington.

Charles Lenchner
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