Netanyahu’s Egypt Problem
The new Netanyahu-Lieberman government in Israel is going to have some problems in its relationship with the United States. But the bigger immediate problem is going to relate to Israel’s strategically important relationships with other countries in the region. For example, Egypt:
Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman’s diplomatic bombshell Wednesday that Israel was no longer obligated by the Annapolis process, but was committed to the road map, was followed by silence on Thursday as neither Lieberman nor Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s office issued directives to Israeli diplomats about how to explain the new policy abroad. [...] Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul-Gheit said he would not shake Lieberman’s hand until he retracted previous statements such as the threat to blow up the Aswan Dam and the remark that Mubarak could “go to hell” if he didn’t want to visit Israel. [...] He continued, “I have met with more than one Israeli foreign minister, and I have welcomed them in Egypt. But never before has any of them said anything like what [Lieberman] said against Egypt.”
The United States has recently emerged from an extended period of inept diplomacy. The good news, for us, is that as the world’s largest economy and mightiest military power, we had the luxury of a pretty big margin of error. Israel doesn’t have that luxury. And Lieberman’s rhetorical excesses aside, the fundamental problem of relations with Egypt, Jordan, and Turkey will remain as long as Israel is committed to Bibi Netanyahu’s determination to avoid even contemplating an independent Palestine.
25 Responses to “Netanyahu’s Egypt Problem”
Register
RSSLogin
Topic Cloud
ArchivesBlog RollAbout Matt YglesiasContact Me
Donate
April 3rd, 2009 at 11:56 am
Since blowing up the Aswan Dam would kill 99% of the population of egypt that’s incitement to genocide.
April 3rd, 2009 at 12:04 pm
I don’t know a lot about Israeli politics, but if you had to give Lieberman a cabinet job, did it have to be foreign minister? I see this being nothing but an unmitigated disaster.
April 3rd, 2009 at 12:31 pm
Avigdor is a good thing, a very good thing for MidEast peace.
It is long past time that US citizens are disabused of the fairytale that is in reality National Socialist Zion.
And it is long past time that the US guv’ment disabuses itself of their faith in the Terror State that is Jewish Israel.
The US owns Israel as surely as we own AIG and GM.
Time we get all “regime change” on all three.
April 3rd, 2009 at 12:34 pm
Hmm. I think we’ve entered into an era of inept diplomacy. We’ve started a trade war with Mexico for no good reason, and the auto-bailouts, being clear violations of WTO rules, are about to take that process global.
What Matt and the left fail to realize is this: While world leaders had a lot of fun criticizing Iraq policy, they just didn’t care all that much. It had no impact on their nations, and it gave them something convenient to point at and say “look, a monkey” in order to distract people.
What we’ve done now though is to start hitting countries where it hurts: in the pocketbook. While it’s not gone past inept and on into crisis, it could easily spiral that way. Global trade wars have a nasty way of making reasonable men and nations into unreasonable ones.
April 3rd, 2009 at 12:35 pm
Okay, I think we get the picture. Mr. Yglesias doesn’t like Bibi and Avi. I’m sure that they will lose a nanosecond of sleep over Mr. Yglesias’ displeasure.
Re Ed Marshall
Actually, the IAF came rather close to launching a nuclear attack on the Aswan Dam in 1973 during the Yom Kippar War. The then IDF commander, one General Elezar, convinced that the war was lost, ordered 6 F4 Phantom jets to be loaded with nuclear weapons in preparation for the attack, without consulting anybody. Fortunately, Prime Minister Meir and Defense Minister Dayan found out about it before the planes took off and canceled the mission, removing the general, who was incompetent, in the process.
April 3rd, 2009 at 12:36 pm
Re JT
Mr. JT would fuck his mother if he knew who she was.
April 3rd, 2009 at 12:43 pm
Relative to the WTO, here’s how the Bush Administration tried to bypass state regulations on Liquified Gas Terminals by making a deal with the WTO on offshore gambling. The regulations could be challenged on the basis that it constituted a restraint of trade because the natural gas was imported. The Bush administration tried for years to deny a FOIA about the gambling issue, only caving in shortly before the election.
http://scienceblogs.com/dispatches/2009/04/secret_trade_pact_between_us_e.php
April 3rd, 2009 at 12:46 pm
I realize that the Bush administration skated close to, and over, the edge on WTO. The blatant steel protectionism early in his first term is probably the best example of that.
However, nothing on the scale of what’s being done with the auto bailouts was tried, and that will be a lot harder for Obama to step back from than it was for Bush to do with steel. On trade, Obama has started digging a hole. The question is, does he realize he’s in a hole, and does he have the sense to stop digging?
April 3rd, 2009 at 1:05 pm
JT Says:
April 3rd, 2009 at 12:31 pm
“Avigdor is a good thing” and is correct! The world (at least the ones with their blinders still on) will rapidly see just how whacked out the Zionists are.
And SLC is still having oedipal fantasies but pointing fingers elsewhere. Get a life SLC – and hopefully it won’t involve raping your mother.
April 3rd, 2009 at 1:46 pm
Before Lieberman talks about policy , better make himself innocent or not guilty to the charges against him.Finish first with the police investigation….
April 3rd, 2009 at 1:47 pm
Re Seedee Vee
Mr. Seedee Vee appears to be overdosing on his nose candy again. Switch to Lefty Luckies, it’s a sedative.
April 3rd, 2009 at 1:48 pm
Re noble man
This investigation has been going on for several years now. One would think that it’s well past time for the cops to make it or get off the pot. Apparently, they had him in for another 7 hour interrogation this morning.
April 3rd, 2009 at 2:42 pm
off topic
SLC Says:
April 3rd, 2009 at 1:47 pm — “Switch to Lefty Luckies”
SLC, You have been using that term “Lefty Luckies” for quite a few years. Where did you pick it up? I have been around a while but don’t recall that phrase.It sounds very 60’s-ish.
April 3rd, 2009 at 3:39 pm
I understand why Lieberman got the Foreign Minister gig. He’s got the second biggest party in the government so there had to be a nice prize in it for him to join the government. Still, I’d have thought that the Likud guys would have explained the importance of applied STFU technology when doing the dimplomacy thing; or at least switched him to decaf for the week.
April 3rd, 2009 at 4:22 pm
So Lieberman threatened to blow up the Aswan dam. Worth reminding people of the next time (and god knows there will be plenty of next times) we are told that Hamas has said it wants to destroy Israel, or that Iran has said it wants to bomb Tel Aviv, and that this proves they are dangerous entities who should be shunned by the US, Europe, and the UN.
April 3rd, 2009 at 4:24 pm
Look if Israeli Jews want a homeland so fucking bad they can have Minnesota. I fucking love it but I’d move out if they would give up Israel because it is just more trouble than its worth for them to be there.
I would give them my house for God’s sake!
April 3rd, 2009 at 8:26 pm
A 2nd recommendation for The Yiddish Policemen’s Union.
It takes place in an alternate universe where the Jews settled on Sitka in Alaska beginning in 1940. (A start-up Israel got stomped in 1948.) As the story opens, the Jewish residents are having to pick up and move because the lease is up.
Personally, I’d like for Israelis to say “enough already” and move and be my neighbors here. Improve the local culture. I’d rather not blow up the world for a 3000 year old grudge match.
Except Avigdor Lieberman. He can stay put.
April 3rd, 2009 at 9:31 pm
I’m fairly new here, and so I ask: does SLC believe in greater Israel, that Israel should ethnically cleanse all million+ Palestinians out of the West Bank and annex the territory?
The question is important. Because if that is the case, then I simply wash my hands of him and say he’s evil. But if it’s not the case, and maybe it’s not, then he/she needs to realize that what’s happening in the occupied areas is a human tragedy. Israel is populating the land with civilians in a cynical effort to seize the land. Simultaneously, Israel is making life impossible for Palestinian inhabitants with the hope that they will leave. I was there a couple of weeks ago and what I saw nearly reduced me to tears. This isn’t fucking around guys. People are suffering. Being are being oppressed. And U.S. taxpayers are paying the bill.
And oh – what’s happening in the West Bank ain’t about security; so don’t even waste my fucking time with that smokescreen. I will never buy that garbage again. No one who has seen the West Bank could.
April 3rd, 2009 at 10:26 pm
I’d have thought Israel’s role during this economic crisis is to make absolutely sure that the POTUS isn’t have to spend a millisecond by them or their problems. Unless, that is, he needs a break from the economic doom-and-gloom and wants a foreign policy quickie.
Point is, Lieberman or not, I’ll be amazed if the Israeli government wants to make news anytime soon.
April 3rd, 2009 at 10:45 pm
SLC:
But since he didn’t know who she was, he apparently decided yours would do in a pinch.
April 3rd, 2009 at 11:18 pm
I’m guessing that an apology will probably be forthcoming, at some point. One of Bibi’s focuses is to deal with the threat of Iran, which he probably hopes will take attention away from shenanigans in the West Bank. He’s been pushing this forever on the White House, and I’m guessing he’s going to try to use it as a wedge between the Arab governments (most of whom are rather wary of Iran, especially the Saudis) and the Palestinian population.
It won’t work, of course, but what can you do?
April 4th, 2009 at 9:05 am
Re Seedee Vee
The term Lefty Luckies was coined by radio talk show host Bruce Williams and refers to reefers (e.g. marijuana cigarettes, pot smoking to Mr. Vee).
Re newhavendan
Like Ann Coulter, I like to make outrageous statements to stir up trouble.
Re MNPundit
Oregon has been suggested previously.
April 6th, 2009 at 10:14 am
1. The French and German bank bail-out funds allow bail-outs of their auto industries. BMW recently stated that it was planning to request such funds.
2. Are you nuts? No country in the world is going to make waves about US assistance to its automakers. If there was even a hint of genuine trouble over this, the bailouts could take the form of grants to compensate the companies for their share of healthcare costs over the last 60 years. That would be a small step toward equaling the subsidies that other countries give to their industries.
April 8th, 2009 at 11:21 pm
The style of writing is quite familiar . Have you written guest posts for other bloggers?
April 15th, 2009 at 8:45 am
I read your blog for quite a long time and must tell that your posts are always valuable to readers.