# Does Israel have influence over U.S. foreign policy?



## Bo (15 Jan 2009)

> Rice shame-faced by Bush over UN Gaza vote: Olmert
> 
> JERUSALEM (AFP) – US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice was left shame-faced after President George W. Bush ordered her to abstain in a key UN vote on the Gaza war, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said on Monday.
> "She was left shamed. *A resolution that she prepared and arranged, and in the end she did not vote in favour*," Olmert said in a speech in the southern town of Ashkelon.
> ...



http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20090112/pl_afp/mideastconflictgazaolmertusrice_newsmlmmd

I wonder if any other country's PM could call up President Bush and tell him how to vote at the UN Security Council?


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## Edward Campbell (15 Jan 2009)

Israel has two huge advantages when dealing with the US:

•	A large, loyal, politically active and _savvy_ domestic _fifth column_ working on its behalf; and

•	Nuclear weapons that the US *believes* Israel will use, without consultation, when it feels the need. 

Other countries have large, politically active _diasporas_ – India, for example, but none is as well known as the Israeli/Jewish lobby. But, bear in mind, that:

•	Jews are anything but monolithic. Not all Jews support Israel; few offer anything like uncritical support; and

•	The Arabs have more money and they, too, are politically active –especially in funding candidates and on publicizing their grievances and Israel’s _transgressions_. The Arabs are winning the PR war, but Israel is doing a good job at keeping the Iran issue high on the agenda.

The second issue, nuclear weapons and a perception, at least, that Israel will not accept US _guidance_ on their use, is, probably, a more potent force.

The Israelis can destroy everything the Americans value in the Middle East. In fact the Israelis can destroy a lot of the Middle East, period. I think the Israelis work very, very hard to persuade one and all that they have a 100% independent nuclear strike capability and that they, and only they, will decide when, where and how to use them – based solely on the Israeli government’s perception of Israel’s vital interests. So long as the US President _believes_ that to be true the Israeli PM can get him on the phone.

But, if it's true, it’s not something that one wants to do too often, I think and I also think that *Olmert is a fool to brag* about it – even in the dying days of the Bush administration. Americans don’t like being kicked around and I guarantee that President Elect Obama is somewhat rankled by the story – true or not.


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## belka (15 Jan 2009)

Bo said:
			
		

> http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20090112/pl_afp/mideastconflictgazaolmertusrice_newsmlmmd
> 
> I wonder if any other country's PM could call up President Bush and tell him how to vote at the UN Security Council?



The US has already called this story 100% BS and untrue.


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## Michael OLeary (15 Jan 2009)

belka said:
			
		

> The US has already called this story 100% BS and untrue.



It doesn't have to be true for the conspiracy theorists to pick it up and run with it as if it were so.


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## Edward Campbell (15 Jan 2009)

It's not the first time a similar story has run. It's a fairly common way to attempt to drive a wedge between America and Israel.

But, Israelis politicians do like to brag about their influence - especially to domestic audiences when elections loom. I heard it done about 20+ years ago, to a largely English speaking audience up near Caesarea. And another but: Badmouthing the Americans is just as unattractive when Israelis do it as it is when done by Canadians.

Ultimately it is also foolish.


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## old medic (15 Jan 2009)

There were other stories similar to this, about US -Israeli relations being strained in major US papers roughly a week ago. 
I didn't bother posting them here, as it is impossible to gather and discuss everything that is going on there right now.


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## old medic (15 Jan 2009)

Example : 


U.S. blocked Israeli raid on Iran, officials say
The Washington Post
By Karen DeYoung
10:25 PM CST, January 10, 2009



> WASHINGTON — President George W. Bush last year rejected an Israeli request to provide sophisticated, deep-penetration bombs to attack Iran's underground nuclear enrichment facilities, Pentagon officials said Saturday.
> 
> The administration also rebuffed Israel's plan to fly through U.S.-controlled Iraqi airspace to reach the Iranian site, officials said. The Israelis had not proposed a date for an attack, and it was not clear how far along the planning was when the requests were made, officials said.
> 
> ...


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## Bo (15 Jan 2009)

belka said:
			
		

> The US has already called this story 100% BS and untrue.



Here's the link you're probably referring to:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20090113/pl_nm/us_palestinians_israel_olmert_usa_1??

The only thing that's mentioned by the white house spokesperson is that the reports were inaccurate. Nothing said about it being "100% BS". Olmert's speech was recorded and is accurate. This doesn't sound like a conspiracy theory to me.



> Arab ministers said after the U.N. vote Thursday that Rice had promised them the United States would support the resolution, but then made an apparent about-face after talking to Bush.
> A few minutes before the scheduled vote at the United Nations, Rice's staff told reporters she would make a few brief comments beforehand, but then abruptly canceled her press appearance, saying she would instead speak to Bush by phone.
> The vote was delayed while other ministers waited for Rice to finish the call. She then entered the U.N. Security Council chamber, huddled with Arab ministers who shook their heads as she spoke to them.
> Immediately after the vote, Rice left for Washington without talking to waiting reporters. Her spokesman did not return repeated calls and e-mail over why Rice had reneged on her promise to Arab leaders to back the vote.


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