Despite their terrible personal history, both the Israeli and American leaders needed a good meeting on the fringes of the United Nations General Assembly and they were both canny enough to make sure they got one. United States President Barack Obama is in the middle of a tense presidential election and is doing everything to help improve Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton’s chances of winning. So, Obama is reaching out to the powerful Israeli lobby. And Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is dependent on the White House for the moment because he has just succeeded in getting the largest ever military aid package from the Americans. In fact, Netanyahu is being attacked by the Israeli opposition, saying that he could have got a lot more than $38 billion (Dh139.76 billion) if he had not been so antagonistic to the Obama administration over the years.
The sad fact is that despite the Obama administration’s fury over Israel’s actions, the US has remained remarkably constant in supporting Tel Aviv’s security needs. Obama has signed the massive military deal with no effort to put political restraints on Netanyahu’s policies in the West Bank or to insist on genuine talks over the two-state solution. The Obama administration has tried several times to get it back on track and has been rebuffed by the Israelis every time. Even in New York last week, a senior US official told reporters of profound US concerns about the “corrosive effect” that the Israeli colonies on the West Bank are having on the prospect of a two-state solution. Yet, the administration is prepared to sign up and hand over the aid even as the colonies keep expanding.
