October 30, 2014 | Quote

Analysis: US Concerns with Israel Too Deep for Silence


Jonathan Schanzer, vice president of research at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, says that personal animus is not at root of the conflict between the two principals.

“There is no denying that there are fundamental disagreements between the Obama administration and the Netanyahu government on a range of issues. This has been the case since 2009,” Schanzer said. “But this crisis would never have become full-blown were it not for Iran’s nuclear program.”

The White House has indeed focused its response to recent tensions aired in the press on its concerns over settlements. But the real impetus for the insults against Netanyahu – as reported by Jeffrey Goldberg, a prominent columnist on Jewish and Israeli issues for The Atlantic – was his feverish differences with Obama on how best to handle Iran.

“As Netanyahu sees it, Israel’s survival is on the line,” Schanzer continued. “But so is Obama’s legacy.”

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Issues:

Iran Israel