U.S. Worried About Living Up To Netanyahu Campaign Promises

[Dominus Atheos]

Source

WASHINGTON—Saying the Likud Party leader had set Israeli citizens’ expectations extremely high in the run up to his reelection Tuesday, top-level sources expressed their worry Wednesday about whether the United States would actually be able to live up to Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s campaign promises. “Given the ambitious list of security and spending initiatives that Netanyahu guaranteed Israeli voters on the campaign trail, I think it could be very difficult for the U.S. to come through on all of them; the pressure’s really going to be on America not to disappoint his constituents,” said U.S. State Department spokesman Eric Patel, explaining that, realistically, the U.S. would likely have trouble following through on Netanyahu’s repeated vows on the campaign trail to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon at any cost and continuing to thwart the creation of a Palestinian state. “He made a bold personal pledge to every voter that Israel’s military capabilities would be considerably bolstered under his watch, which is going to be real tough for us to accomplish. I’m afraid we might end up having to eat his words.” With Netanyahu’s extensive agenda laid out before the U.S., Patel added that America would likely just have to increase its annual $3.1 billion in aid to Israel a little further and hope for the best.

[LaCroix]

I find it telling how Netanyahu can promise something the US will have to provide, "if they don't want to disappoint". Really shows how much power Israel actually has over the US.

[Metahive]

When I first read it I thought "must be an Oniion article" but then...o wait, it is. Then again, the political establishment of the US just invited the guy and didn't immediately shoo him out of the country when he started blabbering about how US citizens owe loyalty to Israel so I guess it isn't actually all that far off.

[Broomstick]

Correction: SOME of the political establishment in the US invited him, not all.

Frankly, if the US doesn't agree with something that Israel demands we should tell them to fuck off. I think Netanyahu has overstepped himself and has this notion he can dictate whatever he wants to the US. Aside from the religious nutjobs who want to fellate the Apocalypse (because they love Isreel not for the Jews, which they regard as lesser, but for how it fits into their mythology) most Americans don't really give a fuck about Israel.

I wish they did, maybe there'd be less servicing of this "ally".

[FTeik]

If the US are smart, they demand something in return like an end to the "Lebensraum"-policy of Israel.

[Ralin]

Aside from the religious nutjobs who want to fellate the Apocalypse (because they love Isreel not for the Jews, which they regard as lesser, but for how it fits into their mythology) most Americans don't really give a fuck about Israel.

Religious nut jobs and no small number of Jews and secular right wingers. And the ones who do care about Israel tend to do so greatly. A passionate minority and an indifferent majority translates into continuing business as usual. Last I checked the wasn't a big Palestinian demographic in the US.

[His Divine Shadow]

Since this is a joke article anyway I'll just put in here that this was maybe the eleventyhundreth time I've clicked a link here, then closed the tab and found out the link didn't open in a new tab like 99.999999999999% of all other forums and I actually closed the tab that I was browsing sdnet in.

RRRGGHH

[salm]

Get used to using your middle mouse button and never worry about that again.

[LaCroix]

If the US are smart, they demand something in return like an end to the "Lebensraum"-policy of Israel.

Problem - that's exactly what Nettty promised his voters - basically a reverse on most of the peace progress with palestine, more settling, etc.

[Fingolfin_Noldor]

If the US are smart, they demand something in return like an end to the "Lebensraum"-policy of Israel.

Problem - that's exactly what Nettty promised his voters - basically a reverse on most of the peace progress with palestine, more settling, etc.

Actually, he simply promised to do what he's best at doing: Doing absolutely nothing and sitting on his fat arse.

He takes creative stonewalling to a whole new level, this one.