OhsmygodcallAIPACandfixthisrightnow!:
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded on Sunday to a recent dispute on Israel’s maritime border with Lebanon, saying at a cabinet meeting that the lines delineated in a Lebanese proposal are significantly further south than those recognized by Israel and determined in previous deals.
“The lines declared by Lebanon contradict both the maritime border agreement signed by Israel and Cyprus, as well as the border agreement signed between Lebanon itself and Cyprus,” Netanyahu said at the meeting, adding that Israel is actively working to clarify the border based on international maritime law.
[snip]
Last August, Lebanon submitted to the United Nations its version of where the maritime border should be – the exclusive economic zone. In November, it submitted its version of its western border, with Cyprus. The United States has endorsed the Lebanese proposal.
This must be an oversight. We can’t have THIS! There can be no light of day between the U.S. and Israel on anything! Ever.
Quick, State Department, drop what you are doing and fix this!
US FoPo & the Middle East 
July 10, 2011 at 12:30 pm
Let’s give Obams a little credit for pushing back;
“Mr. Hoenlein [Malcolm, of the Conference of Presidents] told the president that diplomatic progress in the
Middle East has traditionally occurred when there is “no light” between
the positions of the United States and Israel. But Mr. Obama pushed
back, citing the administration of his predecessor, George W. Bush.
“He said, ‘I disagree,’ ‘’ said Marla Gilson, director of the
Washington action office of Hadassah, the women’s Zionist organization.
“He said, ‘For eight years, there was no light between the United States and Israel, and nothing got accomplished.’
July 10, 2011 at 12:51 pm
Yeah, but did you see the date on that Mondoweiss article? July 2009. Back when the Obama admin. first met with Jewish orgs and naively thought they had the best interest of Israel at heart and actually wanted a peace deal, rather than simply expanding their [the J-orgs] own political power by using Israel as a wedge issue and lording it over the administration.
Cynical, I know, but it’s been all down hill since then. I don’t doubt the admin. thought they could prod Israel a bit and that it would help move the peace process forward. I honestly don’t really know why they thought that given that is NEVER allowed. Maybe they thought because Israel was an ALLY, they might do something we asked. Silly them.
July 10, 2011 at 12:54 pm
Also, I think where Obama miscalculated was in thinking that these Jewish orgs wanted “something accomplished.” That’s the big farce that underscores the decades long peace process that has accomplished absolutely nothing other than the further entrenchment of Israel in the Occupied Territories. The illusion of a peace process has been great for Israel. Not so good for the Palestinians. The only reason Bibi even said, for the first time “two states” at Bar Ilan was because he knows he has to keep up the illusion of a peace process or else he really could lose the support of even American Jews. If there isn’t a peace process then it is just plain old military occupation and apartheid. Hence, the UN vote. I finally understand why all these years the average Palestinian on the street mocks the peace process so long as its controlled by the US.
I think the process should be handed over to a totally independent international tribunal and there should be harsh consequences for both the Palestinians and Israelis if they don’t take part. The US simply cannot be in charge of this anymore. We have too much of a conflict of interest. You can’t negotiate a just solution when you see yourself as the protector of only one of the parties.
July 10, 2011 at 1:02 pm
US isn’t going to let go of the peace process for exactly the reason you mention. We’re terrified someone else might come in and actually be an honest broker. Why do you think Obama and Hillary nixed the French proposal- you wrote about that here I think. In a call to Jewish organizations the admin. said it didn’t have all the things they and the Israel wanted. In other words the Jewish community gets to decide what our policies towards Israel are. If that’s the case, then when it all goes to shit guess what? They can share in a huge part of the blame and I don’t want to hear a whole bunch of whining about antisemitism.
The Obama admin. better start to realize they no longer have the influence they used to have in the Middle East and there are going to be consequences for screwing over everyone in Egypt, Tunisia, Iraq, Jordan, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia etc. in the name of the Special Relationship, oil and military bases. Payback’s a bitch and sorry but we have it coming as does Israel.
July 10, 2011 at 1:41 pm
Yes, U.S. won’t let anyone else (e.g. French as you mention) try to do what’s right, and certainly won’t themselves.
Yes, there will be payback. Yes, the U.S. & Israel have it coming.
July 10, 2011 at 1:36 pm
Agreed, as long as the tribunal did not include the “Quartet” or Tony Blair, the U.S. puppet.
July 10, 2011 at 1:37 pm
(@ Stacy at 12:54)