Sarah Palin, Others Hit White House Over Israel Spat

By: Brian Montopoli
Topics: In The News

(Credit: AP)

The American Israel Public Affairs Committee, a powerful lobbying group, on Sunday criticized the Obama administration for its aggressive tone following Israel's announcement -- during a visit to the country by Vice President Joe Biden -- that it would build new housing units in East Jerusalem.

Now lawmakers are weighing in with statements echoing the comments by AIPAC, which boasts that its yearly Policy Conference is attended by nearly half of Congress.

Politico reports that House Minority Whip Eric Cantor, the highest-ranking Jewish member of Congress, asked White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel Monday night to "pull back and lower the volume" of the administration's Israel rhetoric.

Cantor complained that the White House was engaged in an "opportunistic move by an administration that wants to impose its view" onto a U.S. ally.

New York Democratic Rep. Anthony Weiner, meanwhile, also criticized the administration with a statement suggesting there was a "temper tantrum" by the White House. "Israel is a sovereign nation and an ally, not a punching bag. Enough already," he said.

And while Sarah Palin may no longer hold elective office, she weighed in as well. On her Facebook page, Palin complained "the Obama Administration has decided to escalate, make unilateral demands of Israel, and threaten the very foundation of the US-Israel relationship."

"The Obama Administration needs to open its eyes and recognize that it is only Iran and her terrorist allies that benefit from this manufactured Israeli controversy," she said.

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton on Tuesday said claims that there is a crisis in Israel-U.S. relations were overheated even as the U.S. special Mideast peace envoy, George Mitchell, postponed a planned trip to the Mideast. (That trip was later canceled.) Clinton had earlier called the decision to announce the construction in East Jerusalem during Biden's trip, which the United States opposes, insulting.

Palestinians see East Jerusalem as the capital of their proposed state and say they will not re-engage in direct peace talks unless the decision to build the 1,600 new units is overturned.

The Atlantic's Jeffrey Goldberg suggests the Obama administration's aggressive response to the announcement may have something to do with putting pressure on that nation's Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu.

"I think it's fair to say that Obama is not trying to destroy America's relations with Israel; he's trying to organize Tzipi Livni's campaign for prime minister, or at least for her inclusion in a broad-based centrist government," writes Goldberg. "I'm not actually suggesting that the White House is directly meddling in internal Israeli politics, but it's clear to everyone...that no progress will be made on any front if Avigdor Lieberman's far-right party, Yisrael Beiteinu, and Eli Yishai's fundamentalist Shas Party, remain in Netanyahu's surpassingly fragile coalition."

The goal, Goldberg suggests, may be to push Netanyahu to reorganize his governing coalition without the hardliners on the right in order to get the Mideast peace process moving.

Brian Montopoli
Brian Montopoli is the senior political reporter at CBSNews.com.
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by evol1sg March 22, 2010 12:26 AM EDT: of course he wants to destroy the US' relationship with Israel because he's Muslim. Just like his special bill that allows the Hawaiian government to ignore the public's requests for his birth certificate. He is a liar, but people would rather just sit on an illusion than do anything about it. Just wait, it will get much worse.; Reply to this comment


by tourist27 March 17, 2010 1:59 PM EDT: "And while Sarah Palin may no longer hold elective office, she weighed in as well. On her Facebook page..." Okay, so the 'News' is following Sarah's facebook page for its news. Why? Are they following every other celebutantes' utterances on Facebook? How about every Fox tv personality, or every quasipolitico? She wants to be a kingmaker, and it appears so does the press. She was a flash in the pan and now the media covers her incessantly even though she won't hold press conferences or answer questions. This mainstream media constant drooling over Sarah is getting to be an embarassment. If it's going to continue, at least counterbalance it with some maistream, or left of center person.; Reply to this comment


by Palin_for_Presidentess March 17, 2010 7:39 AM EDT: Solution: Move the entire State of Israel to the middle of the Mohave Desert. Same difference. Give that land back to the Palestinians.; Reply to this comment


by Buzyjason1948 March 17, 2010 5:34 AM EDT: What is up with all this Israel worshipping all the time. We do pay all their bills and have promised to pay with our blood for their "security". Israel is a FOREIGN country breaking international laws and we can't even state our policy on that matter. Where is this american patriotism in the republicans. If we had to go to war with Israel, Sarah palin and other Israel worshippers would fight for Israel aginst America? Tratiors!; Reply to this comment

by Leaderless March 16, 2010 11:39 PM EDT

barack is too clueless to see the consequences of his action towards Israel.
obama worshipers thinks tina fey is Sarah Palin..... and they can't figured out why we're laughing at them.
barack should never quit the senate, voting "present" is about his speed.

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by JV1970 March 17, 2010 7:33 AM EDT: You are absolutely right! I think Obama is going to eventually throw Israel under the bus. You are right about the Obama worshippers confusing Sarah Palin with Tina Fey. Sarah Palin never said the she can see Russia from her house but the Obama worshippers think she did!


by Palin_for_Presidentess March 17, 2010 8:26 AM EDT: You're laughing? To the sane world, it looks like all you people do is shout absurd slogans.

by pasmalltown March 16, 2010 9:54 PM EDT

Sarah needs to "open her eyes" then maybe she could see past the end of her nose. Speaking of her nose it seems to be getting into everything these days, she should have consulted with her father before for opening her mouth this time......... I can see Russia, I can see Isreal, what's next Atlantis or Wonderland? Tell Alice and the bunny we all say "Hi".

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by JV1970 March 17, 2010 7:37 AM EDT: She didn't say that she can see Russia or Israel or Atlantis or Wonderland! You're just another idiot who thinks she did! You're another one who confuses her with Tina Fey!


by pasmalltown March 17, 2010 8:56 AM EDT: by JV1970 March 17, 2010 7:37 AM EDT -
_______________________
Only an idiot would take my original comments and "think" that they were serious............


by bassinapple March 16, 2010 6:06 PM EDT: When you can't argue facts, all you are left with is a pesonal attack.; Reply to this comment

by bassinapple March 16, 2010 5:30 PM EDT

Sarah Palin never needs to put her finger in the wind to know what is right. She leads from the front. A strong relatinship with Israel is in our best interest. Israel is not a new topic for Sarah Palin. She told Katie Couric we should not second guess them. She talked to Barbara Walters about settlement expansion

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by JV1970 March 17, 2010 7:44 AM EDT: Sarah Palin has not forgotten that Israel is God's chosen country. She knows that Jesus the son of God Himself was a Jew and an Israeli. She knows that if we turn against Israel we'll be turning against God Himself!


by chitown639 March 16, 2010 5:05 PM EDT: Isreal doesnt want peace in the Middle East...they just want to keep playing the same game they've been playing for decades and that is to provoke the Muslim extremists into more violence to justify their own brutal counterattack in the West-Bank. Gotta keep the undeclared "war against Islam" live, you know, all at the expense of the American people...in blood and in treasure....; Reply to this comment


by Cattzen March 16, 2010 5:00 PM EDT: Israel has been, and should continue to be a strong ally with the United States but, they must take responsibility for their own actions and repercussions. The Israelis are completely able to deal with their issues themselves without a great amount of US involvement whether the Administration agrees with them or not.; Reply to this comment