Attempting to undermine American diplomacy
Not only has President Obama not called Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu to congratulate him on his apparent victory in yesterday's Israeli election, he has instead explicitly
rebuked him:
Obama’s press secretary, Josh Earnest, reaffirmed the president’s belief in the two-state solution, and strongly condemned Netanyahu’s decision to rally support with incendiary remarks about a high turnout among Israeli Arab voters. Netanyahu used a 28-second video on election day to warn that Israeli Arabs were being bussed to the polls “in droves”.
“The United States and this administration is deeply concerned about rhetoric that seeks to marginalise Arab Israeli citizens,” Earnest said. “It undermines the values and democratic ideals that have been important to our democracy and an important part of what binds the United States and Israel together.”
He added: “Rhetoric that seeks to marginalise one segment of their population is deeply concerning, it is divisive, and I can tell you that these are views the administration intends to communicate directly to the Israelis.”
Netanyahu, of course, rallied to his surprise plurality win not only with his overt racism against Israel's minority Arab citizens, but he also finally came clean and admitted what everyone has known all along: he opposes the creation of a Palestinian state. So unless he plans on allowing Palestinian residents of Gaza and the West Bank to become Israeli citizens, and thus demographically overwhelm Jewish Israelis, or unless he plans to try to send them to other countries, his active intent is to make them permanently stateless, and effective permanent prisoners, just for having been born Palestinian Arabs.
Netanyahu has been actively attempting to scuttle Obama's diplomacy that is designed to prevent a war with Iran. Diplomacy that is supported by an overwhelming majority of Americans. He all but explicitly endorsed Mitt Romney in the 2012 election, even as the American electorate handily rejected Romney and re-elected Obama. In other words, Netanyahu meddles in American domestic politics and he attempts to undermine American diplomacy, both in opposition to what the American people themselves want. And all Democrats and all Americans of conscience should heartily support President Obama for standing strong against Netanyahu's belligerent extremism.
The White House says that with Netanyahu's apparent victory, it will have to "re-evaluate its policy on the Middle East peace process." A return to power by Netanyahu will mean Israel no longer is interested in a peace process. The consequences will be on Netanyahu and his supporters.
4:19 PM PT: While the White House says it is protocol to delay congratulations until after the election winner has been asked to form a government, the conservative leaders of Britain and Canada already have called. Republican presidential aspirants have tweeted their congratulations, and Mitt Romney tweeted his to his "friend" Netanyahu. Proud of his prejudice, perhaps.
The White House's explicit rebuke of Netanyahu's campaign tactics, and the pending re-evaluation of U.S. policy on the Middle East peace process speak for themselves. I know of no precedent.