Obama Amosphere of Self-deception, Netanyahu Courage

Let's put a few basic truths on the table about Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's visit to America this week. First, it will have no short or long term impact on US-Israel relations. The political/military/moral/religious/technology-based cement that binds America and Israel is so culturally fundamental and politically necessary that neither President Obama nor Prime Minister Netanyahu can do anything to make it collapse. Second, the political voices in both Israel and America decrying Netanyahu's visit as dangerous or destructive for the relationship are marching to their own battle plan -- to beat Netanyahu in the March 17 Israeli election, show support for Obama because their constituency likes him, attack Netanyahu because they would like to attack Israel and side with Palestine but dare not because American public opinion so greatly favors Israel. Third, unfortunately, the visit will have little or no effect on the outcome of the Iran nuclear negotiations because Obama and the P5+1 team have decided to make a deal with the Iranian Ayatollah, no matter the consequences. Nor will the visit have an effect on Iran because the deal offered by Obama and the P5+1 is so good that only fools would reject it - and the Ayatollah, although filled with hatred for both America and Israel, is no fool. ~~~~~ My guess is that a combination of having decided how to proceed with the Iran nuclear deal and understanding America's fear of Iran and love for Israel caused Secretary of State John Kerry on Sunday to contradict National Security Advisor Susan Rice, saying that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is "welcome to speak....The prime minister of Israel is welcome to speak in the United States, obviously. We have a closer relationship with Israel right now in terms of security than at any time in history,” he added. Notwithstanding Secretary Kerry's softer commentary, the sophomoric, or religion-based, animosity of Barack Obama toward Benjamin Netanyahu has led him to keep Kerry in Geneva and send Vice President Biden to Uruguay to avoid giving Netanyahu the courtesy of their presence during his address to Congress. Uruguay?? ~~~~~ What motives drive Prime Minister Netanyahu to come to Congress despite Obama's anger? It is his 'Last Stand' on the Iranian nuclear issue before the deal is struck that will allow Iran to keep between 4,500 and 7,000 working centrifuges -- it now has 10,000 working and another 8,000 set up but inactive -- and have essentially all sanctions lifted immediately, while not revealing an undisclosed earlier Iranian enrichment program that the International Atomic Energy Agency says has allowed Iran to store enriched uranium. To keep its centrifuges operating, Teheran may have to agree to constraints on centrifuge efficiency. Diplomatic sources say the US may accept higher centrifuge numbers if their potential to enrich uranium is reduced -- uranium gas is fed into centrifuges for enrichment -- the amount of gas Iran would be allowed to store would depend on the number centrifuges it keeps. Obama wanted a 20-year initial surveillance period, with constraints on Iran's nuclear program. But because of Iran's refusal, diplomats say the US is now ready to accept 10 to 12 years. Other possible controls include Iran committing to exporting most of the enriched uranium it produces, leaving it without enough to make a bomb, and reconfiguring the cascades of chained-operation centrifuges to significantly reduce the amount of enriched uranium produced at their tail end. ~~~~~ If this is the deal agreed to, the US-led P5+1 coalition has made a very pro-Iran accord that should seriously worry Israel. Netanyahu will talk about the Iranian nuclear threat -- and possibly again raise Israel's determination to prevent it by independent military means if necessary -- while he is with Congress, which is, itself, worried about Obama making a deal with Iran that will endanger not only Israel but also Europe and America. After addressing Congress tomorrow, Netanyahu will also meet Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, privately. ~~~~~ Between 2010 and 2013, Iran either ordered or allowed at least three major terrorist plots against the US and Europe to be planned on its territory. Fortunately, all were stopped. More importantly, Iran has a ballistic missile program, which has, inexplicably, been left out of the nuclear negotiations. But consider -- Iran's ballistic missiles now bring Europe into Iran's range, and future development will extend Teheran's reach to the US. Thus, a nuclear Iran is the greatest threat the world faces today. But it seems that the P5+1, driven by President Obama's apparent desperation to avoid war by appeasing Teheran, is already on the path of 1930s-style weak diplomacy that will end with Iran's acquisition of nuclear weapons. Lacking the moral fiber to face down Iran, they are, or pretend to be, blind to the effects of the appeasement. Giving credence to this atmosphere of self-deception is the comment made by the former Senate Intelligence Committee chairman, Senator Dianne Feinstein, when she heard that Netanyahu said he would speak to Congress for all Jews because they are all threatened by Iran. Feinstein, who is Jewish, called Netanyahu 'arrogant,' saying "He doesn't speak for me." ~~~~~ So, finally, why is Prime Minister Netanyahu coming to Washington to address Congress? Because, the US Congress is the only forum on Earth where Netanyahu - and Israel - and all Jews - can get a fair hearing among friends and colleagues. Any American or Israeli politician who ignores that truth in favor of bashing the courageous act of Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu is either brain-dead or intellectually dishonest.