I understand Israel if it does not trust President Obama regarding the trustworthiness of Iran. One Holocaust was enough for the Jewish people; they cannot afford a second one. And this is exactly what Iran threatens Israel with. Iran is already present in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Yemen, all while “negotiating” with the world powers. Recently, the Iranian general intercepted close to the Syrian / Israeli border was preparing the installation of Iranian rockets aimed at Israel. Netanyahu is right by wanting to bring his expert opinion to the US Congress. Actually Israel should have been invited to the negotiation table with Iran, since its very existence is at stake. We should not forget that the Sunni states in the Middle East are on Israel’s side, since their existence is also threatened by the Shiite Iranian bid for hegemony in the region.

Obama already lost the Congress and the Senate. They are not convinced that his position is in the best interest of the US and its allies. Now, by denying Netanyahu and Israel, which represents all the Jews in the world, the opportunity to share his views with the US Congress, Obama aggravates the situation. All the threats against Netanyahu, expressed by the Obama Administration, as per various media, deteriorate the relationship with our ally even further. Despite the fact that Obama is the President of the United States, his position does not sit well with the moderate Arab countries. The existence of the United States is not in danger, theirs is. A look at Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Kuwait, Yemen, and now Qatar will confirm this.   

Copyright 2015 Emile Tubiana