A Serial Obstructionist

By Rachel Tabachnick

Did Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu deliberately sabotage the Obama administration’s attempt to restart peace talks? Netanyahu now claims he was blindsided by the announcement of housing construction in East Jerusalem, but his activities the evening of March 8 suggests that the ambush may have been premeditated.

Shortly after Vice President Joe Biden’s arrival in Israel, Netanyahu and Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat were the headliners at Pastor John Hagee’s two-hour Christians United for Israel (CUFI) extravaganza at the Jerusalem Convention Center. Ambassador Michael Oren and Deputy Foreign Minister Daniel Ayalon were also in attendance. There was no ambiguity. It was a blatant and unabashed rejection of “dividing the land,” filled with repeated references to Jerusalem as the undivided capital of the Jewish people. The impromptu event had not been listed on CUFI’s calendar, but as soon as Hagee introduced Netanyahu, the political significance was apparent.

In a repeat of a similar event twelve years ago, the Israeli leader and the American televangelist had again taken preemptive steps to obstruct peace talks.

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In January 1998 Netanyahu traveled to Washington to meet with President Bill Clinton, but first detoured to the Mayflower Hotel where hundreds of Christian Zionists had been assembled by Jerry Falwell. In reference to the "land for peace" negotiations, John Hagee led the crowd in yelling, "Not one inch! Not one inch!" When Falwell was later interviewed he stated, "It was all planned by Netanyahu as an affront to Clinton." After the rally, Netanyahu met with evangelical leaders who promised to organize their churches against the peace efforts.

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