US-Israel relations: A looming crisis?

The vibes from Washington, reconfirmed by President Obama's speech in Cairo, clearly suggest that the Obama administration may be heading toward a major confrontation with the Israeli government.

The policy adjustments are being orchestrated in a highly sophisticated manner. President Barack Obama conveys warm signals to the Jewish community, expressing appreciation for the Jewish contribution to American society, hosting the first Seder ever held in the White House and visiting Buchenwald rather than Jerusalem after Cairo. He reassures Americans that the United States will remain "a stalwart ally of Israel and it is in our interests to assure that Israel is safe and secure."

Yet when President Obama reiterates the need to be "honest" with Israel there is no doubt that he is signalling his intention of adjusting long standing US policies.

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Don't transform the IDF victory into a defeat

The Gaza war is far from over and we still face great danger in the days and weeks ahead. But we can be grateful that in this war, the IDF with new leaders at its helm demonstrated that it had learned from the failures and disarray of the Second Lebanon War  in the summer of 2006.

Aside from the tragic loss of lives in the "friendly fire" disaster, the IDF performance has been exemplary and suggests that the recommendations of the Winograd Committee have been implemented. The initial air force attacks which in 4 minutes effectively destabilized the Hamas command structure and destroyed strategic targets in over 40 locations, demonstrated outstanding operational skill and the optimum exploitation of intelligence. The ground offensive maximized Israel's high grade weapons in order to minimize Israeli military and Palestinian non-combatant casualties. Mobilization, training of reserves and clear battle plans contrasted with the chaos which prevailed during the Lebanon war. The IDF unquestionably redeemed its image as the guardian of the nation, confirming that today it is still one of the most effective armies in the world.

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