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Netanyahu Pressed to Resist U.S.

(Financial Times-UK) Tobias Buck - Benjamin Netanyahu returned to Israel last week to face pressure from his coalition partners to resist the demands of the U.S., and widespread public concern over the prime minister's treatment at the hands of his foremost ally. Netanyahu has made clear to Washington that construction will continue in east Jerusalem, which Israel regards as part of its sovereign territory. That stance arises both from the prime minister's firmly held beliefs and his instinct for political survival. Offering concessions on east Jerusalem would quite simply "put his coalition at stake," according to Dore Gold, president of the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs and a former foreign policy adviser to Netanyahu. Pollsters say Israelis have always wanted their leader to enjoy good relations with the U.S. However, the White House's treatment of Netanyahu may provoke a backlash against the Obama administration. "The people of Israel saw how their prime minister was addressed and I don't think that gave them much comfort," Gold said. "How the prime minister is addressed and treated affects how the people of Israel feel they are treated," he said.
2010-03-29 07:56:19
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