Obama's subtle hint to Netanyahu on Gaza: don't escalate

[babylonsister]

http://www.vox.com/2014/7/18/5915915/obama-netanyahu-gaza-israel?utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook&utm_campaign=ezraklein&utm_content=friday


Obama's subtle hint to Netanyahu on Gaza: don't escalate

Updated by Zack Beauchamp on July 18, 2014, 2:20 p.m. ET


President Obama's Friday press conference focused on the Malaysia Airlines flight shot down over Ukraine. But there was a short aside on Israel's ground incursion into Gaza, which began Thursday, including this really interesting paragraph at the end:

I also made clear that the United States and our friends and allies are deeply concerned about the risks of further escalation and the loss of more innocent life. And that's why we've indicated although we support military efforts by the Israelis to make sure that rockets are not being fired into their territory, we also have said that our understanding is the current military ground operations are designed to deal with the tunnels.

It's hard to read that, especially the last clause, as anything other than a subtle admonition to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to keep the ground operation limited. Here's why, and how it fits into the bigger picture of the Israel-Gaza fighting.

Israel says the central goal of its operation in Gaza is to destroy "terror tunnels" built by Hamas into Israel. That means tunnels under the Israel-Gaza border that could be used by Hamas or other Palestinian groups to sent gunmen or suicide bombers into Israel.

But there's a basic tension between Israel's tactical and strategic goals in Gaza. The broader aim, according to the prime minister's office, is to "to restore quiet and safety to Israelis for a long time to come, while significantly harming the infrastructure of Hamas and other terrorist groups in the Gaza Strip."

snip//

What Obama seems to be implying with his statement on Friday is that any escalation beyond tunnels would unacceptably risk "the loss of more limited life." In other words: the US will tolerate or even support what Israel is doing right now, but the more that the ground operation expands into a broader, Gaza-wide, anti-Hamas campaign, the less comfortable America will be.

As far as diplomatic warnings go, this is a very oblique one. There's no threat of consequences or punishment for the Israeli government. Presumably, Obama said more in his private conversation with Netanyahu today than he did in a public conference. Still, in Israeli-American relations, even subtle signals carry big meanings. And Obama seems to be subtly, but surely, telling Netanyahu that America does not want to see an extended ground war in Gaza.

[LuvNewcastle]

1. That's not good enough for me.

He needs to tell him (not hint) to withdraw. They're committing war crimes in Palestinian territory, and it needs to stop now.

[malaise]

4. That simple

The shelling of those kids on the beach is no different than blowing up that aircraft, but notice that the emergency meeting of the UN Security Council only addressed one of the war crimes.

[LuvNewcastle]

5. Ain't that just swell?

I can't think of a better example of western hypocrisy. The sad thing is that so many people here in America don't even see it. I guess I'm just one of those hopeless subversives.

[totodeinhere]

2. If Bibi escalates, and I don't know if he will or not, I doubt if the president

will do a damn thing about it.

[LuvNewcastle]

3. He wouldn't.

There's no way that he or just about anyone else in our government would do anything about it. The lobby has so much power in this country, it's disgusting.

[magical thyme]

7. he might give him a sternly worded message of disapproval nt

[customerserviceguy]

8. I don't think Bibi

takes either hints or orders from President Obama. He knows he has enough support in the US Congress to be able to do whatever he wants, as long as he does it in what can be described as a measured way.

[totodeinhere]

9. True, and that's bipartisan support. n/t

[NightWatcher]

6. and if he does, we'll teach him. The checks will come a few days late next month

By sending them money and allowing them to get away with this it is as if we approve.

I don't approve

[broiles]

10. Tell me what bombing that hospital had to do with tunnels?

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

11. Since subtlery didn't work, how about sanctions and a fleet off shore?

He can throw in a subtle promise of "no boots on the ground".

[babylonsister]

12. Sigh.

I hear you. It's not going to happen for reasons I don't know of, but it's tiring. What have they done for anyone lately?