When Obama Meets Netanyahu

On learning that Barack Obama invited Binyamin Netanyahu to visit him on March 23, presumably to discuss such momentous topics as the timing of announcements of housing units in Jerusalem and urging him to make nice to the PLO’s Mahmoud Abbas, I can’t help imagine what I would say to the president.

Netanyahu has previously met Obama.

1. Let’s put aside Palestinian issue – which even the past year shows has little chance of a breakthrough.
2. Instead, better to focus on the supremely dangerous Iranian nuclear buildup.
3. It’s too late for resolutions, agreements, or sanctions to deal with that buildup.
4. The only decision left is whether or not to take out the nuclear infrastructure.
5. American forces have the greatest capabilities and should undertake this operation.
6. If they don’t, Israeli forces should do the job.
7. That will be difficult; the IDF intelligence, planes, and payloads may not be adequate.
8. Therefore, only Israel’s submarine-based nuclear weapons can assure operational success.
9. No one wants that, so better the U.S. government take action.

Faced with such logic, I hope Obama would put aside the Palestinian issue, at least temporarily. (March 22, 2010)