Commentary — Here are two articles showing that even if Obama gets his way on the deal with Iran, Israel will still gets its pound of flesh. Netanyahu will no doubt extract a veritable arsenal of high-tech weaponry in exchange for allowing Obama to sign a nuclear deal with Iran which itself was negotiated by American Jewish Zionists and is one-sided in favor of Israel.

Despite Obama previously saying he wouldn’t invite the PM before Iran agreement is signed, Netanyahu was invited; Netanyahu expected to demand a compensation package for increasing threats facing Israel.

Alex Fishman, Ynetnews

Published: 06.16.15, 09:49

US President Barack Obama invited Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Washington next month, Ynet’s sister publication Yedioth Ahronoth reported Tuesday morning. State Department sources said that the probable date for the visit is either July 15 or 16.

President Obama previously announced that a personal meeting with Netanyahu at the White House, after the latter’s re-election as Israeli prime minister, would take place only after a final agreement between Iran and the six world powers was signed.

Israeli officials therefore believe the Americans are convinced that they will succeed in signing an agreement with Iran in the coming weeks, despite the delays and difficulties that are leaked daily from the negotiation rooms.



PM Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Barack Obama in Washington (Photo: GPO):

Nonetheless, if Netanyahu’s visit does indeed occur, it will take place before Congress approves the agreement between Iran and the great powers. Obama must be interested in the visit itself, in its success and especially the joint statements before the cameras at its conclusion.

A negative attitude by Netanyahu regarding the agreement could make it difficult for Obama to have the agreement with Iran passed in Congress.

From Israel’s point of view, Netanyahu’s visit is also an opportunity to try to rebuild, to a large extent, the troublesome relations between the two men, which has caused direct and indirect damage, including damage to Israel’s deterrence caused by creating the impression that Jerusalem is no longer coordinated with Washington on central policy issues.

The visit is also an opportunity to coordinate with the Americans upcoming political developments in the region, so Israel is not surprised again by policy initiatives and attacks in international forums.

Also, Netanyahu is expected to demand a compensation package for increasing threats facing Israel. Among others, Netanyahu will seek to expand Israel’s qualitative military advantage on other countries in the region.

Israeli officials are divided over when to ask for American war machines, and which, in return for acquiescence on the Iranian nuclear deal; meanwhile, US officials are asking, ‘Where has Israel’s schnorrer culture gone?’

Ronen Bergman, Washington

May 22, 2015

The Foreign Ministry, intelligence community and even AIPAC believe that the deal with Iran over its nuclear program is done, and even the US Congress will not be able to stop it from being signed. As such, they now believe it might be time to shift gears.

Officials in Jerusalem have now realized that instead of continuing to fight a lost cause, Israel has another route that could help secure its interests – namely, asking the US for compensation in the form of expensive weapons or other benefits.

The current debate among these officials is over which way Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu should go – whether he should accept the deal through gritted teeth and demand a high price for acquiescence in the form of expensive weaponry, or continue to fight it.



F-35 stealth fighter jet, a possible price for Israeli silence on Iran (Photo: AP)

A senior State Department official told Ynet’s sister-publication Yedioth Ahronoth: “The White House is willing to pay a hefty price to get some quiet from the Israelis at this point. We are surprised the demand has not been made. Where has Israel’s famous schnorrer culture gone?”

Firstly, regarding Israel’s attempt to thwart the agreement through Congress and the Senate. The Senate voted recently to pass a draft resolution allowing it to place restrictions on the agreement the administration is due to sign in July. However, this is seen as a decision in principle only, and even President Obama announced he has no opposition.

The bill’s opponents were unsuccessful in passing an amendment requiring any agreement to be submitted to the Senate as a treaty. Under the constitution, that would require approval of two-thirds of the Senate.

One of the most pivotal and vocal senators working against the Iran nuclear deal was former chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, New Jersey Democrat Robert Menendez.

The bill’s opponents, including those in the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office, had hoped that Menendez would be able to stop the bill from passing, mainly because he was a key Democrat willing to speak out against the White House, but a recent corruption investigation opened against Menendez by the US Justice Department caused those hopes to diminish.

In light of the investigation, Menendez announced on April 1 that he was suspending himself from the Foreign Relations Committee. “With his departure from the scene, at least at this time, the most important engine working against the signing of the deal has disappeared,” said a Senate staffer.

A journalist who regularly covers the White House and asked not to be named said that over the past four weeks, there has been a change in tone with regards to Netanyahu.

“It is not because all of a sudden they love the prime minister of Israel there, or because they want to have another go at bringing peace to the Middle East,” he said. “But rather because, in their eyes, everything must be done to get the deal with Iran approved, if and when the remaining details that were left out of the outline signed in Switzerland are agreed upon.”

The White House is ready to seriously consider significant compensation for Israel if it does not too strenuously oppose the deal at present.



Iron Dome in action during Protective Edge. Israel may get another battery. (Photo: Avi Rokach)

The State Department source says that the subject of what Israel would demand has also been raised – and would receive – in assessments between the State Department and Pentagon, “to suit the new security situation in the region.” One reasonable option concerns an increase in the number of F-35s that Israel will receive.

In February, Israeli Defense Ministry officials signed a deal for the sale of 14 more jets, in addition to the 19 already purchased in 2010, all at a average price of $110 million per plane.

Israel planned to buy another 17 planes, but in the wake of Israeli difficulties in raising the money, and opposition from cabinet ministers, it was classed as an “optional” purchase, and was never carried out. The State Department source says that the US will be ready to consider a “substantial subsidy” for some of these additional planes.

A second option is “generous” financial support for the purchase of more C-130J (Super Hercules) cargo air force jets. A third option – another Iron Dome battery courtesy of the American tax payer.

At the Israeli Foreign Ministry, Defense Ministry and Prime Minister’s Office in Jerusalem, officials acknowledge the American readiness to pay a heavy price for the Iran deal, but are in no rush to exact that price. A fierce argument is raging among officials regarding this issue.

A member of the Foreign Ministry puts it thusly: “If we come with demands at this stage, it will mean that we have effectively ended our opposition to the agreement, and it would only be a question of the price. If Israel is operating on the assumption that this is such a terrible deal for the security of the state, it cannot look like it ultimately capitulated.”

On the other hand, sources in the Military Intelligence (AMAN) Research Division who deal with international affairs claim that the agreement is already a done deal and now is the time to get as much as possible for the security of the state. “If we present our demands only after the deal has been signed, and after we tried to scupper it in every way possible, the amount we can ask for will be far smaller, if anything”.

Israel is indeed a master of the “schnorrer culture”, as the State Department source put it. Take, for example, a discussion at the Defense Ministry on October 5, 1973, the eve of the Yom Kippur War. Then defense minister Moshe Dayan refused to get excited over warnings of a looming conflict, even raising the possibility of warning the Egyptians and Syrians that Israel knew about the impending war and would let them attack in order to annihilate them.

In return for Israel showing restraint, Dayan instructed Defense Ministry officials to prepare a list of equipment and weapons that Israel would demand from the United States immediately after the war ended.

Either way, Netanyahu has to rule in the coming weeks on this important dispute.

(The original version of this article was published in Hebrew in Yedioth Ahronoth on 14.5.2015)