Behind closed doors, Secretary of State John Kerry took the Obama administration's case to the U.S. Banking committee, seeking to delay ordering up a fresh round of crippling sanctions against an already shaky Iranian economy. How those talks went, depend largely on how the Israeli government wanted those talks to go.
Since its been established Congress traditionally responds like Pavlov's dog when triggered with special interest contributions, one can bet some serious sanctions could be in the offing. If Israel can convince the international community negotiations are futile, then the eventuality of war is the only option left.
Merchants of Misery
Still, Israel's merchant of misery have other cards to play since the Palestinians remain in Israeli custody. Knowing full well the Obama administration would like to see progress made on the revived peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians, Israeli extremist have decided to conflate multiple conflicts. The Israeli-Palestinian-Conflict is being used to presser the Obama administration into seeing eye to eye over the Israeli-Iranian-Conflict.
If it appears to risky to press its Congressional stooges to act irrationally in the face of a world tired of conflict, they can always remind the Obama administration privately that settlement activities are always ongoing. Actually, the Israelis have been extremely proactive in this strategy by announcing 20,000 more settlement units to be built in the West Bank last week. That predictable pissed off Palestinian negotiators, causing them to resign in frustration.
Thus far, the Israelis have managed to spread enough money around to maintain the misery of millions. However, in the unlikely circumstance unexpected opposition to harsher sanctions during early stages of the P5+1 negotiations causes Israel to ratchet down its Iranian rhetoric, PM Netanyahu will simply continue to make life miserable for Palestinians remaining trapped in his infamous and largest open air prison in the world.
Israel Hold Peace Talks Hostage
Its like having a personal whipping boy to strikeout at whenever Israel wants to vent, make a point or exert its will. In this case, if the world won't make Iran miserable, Israel will make the Palestinians miserable. Using the Palestinians as bargaining chips, Israel hopes to extort more concessions from Iran without giving anything in return but more misery.
From the Israeli perspective, in order to maintain the peace, there must be pain and lots of it. Year after year Israeli representatives come before the world body with messages of doom, gloom and a whole lot a misery. With little else to offer the world at large other than dire warnings of a nuclear apocalypse they relentlessly market the miserable thought of, all is lost if the world refuses to act militarily and immediately.
Creating and maintaining a sense of urgency, they never let up and never give an inch. One can expect nothing less than endless threats of sanctions, air strikes or worse, the promise of never ending strife and misery for those willing to entertain an independent thought.
With the Palestinian people held hostage to the whims of Israeli Right Wing extremist and the Iranians being provoked into tolerating more miserable sanctions out of sheer national pride, Western allies find themselves walking a fine line between support for Israel and maintaining their autonomy and basic humanitarian values. How the P5+1 will publicly respond to their new negotiating parameters will be of great interest, considering most are on record for indicating a deal is already within reach.
Bottom line: This could turn out to be the mother of all messes to sort out.
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