(JNi.media) Does Hillary Clinton intend to make reaching a two-state solution for Israel and the Palestinians a key target of her administration? And if she does, will she adhere to advisers who urge her to lean on the Israeli PM to force results out of him?
Former national security adviser to President Bill Clinton Sandy Berger in 2009 advised the newly appointed Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to make Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s political life “uneasy.”
The release of the email was part of a new batch of messages released Friday by the State Department.
His email to Hillary Clinton advised her on how to deal with Bibi if he insisted on being “the obstacle” in negotiations with the Palestinians.
Here is the full text of the email:
“From: Berger, Samuel R.
“Sent: Tuesday, September 22, 2009 7:22 PM
“To: H
“Subject: Bibi/Abu Mazen
“Seems the best for a bad situation.
“Moves the public discussion from settlement freeze to final status. Keeps some pressure on the parties. And seems like you will play a more public role, which is good. (You have more credibility on both sides than anyone).
“Going forward, if Bibi continues to be the obstacle, you will need to find the ground from which you can make his politics uneasy. I think you can do that even with current concerns in Israel about US posture. But it will be easier as we rebuild trust so that our future admonitions are accepted. (An HRC trip there to reframe perceptions?).
“Finally, need to be mindful of Abu Mazen’s politics. Taking a lot of criticism for meeting with Bibi without settlement freeze.
“Sandy “This is written from my Blackberry.”
In another email just released, dated September 19, 2009, Berger repeats the advice on putting the squeeze on Netanyahu:
“The objective is to try shift the fulcrum of our current relations with Bibi from settlements — where he thinks he has the upper hand — to ground where there is greater understanding in israel of the American position and where we can make him uneasy about incurring our displeasure..”
On September 23, 2009, President Barack Obama told the UN Assembly it was time to establish a Palestinian State alongside Israel:
“The time has come — the time has come to re-launch negotiations without preconditions that address the permanent status issues: security for Israelis and Palestinians, borders, refugees, and Jerusalem. And the goal is clear: Two states living side by side in peace and security — a Jewish state of Israel, with true security for all Israelis; and a viable, independent Palestinian state with contiguous territory that ends the occupation that began in 1967, and realizes the potential of the Palestinian people. (Applause.)”
In the next few days, some reporter is likely to ask presidential candidate Hillary Clinton if she stands behind Sandy Berger’s advice on making Bibi’s life uncomfortable until he cries Uncle on the two-state solution. Voters should know in advance.