Is Washington just trying to shift focus from Iran nuclear deal to Israel’s democratic elections?

Following President Obama’s disappointment in Israel’s recent fully democratic elections, some in Jerusalem view the White House’s threats of ‘reassessing’ ties as a way of putting Israel on the defensive.

Photo Credit: The Israel Project [License]

Jerusalem is concerned that Washington’s threat to reassess US policy toward the Middle East diplomatic process is an effort to deflect attention from the Iranian nuclear negotiations as they approach a conclusion, diplomatic sources said Saturday.

Despite a congratulatory phone call from US President Barack Obama to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Thursday night, and Netanyahu clarifying in several US media interviews since his reelection on Tuesday that he remains committed to the two-state solution, Washington continued to threaten to “reassess” its position on the Mideast diplomatic process over the weekend, even as it continued to pledge continued security support for Israel.

Some in Jerusalem viewed this as a way of putting Israel on the defensive, and perhaps blunting Netanyahu’s criticism of a possible deal with Iran.

Read the Full Article