...Israelis never seem overly cognizant of the way their actions are interpreted abroad...I wonder how much it would have hurt for Israel to first have gone to the UN Security Council to make its complaint against Hamas. It would have lost, obviously -- this is the UN we're talking about -- but it was a box Israel could have at least checked.I have said it before, many times, but the reason Israel doesn't bother with this stuff is because it doesn't feel it has to. Israel's reading of domestic politics in America is that it is not possible for America to publicly oppose them--between American Jews and fundamentalist Christians no politician can really stand up to Israel, they probably figure, not to mention elite Jewish media figures from all across the spectrum that would likely not take any such demands well.
Which is precisely why, perhaps after Israel's electoral results are sorted out and they have a new Prime Minister, President Obama should demand immediately that Israel take steps to end settlement growth and to start rolling settlements back. I think that Kadima, should it be senior partner, would naturally be inclined to do this, and Likud might as well with some combination of sticks and carrots. But I think it's important that Obama show Israel that, close as our alliance might be, America is no longer going to roll over for Israel in the way it did under Bush. It's important to establish the dynamic early, and I tend to think it wouldn't upset too many people (aside from the Podhoretzes and fundamentalists) because Obama would be right.
