Robert Gates: Israel an ungrateful ally

Robert Gates: Israel an ungrateful ally

Former US secretary of defense says Prime Minister Netanyahu's policies isolating Israel on a global level
Yitzhak Benhorin


WASHINGTON – Former US Secretary of Defense Robert Gates blasted Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, saying that his policies were ungrateful towards the US and were isolating Israel on a global level.

Gates' harsh words were said during a meeting of the National Security Council Principals Committee, Bloomberg's Jeffrey Goldber reported Tuesday.

Gates believes Netanyahu's government has offered the Obama administration "nothing in return" for its generous security aid, which includes access to top-quality weapons, assistance in developing missile-defense systems and high-level intelligence sharing.

The former defense secretary said that not only is Netanyahu ungrateful, but his polices were "endangering his country by refusing to grapple with Israel’s growing isolation and with the demographic challenges it faces if it keeps control of the West Bank."

Bloomberg added that Gates’s analysis met with no resistance from other committee members.

This was not the first time Gates had expressed his frustration with Netanyahu's government: In 2010, when Israel announced new building plans for east Jerusalem during Vice President Joe Biden’s visit to Israel, Gates said that Netanyahu should "call Obama when he was serious about negotiations."

The former defense chief was also irked by incessant squabbling with the prime minister over US arms sales to its Arab allies.

According to both Israeli and American sources, Netanyahu and Gates met in March, when the latter was visiting Israel. The PM reportedly lectured Gates at length on the possible dangers Israel may face following such arms deals.

According to the report, Gates resented Netanyahu’s tone and reminded him that the "sales were organized in consultation with Israel and pro-Israel members of Congress."

Washington's frustration with Israel is growing, the report hedged, and such feelings are becoming more poignant as the US is once again gearing to go to the mat for Israel – this time to thwart the Palestinian Authority's nearing bid for recognition by the UN General Assembly.

The US has voiced its objection to the PA's unilateral move, which Washington believes would undermine the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, and is likely to veto it in the Security Council.

Bloomberg's analyst believes that the US vote in the UN will be in spite of Netanyahu – not to help him.

Sources close to Netanyahu said Tuesday that Netanyahu's first concern is to look out for Israel's interests, adding he will continue to do so relentlessly.

"The prime minister has been calling for direct negotiations since he took office, and he's sure such talks could lead to a solution. Netanyahu insisted upon Israel's security needs and the demand to recognize it as a Jewish state," a Jerusalem source said.

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Personally, I have no respect for this man! Only after he left his post he grew balls. Fuck him and fuck his like.

 

Obama could give a rats ass about Israel. He wants Israel to commit suicide by giving up territory gained in the 1967 Six-day War.

 

I couldn't agree with you more! I couldn't be happier with Neten's (Stinky in Arabic) refusal to compromise over the occupied territories, i.e. the occupied West Bank which is going to be the base of the future Palestinian state. When the shit hits the fan, and I promise you it will, the fire will wipe everything...EVERYTHING! And the world will remember that it was the Neten who refused to compromise, the Neten who kept on stealing land, the Neten who kept on building illegal settlements, the Neten who engaged in ethnic cleansing! And you know who else will be blamed? The spineless piece of shit in Ramallah Abbas who played along, kissed ass and begged for little compromise from the Neten who was busy with his theft.

I am not going to mince words, Abbas has to be overthrown and tried for treason and what was taken by force should only be returned by force. Fuck it! If the whole Middle East will go in flame, let it! If we are not going to enjoy our statehood in what you call "territories gained by war" by Israel, no one should...NO ONE!!!!!!! They are not going to stop their ethnic cleansing and they are not going to stop land theft and home demolitions. Who are we fooling with this stupid peace process that serves no one but Abbas who wants to keep hold to his power and the Neten who wants to continue in wiping us off the West bank! You are right! Why would israel give land they gained by war? Why are fooling ourselves and being fooled by Abbas and the Neten? israel is not going to give that land except by WAR! And believe you me, the war that is going to set the whole region ablaze is coming.