By Shai Franklin
NEW YORK (JTA) The Obama administration reportedly will not be sending a senior representative to address next weeks annual policy conference of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee.
Snubbing AIPAC will help lock in the caricature of a president who dislikes Israel and disrespects the pro-Israel community. By contrast, sending a high-level representative would reflect the reality of strong relations, especially at a time when Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been the one angering and undermining many in the pro-Israel community, AIPAC included.
Substantive concerns over the current negotiations on Irans nuclear program have been eclipsed by Netanyahus insistence on proceeding with a speech to Congress, despite the objections of the normally supportive
Fox News, Commentary magazine and the Anti-Defamation Leagues Abraham Foxman. In his Jan. 21 statement announcing the speech, Republican House Speaker John Boehner framed Netanyahus address as a direct rebuttal to President Barack Obamas State of the Union speech.
There is a serious threat that exists in the world, Boehner said, and the president last night kind of papered over it.
AIPAC and the administration apparently were equally surprised by the arrangement between Netanyahu and Boehner. But only AIPAC has seen its own strategy new sanctions against Iran before any nuclear agreement is reached collapse as a result. Even if the president had vetoed the bill as he has promised, a strong bipartisan showing could have spooked the Iranian leadership enough to prevent a deal.
By making the issue more about his defiance of Obama than about stopping Iran, and by alienating sympathetic Democrats, Netanyahu has essentially made any early sanctions bill radioactive. Mossad briefings also reportedly convinced a few key Republicans to let talks play out instead of derailing them.
AIPAC isnt the only ally Netanyahu left out in the cold. He and Israels U.S. ambassador, Ron Dermer, have each blamed Boehner for misleading them. Netanyahus address to AIPAC will come across as an anti-Obama victory lap and an awkward afterthought to his self-styled Churchill moment on Capitol Hill.
This leaves the door open for Obama to find some common cause with AIPAC, the Republicans and hawkish Democrats. No, he wont sweep away doubts about the Iran talks, and its inconceivable that hell diminish Netanyahus clout among the AIPAC faithful. But at least he can help show the way forward on U.S.-Israel relations. Everyone agrees thats worth pursuing, including Netanyahu.
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Opinion: Obama should send high-level rep to AIPAC conference