Michael Oren - Tag Search

Don't like the rules? Change 'em! A press release from Benjamin Netanyahu's office:

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu instructed the professional bodies within the relevant government ministries to examine the facilitating of an international initiative to change the laws of war in keeping with the spread of terrorism throughout the world.

The press release doesn't provide any more detail about the changes Netanyahu is seeking, and news accounts of the cabinet meeting just rewrite the press release. But I assume he's talking about the supposed difference between "offensive" and "defensive" operations.

Michael Oren is Israel's ambassador to the U.S., and I've found him to be a fairly sensible guy. His book on the Six-Day War was surprisingly even-handed.

But his New Republic article on the Goldstone Report is totally unhinged. My favorite line:

But more insidiously, the report does not only hamstring Israel; it portrays the Jews as the deliberate murderers of innocents--as Nazis. And a Nazi state not only lacks the need and right to defend itself; it must rather be destroyed.

At least he's presenting a new argument. It's getting passe to compare Hamas to Nazi Germany. But accusing Goldstone of comparing Israel to the Nazis? Now that's original thinking.

Israel officials are putting pressure on the U.S. to do something about Iran's nuclear program -- though it's not clear to me what they want done.

Industry and Trade minister Binyamin Ben Eliezer said yesterday he's worried about U.S. "appeasement" towards Iran.

And Michael Oren, Israel's ambassador to the U.S., said the "clock [is] ticking" towards an Iranian nuclear bomb that could "wipe Israel off the map." Oren made his comments during a "conversation" with Jeffrey Goldberg, whose main role at The Atlantic appears to be copying down statements from his friends in the Israeli government. (You can view some video of the conversation here, but the parts about Iran are mysteriously missing.)

But what do they want done? More economic sanctions? The John Bolton solution? I don't see any constructive ideas here -- just criticism.