The Obama administration is refusing to discuss reports that emerged early Thursday claiming that the White House is considering imposing sanctions on Israel for continuing construction on Jewish homes in Yerushalayim.
State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf dodged several questions when confronted with reports that the administration had held secret internal meetings to discuss taking action against Israel for its ongoing building in East Jerusalem.
The classified meetings were reportedly held several weeks ago and included officials from both the State Department and White House, according to the Israeli daily Ha’aretz, which first reported on the meetings.
The possibility of sanctioning Israel for its ongoing construction sends a signal that the Obama administration is willing to go further in its denunciations of Israel than any previous White House.
At the same time, the White House is vigorously pushing Congress against passing new sanctions on Iran.
When asked to address the reports Thursday afternoon, Harf declined to take a stance.
“I’m obviously not going to comment one way or another on reported internal deliberations,” she said. “We’ve made clear our position on settlement activity publicly and that hasn’t changed.”
When pressed to address whether the White House has reached a point at which it believes its harsh rhetoric against Israel is not enough, Harf again demurred, stating that she would not “address hypotheticals.”
A White House National Security Council (NSC) official also would not comment on the report when contacted Thursday by the Washington Free Beacon.
The discussion about levying sanctions on Israel reportedly began after Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu’s October meeting at the White House and the subsequent battle between Washington and Jerusalem over settlement construction.
The thought of the White House leveling sanctions on Israel as it works to lessen those already imposed on Iran prompted consternation on Capitol Hill and throughout the pro-Israel world.
One senior congressional aide who works on the issue of Israel expressed shock that a White House could even discuss such action.
“If these reports are true, this would mark a new era of unprecedented hostility from the White House against our strongest ally in the Middle East,” the source said. “It’s impossible not to notice the irony of the administration mulling sanctions on Israel while threatening to veto new sanctions against Iran.”
The aide added: “The president should be forewarned that taking such action against Israel would yield tremendous pushback from Congress.”
Read more at the Washington Free Beacon.
{Matzav.com}
Severe Reflux problem stems from here
Good thing Barry is a close friend of Israel. Can you just imagine if he wasn’t?
Unfortunately in this case, Israel receives enormous help from the US. From over 3 billion a year in various loans to buy US weapons, to Iron dome parts and vetoes in the UN.
Obama has many ways he can hurt the Israelis without needing other countries to apply sanctions.
However, if he does, it may poison the relationship between his party and much of their Jewish supporters. It may also strengthen Netanyahu’s position in the upcoming election, which Obama wants to avoid.
Born a Hussein, always a Hussein!
“this would mark a new era of unprecedented hostility”
Not true; Eisenhower was ready to have the UN slap sanctions on Israel when Ben Gurion didn’t want to withdraw from the territories captured in the 1956 Suez War in exchange for absolutely nothing.
Dot suit, lost pipe. forever, this will not be a president who kept limited good hope with the people Israel.
Very undressed for courage.
It has begun.
Iam a christian but I stand with Israel. It is the Holy Land. With all the failures of the obama administration which I never voted for him once.Please get in touch with all the politicians you can,remember the mid term elections where his party was beaten badly.Then remember his quote from his book audacity of hope, “I will stand with the muslims should the political winds shift in an ugly direction”. I think he is a madman and should be impeached. He is creating turmoil in this country so he can sneak in what he wants to do. A true snake in the grass.
Nothing is beyond this lunatic!!!!