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Message: <br /><br /> If you are having trouble reading this email, you may view this article online at: http://www.jweekly.com/57441/full/57441/condemnation-of-israel-ignites-congressional-firestorm/ <br /><br /> <b>Condemnation of Israel ignites congressional firestorm</b> <br /> Thursday, March 18, 2010 | by matthew lee <br /><br /><p>The Obama administration’s denunciation of Israel has ignited a firestorm among members of Congress who say the criticism of America’s top Mideast ally is misplaced.</p> <div class="capDivLeft" style="width: 126px;"><img alt="USap congress berkly, shelley" class="left" height="190" src="/images/uploads/y_photos_2010/zn03_19_10/USap congress berkly, shelley.jpg" title="Shelley Berkley" width="126" /> <div class="caption">Shelley Berkley</div> </div> <p>The administration condemned Israel after officials announced plans last week to build 1,600 apartments in East Jerusalem. The announcement coincided with a visit by Vice President Joe Biden. Although Israel apologized for the timing, it insisted it had the right to build in the annexed part of the city.</p> <p>Influential lawmakers — most of them Republicans — released statements criticizing the administration. But at least two Democrats with solidly pro-Israel records blamed the Jewish state for the heightened U.S.-Israeli tensions.</p> “The administration had, I think, real justification for being upset,” said Rep. Howard Berman (D-Calif.), chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, “because a process was supposed to be in place that would keep it from being blindsided, and that process failed.” Berman is considered a staunch supporter of Israel and has strong ties to AIPAC. <p>Another Democrat with a solidly pro-Israel record, Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.), issued a statement March 16 criticizing Jerusalem for the tensions with Washington, while stressing that he felt Israel’s prime minister had taken an important step in expressing regret over the incident.</p> <div class="capDivLeft" style="width: 126px;"><img alt="USap congress cantor, eric" class="left" height="214" src="/images/uploads/y_photos_2010/zn03_19_10/USap congress cantor, eric.jpg" title="Eric Cantor" width="126" /> <div class="caption">Eric Cantor</div> </div> <p>Secretary of State Hillary Clinton upbraided Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a tense and lengthy phone call March 12, and White House officials repeated the criticism on Sunday’s talk shows. The Obama administration invoked the word “crisis” when discussing the U.S. relationship with Israel. </p> <p>Many lawmakers, particularly Republicans, said they fear this distraction may damage efforts to relaunch long-stalled Israeli-Palestinian peace talks.</p> <p>“It might be well if our friends in the administration and other places in the United States could start refocusing our efforts on the peace process,” Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) said this week.</p> “Now we’ve had our spat. We’ve had our family fight, and it’s time for us now to stop and get our eye back on the goal, which is the commencement of the Israeli-Palestinian peace talks,” he said. <p>McCain and Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) both urged the administration to ease the tone of the dispute, which they said was demonstrating disunity and weakness to steadfast allies of Iran.</p> <p>“It’s unnecessary; it’s destructive of our shared national interest,” Lieberman said. “It’s time to lower voices, to get over the family feud between the U.S. and Israel. It just doesn’t serve anybody’s interests but our enemies.”</p> <p>Rep. Eric Cantor (R-Va.), the Republican minority whip and the only Jewish Republican in either chamber, said he raised the issue in a call to Rahm Emanuel, Obama’s chief of staff.</p> <div class="capDivLeft" style="width: 126px;"><img alt="USap Lieberman, Joe" class="left" height="200" src="/images/uploads/y_photos_2010/zn03_19_10/USap Lieberman, Joe.jpg" title="Joe Lieberman" width="126" /> <div class="caption">Joe Lieberman</div> </div> “It’s in the interests of U.S. national security that this administration back off any suggestion there’s been a shift in the U.S.-Israel relationship and U.S. support for Israel,” Cantor said. “Who’s been the ally here? There’s been one ally who’s stood fast with us in the war against terror, the fight against radical Islam, who’s sent aid to every humanitarian crisis.” <p>At least eight other lawmakers offered similar concerns, and more are expected to weigh in.</p> <p>“It’s hard to see how spending a weekend condemning Israel for a zoning decision in its capital city amounts to a positive step towards peace,” said Sen. Sam Brownback (R-Kan.). He complained that the administration was attacking a “staunch ally and friend” when it should be focusing on the threat posed by Iran’s nuclear problem.</p> <p>Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-N.Y.) was more blunt. “Israel is a sovereign nation and an ally, not a punching bag,” he said. “Enough already.”</p> <p>One Democrat, Nevada Rep. Shelley Berkley, accused officials of using “overwrought rhetoric” in suggesting that the east Jerusalem housing announcement threatened U.S.-Israeli ties.</p> <p>“The administration’s strong implication that the enduring alliance between the U.S. and Israel has been weakened, and that America’s ability to broker talks between Israel and Palestinian authorities has been undermined, is an irresponsible overreaction,” she said.</p> <p>“Our countries have weathered temporary diplomatic storms and diversions of every nature and size for more than 60 years,” added Rep. Steve Rothman (D-N.J.). “I am confident that nothing has or will occur that will change that, especially given the stakes for both countries.”</p> <p><br /><strong>JTA</strong> contributed to this report.</p>

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