John R. Miller: How Obama finally solved the Jewish problem in Palestine

SBU (Sensitive but Unclassified)

February 20, 2016

Dear Madam Secretary:

You have asked for my recommendation on how the United States should respond to the requests for admission into this country of hundreds of thousands of Israeli refugees. You have also asked for my review and assessment of the success of our Middle East peace efforts. Although I write as your Counselor, I believe my views are shared by the Near Eastern Affairs Bureau.

The current situation may be disturbing, but we have made great progress on the Israeli-Palestinian issue since 2010. That was the year that you and the president devised the alternating-warm-and-cool-receptions strategy for visiting Israeli dignitaries, keeping Prime Minister Netanyahu waiting at the White House for an hour and a half while the president dined with Michelle and the children during one visit, then being all smiles and assurances of American-Israeli friendship during the next. This technique has been very helpful in creating uncertainty about U.S. intentions, which has led Israeli ministers to be more receptive to our policies.

You will recall that because of the above efforts, in 2010 the Obama administration stopped Israel from settling Jews in Jerusalem as a means of getting the Palestinian Authority to start direct negotiations with Israel in D.C. More importantly, it was the year that you finally acceded to a U.N. investigation of Israel’s Gaza blockade after Israeli killings of Turkish activists attempting to break the blockade. (This followed the initiation of an Israeli investigation with foreign observers, which failed to mollify international outrage.)

At the time, the Israelis protested that the proposed U.N. investigation involved a loss of their sovereignty, noting that there were no such investigations when Russia killed civilians aiding Chechnyan terrorists. You explained to Netanyahu that Israel, as a democracy, should accept a higher standard. Netanyahu asked whether you would agree to a U.N. investigation of the killing by Marines in Afghanistan of civilians aiding the Taliban. You calmly explained that Israel was different and urged Netanyahu to understand that the United States was Israel’s main ally, that in our struggle with Islamic militants we needed credibility in the Islamic world, and that an international investigation would defuse tensions.

Netanyahu wasn’t happy, but when Middle East peace envoy former British prime minister Tony Blair and you both assured him that you would work for a broad-based and unbiased investigation, Netanyahu consented (of course, suitable pressures were also applied from here).

Read how the solution was devised in the NRO