The state of the special relationship

The United States and Israel have long shared what politicians called “a special relationship.” In recent months, pundits have pundited about that relationship wearing a little thin in light of the Obama administration’s pressure on Israel for a settlement freeze.

During a visit to Israel on Monday, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee lashed out at the Obama administration and said Obama should not tell “Jewish people in Israel where they should and should not live.”

Earlier in the month, Nadav Tamir, Israel’s consul general in Boston, scolded the Netanyahu government for damaging ties with the U.S. He has since been chastised for allowing the memo to Bibi to leak out.

Sure to add to the firestorm of accusations that Obama is pandering to Israel’s enemies is the recent announcement from Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal that his organization can talk with Obama because his policies are better than President George W. Bush’s.

To counterbalance the accusations and theories, Israel’s Foreign Ministry has released a Youtube video of Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon acknowledging the strength of the special relationship.

The Big Lipowsky

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