With Barack Obama’s presidency coming to a close, Amos Yadlin offers some suggestions for repairing the damaged relationship between Washington and Jerusalem. One of the most important issues to be addressed is Iran; another is Israeli settlements:
Iran poses the greatest threat to Israel in the long term, and a nuclear-armed Iran poses a threat to the United States and to world peace. . . . An effort should be made to conclude a parallel U.S.-Israeli agreement that reflects the two countries’ mutual understandings and commitments regarding the achievement of a significant reduction in the dangers posed by the nuclear agreement, as well as joint measures to contend with its serious long-term implications and significantly to strengthen long-term Israeli security. . . .
It will also be important for Israel to try to reach an agreement whereby the United States would provide Israel with all the operational capabilities necessary to take action against Iran—in the event that all other alternatives for halting Iran’s progress toward completing its nuclear program have been exhausted. . . .
A necessary initial step [regarding the Israel-Palestinian conflict] would be a renewal of the understanding articulated in George W. Bush’s 2004 letter to Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. . . . Such an agreement would significantly reduce the tension surrounding the issue of the settlements, which has poisoned U.S.-Israel relations over the past eight years. In this context, it is important to work with the outgoing administration to prevent UN Security Council resolutions regarding plans for an Israel-Palestinian permanent agreement that are formulated without coordination with the Israeli government and against its policy, as [such a resolution] would leave Israel with no negotiating cards for the future.
Read more on Institute for National Security Studies: http://www.inss.org.il/index.aspx?id=4538&articleid=12544