Axis of Obstinacy: Israel Rebukes Diplomat for Challenging Settlements

A leaked memo from Israel’s consul general in Boston, Nadav Tamir, has Israel’s extremist foreign minister calling for the diplomat’s resignation. Tamir wrote in an internal document that his government’s settlement policy has led to “the feeling in Washington that Obama has to deal with obstinacy from the governments of Iran, North Korea and Israel.”

The Guardian:

Tamir’s memo, leaked to an Israeli television channel, gave an insight into how serious the row has become behind the scenes. “In the distance created between us and the US administration, there are clear implications for Israel’s deterrent capabilities,” he wrote. “There have always been differences between the governments, but co-ordination was always maintained. Now there is the feeling in Washington that Obama has to deal with obstinacy from the governments of Iran, North Korea and Israel.”

Today, Lieberman said the diplomat was expressing a political position and should not have done [so].

“If someone is not happy and can’t live with government policy, the way is not to criticise and leak but to resign,” he told foreign ministry officials. “With all due respect to the consul … it is not his job to express political positions.”

Read more

Flickr / hoyasmeg

Differences over Israeli settlements in Palestinian territory have created tension between the U.S. and Israeli governments. An Israeli diplomat is in trouble, it seems, for stating the obvious.