Israel Miffed, Won't Back Cuba Move [View all]

[Purveyor]

The Netanyahu government, miffed that it was kept out of the loop, has rejected the Obama administration's request made to it and governments around the world to express support for the new U.S. Cuba policy. Canada and the Vatican were the intermediaries and there are no indications any other country was involved.

Interestingly, the key to the breakthrough was the release of an American Jew, Alan Gross, imprisoned for bringing Internet equipment to Cuba tiny Jewish community. Israel has been the most consistent – and often the only -- supporter of U.S. Cuba policy for decades, but no longer.

What's behind the break after all these years?

• Israeli officials say they were peeved that the administration didn't brief them about his decision in advance.

• This is one more opportunity for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to poke another finger in President Obama's eye after years of mutual animosity.

• Netanyahu is more concerned about not offending his Republican friends in the Congress than supporting the lame-duck Democratic president.

Cuba and Israel actually maintained relations for a dozen years after Washington and Havana split. The United States broke relations in 1961 in the closing days of the Eisenhower administration; Cuba cut its ties to Israel in 1973 just prior to the Yom Kippur war.

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