Israel won’t strike Iran alone, no matter how much it hates the nuclear deal

[karynnj]

17. I suspect that once the Iranian deal is through all the approvals in the UN and US, the EU will turn

to I/P as you suggest. A week or so ago, there was an article in Haaretz that said that the reason that Fabius, France's FM, stepped back on his resolution to push for another peace process is that US asked him to wait until the Iran deal is politically accomplished. Earlier descriptions of Fabius's resolution suggest that it is very very close to what US policy was on many things -- a big difference I think was it added a timeline.

In addition, here is a very interesting State Department position on BDS IN THE SETTLEMENTS. The Congress added a provision to trade deals that called on the US to not allow partner countries to have BDS actions against Israe AND the Israeli controlled settlements. The State Department, while agreeing on actions against Israel, took issue with including the settlements. (Yes, I know there are some here who favor BDS against Israel, but this is a very strong position given the power of the Israel lobby - and it would not have been issued if Obama did not agree. My guess, the US sees this as inviting a conflict with the EU - and the EU trumps Israel.)

The U.S. State Department on Tuesday punched a big hole in Israel-led efforts to induce the Obama administration to regard boycotts of settlements as identical to boycott of Israel proper. In doing so, it provided the Israeli government and the pro-Israel lobby with yet another painful lesson in the pitfalls of being too clever by half and biting off more than one should chew.

A special statement issued by the State Department Press Office on Tuesday afternoon made clear that while the administration “strongly opposes” any boycott, divestment or sanctions against the State of Israel, it does not extend the same protection to “Israel-controlled territories.” Rather than weakening efforts to boycott Jewish settlements in the occupied territories, as Israel supporters had planned, the State Department was actually granting them unprecedented legitimacy.
<snip>
The State Department statement, however, makes clear that the bill will not change U.S. policy towards the settlements. “The U.S. government has never defended or supported Israeli settlements or activity associated with them, and, by extension, does not pursue policies or activities that would legitimize them,” it said. It went on to note: “Administrations of both parties have long recognized that settlement activity and efforts to change facts on the ground undermine the goal of a two-state solution.”
<snip>
Thus, the effort to strengthen the settlements, supported by AIPAC and other mainstream and right-wing groups and opposed by J-Street and organizations on the left, actually ends up weakening them. The attempt to blot out the differences between a boycott of Israel and of the territories actually highlights them. The boycott of settlements, in effect, has now been officially stamped “kosher” by the State Department.

http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/.premium-1.663831