Going Rogue:
The Boehner-Netanyahu Subterfuge
Behind the objections to the Iran framework is a new alliance of power politics.
As the media carries messages about the judgements of the pros and cons of the Iran framework (China is for it, France vehemently against, Britain, in the middle of elections, for it; Germany, positive and enthusiastic; Russia, cautiously neutral), another critical negotiation is taking place behind the scenes: US House Speaker John Boehner and Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are conducting a parallel foreign policy which is a complex subterfuge. Their joint purpose: derail the new framework between the five-country P5+1 coalition (the permanent members of the UN Security Council and Germany) and Iran, establish supra-hegemony over Iran and the Middle East through the fear and threat of military attacks, leveraged through the US Congress rather than the US Department of State. The two leaders have formed a strategic confederation with plans to implement Israel’s objectives under Netanyahu through Congressional support overriding President Obama’s objectives. Netanyahu has vowed to “kill” the framework. Boehner has shown he is all too willing to help.
The remarkable event is not the framework — still in flux and vilified more for its back stories than its technical targets — but the politics. As the tug of war takes place over whether the framework is a good or bad deal or whether more concessions can be achieved, the politics have been ignored.
The politics surrounding the announced framework are more important than the technical points of debate, or the fears and speculations its critics offer as a substitute for a lack of specifics, and the core politics center on sanctions not tea leaves — with bomb making as the pivot to sway political and popular sentiment and to gain control of the media message. More important is the structure of the new alliance: for the first time in history, a nation’s legislative body will have broken with its executive to provide full support for another nation’s executive who says the goals of the US President will “threat the survival of Israel.” This breach shifts US influence and power to an outside leader and places the conduct of Middle East diplomacy in the hands of a political leader whose interests differ significantly from those defined by the current US administration. This willingness to go against the President to protect the interests of an outside leader, under the guise of representing the US national interest, is without precedent.
The groundwork for their new joint alliance began in earnest with Netanyahu’s speech to Congress, which Boehner called an opportunity to hear Israel’s point of view. With Netanyahu winning his national election, Boehner and a retinue of 8 GOP House committee and subcommittee chairs traveled to Israel during the Congressional recess, engaging Israel’s leadership in wide ranging political discussions. Netanyahu signaled the first advance of their new alliance with his sudden demand that the disarmament framework include a provision to recognize Israel. GOP leaders previously signaled they were wiling tol contest any agreement. The House disrupted the process and established precedent of executive diplomacy when it bypassed the White House with its invitation to Netanyahu to address a joint session, an elevation of his prestige and a strong, tacit symbol of support and endorsement. The Senate (by Senator Cotton’s letter of warning to Iran signed by 46 GOP senators) has also shown it is willing to disrupt the process of finalizing the details and schedules — or overturn the whole agreement.
If successful, Republicans will have wrangled control over Israel-related foreign policy, and Israel gains hegemony over US Iran and Middle East relations. Although not at the table and opposed fundamentally to talks, Netanyahu now intends to fully exploit the framework to advance his agenda — maintaining sanctions, economically isolating Iran; and increasing US-funded militarization — aided by the familiar tactics of Congressional obstruction and brinksmanship to demand full recognition he could not gain on his own and/or tank the agreement.
The fact is that Congress, with Boehner on point, with the example of Cotton’s letter, has already decided the outcome of any review, whatever the agreement says.
Given his political demand and his relationship with Boehner, who has unchained himself from US foreign policy, Netanyahu plans on turning the bomb framework into a political minefield for President Obama, even though it is outrageous to declare a disarmament framework as a “pathway” to a nuclear device. It is without precedent to witness what no document shows but is increasingly clear: Congress is selling Obama out!
All discussion is focused on the framework; virtually none on the politics as the world witnesses an extraordinary sight: the Congress taking up the mantle of a foreign country to advance its policies over the President’s objectives.
Behind the objections to the Iran framework is a new alliance of power politics.
Netanyahu’s demand for the framework to recognize Israel’s right to exist plays directly into the strategy that he and Boehner are charting: add political riders to a disarmament agreement that Netanyahu took no part in negotiating and condemned from the beginning, but jumped in at the end, before the US legislative review. (Netanyahu’s demand for new conditions by a country not directly involved in the negotiations is unheard of in diplomacy.)
Netanyahu’s desire is to continue to suppress Iran politically and economically by using dire warnings of a bomb and verbal threats as elements of his narrative. As long as his narrative is accepted by the US Congress, he has cover — even as it puts him at odds with the US President and State Department. As Netanyahu’s use of the existential threat of a bomb fades with the framework, he is using his impromptu political demand as a means to prevail and extend the embargo Iran’s economy. He fears lifting sanctions as much as a bomb.
And Boehner? He’s fretless and deeply invested. If you think this analysis weaves a conspiracy, read these posts, clear evidence from Boehner’s twitter stream. This is exactly how Boehner acts when he is on board.
In #MiddleEast, was most surprised by the boldness of the Iranians in exerting their influence in the region http://t.co/p38vC7Ipc7
— Speaker John Boehner (@SpeakerBoehner) April 3, 2015
More than 300,000 people have watched @IsraeliPM @Netanyahu’s address to Congress —> https://t.co/69ARFgoJO2
— Speaker John Boehner (@SpeakerBoehner) April 4, 2015
Top Democrats express "great skepticism" over Iran nuclear deal: http://t.co/v5goy753y8 pic.twitter.com/OuWzbwKB51
— The Hill (@thehill) April 3, 2015
For a behind the scenes look at our Congressional delegation's time in #Israel, read @SpeakerBoehner's @Medium blog http://t.co/Gghdb2xSvT
— Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (@RosLehtinen) April 2, 2015
White House abandoned initial goals for #IranTalks & agreed to lift sanctions, allow #Iran to keep nuclear program http://t.co/WkgOou5Ph9
— Speaker John Boehner (@SpeakerBoehner) April 3, 2015
Retweet to agree: Our friendship with #Israel is important. We need to have each other’s back. http://t.co/H8Xyq64eqV
— Speaker John Boehner (@SpeakerBoehner) April 3, 2015
Pres Obama is trying to blame concerns about #Iran nuclear deal on partisan politics. That’s nonsense: http://t.co/WkgOou5Ph9
— Speaker John Boehner (@SpeakerBoehner) April 3, 2015
At our meeting with #Israel Defense Minister @bogie_yaalon, member of Congress asked the tough questions: http://t.co/H8Xyq64eqV
— Speaker John Boehner (@SpeakerBoehner) April 3, 2015
#Iran can’t be trusted to comply with honest transparency & accountability measures http://t.co/WkgOou5Ph9
— Speaker John Boehner (@SpeakerBoehner) April 3, 2015
Republicans & Democrats in Congress–& American ppl–don’t believe deal will prevent #Iran from having nuclear weapons http://t.co/WkgOou5Ph9
— Speaker John Boehner (@SpeakerBoehner) April 3, 2015
And the final wish of the lifelong Catholic Speaker of the House:
May God bless you this #Passover season & all throughout the year. pic.twitter.com/nGLxBsplG6
— Speaker John Boehner (@SpeakerBoehner) April 3, 2015
The Speaker may have missed a post on Twitter by a citizen in Tehran: “Agreement means hope.”
