The Jerusalem Post reports:

Likud MK and Minister-without-Portfolio Yossi Peled proposed Israeli sanctions on the US in a letter to cabinet ministers on Sunday.

Peled recommends steps Israel can take to compensate for the shift in American policy, which he believes has become hostile to Israel.

Peled recommends reducing our reliance on the US, expanding relationships with other countries, including major military and civilian purchases, and most controversially, getting directly and openly involved in US domestic politics - particularly in asking Jewish donors to not donate to the Democratic party while this antagonism continues.

He of course was attacked for promoting such ideas, the most common response is the backlash and unexpected results that can/will occur as a result.


Now of course JoeSettler has an opinion on this too.

To begin with, in principle I agree with him.

US policy and attitude towards Israel has radically and violently shifted under Obama, but "sanctions" have to be done far more subtly and intelligently than Peled is promoting. His idea is very Israeli, and too much "in your face". What needs to be done, should be done, but quietly.

To begin with, Israeli diplomats in America need to reach out to the Jewish (and pro-Israel Xian) community with a strong, clear, unified message and vision of what we think is good for us.

If Israel shows clear vision and determination, then these communities will get the message as to what Israel wants and needs, and they will independently take the proper steps on their own - and proper doesn't necessarily mean going head to head with the Obama administration, it also means quietly talking to the right people in the right way.

And from what I hear, there is already grumbling within the Democratic party regarding Obama's treatment of Israel.

Don't micromanage this - leave it to the local experts.

Next, shifting major purchases over to European countries is not the solution, as they can be even worse.

But certainly, Netanyahu can continue to work towards reducing US aid to Israel, which he has done in the past. It has tied our hands unacceptably when making certain strategic decisions (such as what airplanes to buy, and who to sell to) and no longer really helps us as much as it helps the US control us.

Israel needs to start internally building more manufacturing industries that are vital to our existence. More self-sufficiency here would be a good thing here. (And the new projects would be a great boost for our local economy.)

For instance, we have the technical know-how to build a next-gen stealth fighter plane. We should be building it (quietly) instead of being subject to the US whims as to whether we may buy theirs or not, and if so, with which parts the planes can have.

Obviously the US will see that a direct slap in their face, but in this particular case there is little choice, as they have made it clear if they will not sell us what we need.

I can see India buying 100 Israeli stealth bomber/fighters. Imagine what that would do for our economy!

We need to be promoting ties with India, Singapore, and Taiwan (and not China). India is a natural ally facing problems similar to ours. Together we can build certain joint industries that we both need, and reduce both our reliances on the US's radically changing tune.

Diversifying military sales is a good idea for some items, but still, we don't need China as a buying partner, as they will (a) copy our technology, and (b) sell it to the Arabs. That's rather self-defeating. We still need to be selective in whom we sell to.

And as radical as it sounds, Israel needs to expand its Navy. I'm talking longer distances, and expanded capability platforms. Being able to send planes from a closer staging point (and a different direction) would greatly enhance our first and second strike capabilities - and the need to get third-party permission for our defense needs.

It's not good to keep all your eggs in one basket, particularly while Obama is busy stomping on them, but Obama is just for another few years (P"G) and then the American people will wake up and take back the moral high ground. These changes need to be subtle, quiet, and not "in your face" to prevent a permanent rift.