In the post dated March 28, 2010, The Letter: Two Takes, I linked portions of two articles with very different points of view on the situation in the Middle East and our posture toward it in particular. One of the articles mentioned a letter circulating in the House and a similar one in the Senate imploring the recipient to, as I put it at the time and put it still, revise our position vis á vis the intransigent stance of the Israeli government on continuing construction in East Jerusalem.
What was not clear at the time I posted was the person to whom the letter (which, since they are reportedly similar, I prefer to treat as a collective noun) was to be addressed. One article had it addressed to the President, the other to the Secretary of State. In either event, my argument was that we have a policy embodied in our signing just days before of the Quartet Statement. It is a serious and strong statement signed by the Secretary of State, and, as such represents our policy.
For those of you who, like a friend of mine, cannot bear any kind of suspense even in a movie she has seen many times, you may remove the security blanket from over your head. We now know the recipient. Catch!
WASHINGTON — An overwhelming majority of US senators urged Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Tuesday "to do everything possible" to shore up ties with Israel and thaw the frozen Middle East peace process.
Seventy-six of the 100 US senators signed a letter urging Clinton to ease tensions over Israel's decision to build more settlements in east Jerusalem, which the Palestinians seek as the capital of their future state.
"We write to urge you to do everything possible to ensure that the recent tensions" over the way Israel announced its plans "do not derail Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations or harm US-Israel relations," they said.
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Okay. This does not solve the mystery (as if there IS one) of to whom the House letter is addressed. At least we know this much. Having approved her for SOS, and purportedly "liking her" (even Republicans like Orrin Hatch), her old colleagues at the Senate give the appearance of expecting some kind of payback from the SOS. Not a good thing!
Here's how it works, dudes and dudesses: You approved her to carry forth the President's foreign policy and that is exactly what she is doing. To imply that she is NOT doing all she can "... to ensure that the recent tensions" over the way Israel announced its plans "do not derail Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations or harm US-Israel relations...." is just this side of a no-confidence vote for someone who is doing EVERYTHING she can to bring the sides to the table, and to whom this very body accorded confidence to carry out the administration's foreign policy.
Hillary Clinton is dedicated to peace - for both sides. She is, as is the administration, invested in a two-state solution along with our Quartet colleagues. Although I have not seen the letter in question, I dislike and distrust the fact of the letter. The administration sets the policy, and the secretary of state carries it out. That is how it works. That the legislative branch dips its toe into the executive waters is exactly as troubling to many of us as when the judicial branch, purporting to be in decision , in fact legislates.
(Note to Senator Orrin Hatch: By the same token, when it comes to SCOTUS, the Chief Executive nominates, not the Senate Judiciary Committee.)
(Note to Hillary Rodham Clinton, Secretary of State: I'll file the letter for you. They were out of line. You have a busy schedule and agenda. I will also draft a response. OH! I already HAVE! It is THIS POST!)
