Possible rift between Mossad and Netanyahu on Iran negotiations -- who is right?

The story is here. According to the article, Israel is telling different things to the US regarding possible future sanctions against Iran – Netanyahu wants the US Congress to put through a bill that would automatically install new sanctions on Iran if current negotiations fail, while the Mossad is telling the US that such a bill would torpedo negotiations altogether.

Assuming the story is true, who is right? I lean towards the Mossad’s view, and think that some sort of pre-institution of sanctions could tank negotiations before they even get going.

It’s two predictions of future events. It’s impossible to know which one, if either, is right.

Obviously. Feel free to contribute an opinion on the issue, if you have one.

The elections are in less than three months, and being tough on Iran is a key plank in Netanyahu’s platform. Draw your own conclusions.

I’m Israeli and I agree with Obama and the Mossad (if this is not a spin). More sanctions now will be a huge win for the Conservatives in Iran.

It’s all politics. Sheldon Adelson, Netaniahu, and poking Obama in the eye. It’s a shame.

Indeed. One of the reasons I dislike Bibi so much is how closely he’s aligned himself with the Republican Party. First of all, you don’t get involved in a an ally’s internal political process, not if you don’t want them to get involved in yours. Second, Israel is an ally of all of the United States of America, and not just of Bibi’s friends. I may have mixed opinions about Obama, but he’s the one the American people elected as President, and we should show him the proper respect.

Thanks for the input, doubleminus and Alessan. Is this a big story in Israeli media? If so, how is it being reported and characterized?

Fairly big. It’s been a busy week, what with the dead Iranian general on Sunday and the stabbing yesterday (which, incidentally, took place 500 yards from my house).

I’d be very interested in your ‘read’ of the comming elections.

Yours too, doubleminus.

Did’nt you just have elections a couple of years ago?

Y’know, Obama said the same thing Tuesday night.

. . . It’s all coming clear now . . . OMG! Obama’s not an al-Qaeda sleeper agent, he’s a Mossad sleeper agent! :eek:

Yeah, the coalition collapsed late last autumn.

Once every two years would not be a surprising frequency.

Meanwhile, back in Washington . . .

Yes, it should be obvious. But a lot of people miss this important point. They ask for the answer when there is no answer.

Take almost any political issue. You’ll have two groups arguing opposite sides with both claiming they’re right. But their positions contradict each other - they can’t both be right. So which one really is right and which one is wrong?

We don’t know. That’s the key factor. Both groups are guessing and they both think their guess is the correct one. But neither side knows the true answer.

And when you realize this, politics becomes a lot less confrontational. It stops being a battle between right and wrong. It becomes two (or more) groups each trying to offer its best guess about the future. And when you realize politics is mostly well-intentioned guesswork, it’s easier to work with other groups and even to acknowledge that sometimes your side might be guessing wrong and some other side might be guessing right.

What fun is that?!

…have you met the other side? :slight_smile:

Good point.

After having read some Israeli news sites, most of the outrage here isn’t that Bibi and the head of the Mossad disagreed (if they did, in fact, disagree - that’s not entirely clear). Advisers are supposed to offer dissenting opinions. What people are mostly angry about is that the U.S. delegation leaked the contents of a classified intelligence briefing. That kind of behavior is considered very unprofessional.

Plus, it’s having the horrible side-effect of alienating many U.S. liberals. Support for Israel used to be a liberal value also, but the conservative highjacking of it has turned away many who formerly were supporters. I find this extremely depressing, as I’m a liberal and still have strong personal support for Israel.