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Israeli Helped Inspire U.S.-Russia Weapons Deal With Assad, Memoir Says Israeli Helped Inspire U.S.-Russia Weapons Deal With Assad, Memoir Says
(about 2 hours later)
JERUSALEM — The American-Russian deal that pressured President Bashar al-Assad of Syria to abandon his stockpile of chemical weapons two years ago was encouraged by an Israeli minister, according to a new memoir by a former Israeli ambassador to Washington.JERUSALEM — The American-Russian deal that pressured President Bashar al-Assad of Syria to abandon his stockpile of chemical weapons two years ago was encouraged by an Israeli minister, according to a new memoir by a former Israeli ambassador to Washington.
The minister, Yuval Steinitz, confirmed in an interview Monday night that he proposed the deal that became both a signature diplomatic achievement for the Obama administration and damaged President Obama’s international credibility because he abandoned a promise to strike Syria if Mr. Assad used chemical weapons against civilians. Mr. Steinitz said he and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had not revealed their role for fear “somebody will say it’s an Israeli idea, Israeli conspiracy, maybe it’s a reason to stop it.” The government minister, Yuval Steinitz, confirmed in an interview Monday night that he had proposed the deal that became a signature diplomatic achievement for the Obama administration and damaged President Obama’s international credibility because he abandoned a promise to strike Syria if Mr. Assad used chemical weapons against civilians. Mr. Steinitz said he and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had not revealed their role for fear “somebody will say it’s an Israeli idea, Israeli conspiracy, maybe it’s a reason to stop it.”
The story was first reported Monday by Bloomberg View, which related the account by the former ambassador, Michael B. Oren, whose book, “Ally: My Journey Across the American-Israeli Divide,” is scheduled for publication by Random House next week. Mr. Oren wrote that the deal “stunned me in unprecedented ways” because he believed Mr. Obama was “an ideologue” on nonproliferation with an “affinity for the Middle East,” which “should have translated into a one-time lighting strike against vital Syrian facilities.” The story was first reported Monday by Bloomberg View, which related the account by the former ambassador, Michael B. Oren, whose book, “Ally: My Journey Across the American-Israeli Divide,” is scheduled for publication by Random House next week. Mr. Oren wrote that the deal “stunned me in unprecedented ways” because he believed Mr. Obama was “an ideologue” on nonproliferation with an “affinity for the Middle East,” which “should have translated into a one-time lightning strike against vital Syrian facilities.”
Paternity for the historic disarmament plan has been variously assigned to President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia; Secretary of State John Kerry; Lord David Owen, a former member of the British Parliament; and a Polish foreign minister, Radoslaw Sikorski. What appeared to spring out of the blue after a seemingly offhand comment by Mr. Kerry had in fact grown out of a year of conversations between Mr. Putin and Mr. Obama.Paternity for the historic disarmament plan has been variously assigned to President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia; Secretary of State John Kerry; Lord David Owen, a former member of the British Parliament; and a Polish foreign minister, Radoslaw Sikorski. What appeared to spring out of the blue after a seemingly offhand comment by Mr. Kerry had in fact grown out of a year of conversations between Mr. Putin and Mr. Obama.
Israel, though, has steadfastly tried to stay out of the fray regarding Syria’s four-year civil war. Many Israeli leaders and analysts were deeply disillusioned by Mr. Obama’s turnabout on his promised strike, though Mr. Steinitz said Monday of the disarmament deal, “What was achieved is the best possible result.”Israel, though, has steadfastly tried to stay out of the fray regarding Syria’s four-year civil war. Many Israeli leaders and analysts were deeply disillusioned by Mr. Obama’s turnabout on his promised strike, though Mr. Steinitz said Monday of the disarmament deal, “What was achieved is the best possible result.”
The minister’s account is one of accidental diplomacy. After a radio interview in which Mr. Steinitz said Israel had proof that the Assad government was responsible for the chemical attack near Damascus in August 2013, a Russian diplomat asked to see him. Before entering the meeting, Mr. Steinitz and his ministry director, Yosef Kuperwasser, discussed Mr. Obama’s promised attack on Syria.The minister’s account is one of accidental diplomacy. After a radio interview in which Mr. Steinitz said Israel had proof that the Assad government was responsible for the chemical attack near Damascus in August 2013, a Russian diplomat asked to see him. Before entering the meeting, Mr. Steinitz and his ministry director, Yosef Kuperwasser, discussed Mr. Obama’s promised attack on Syria.
“We said to ourselves, ‘What use will it be if 50 or 100 Tomahawks will land on half-empty bases in Syria,’ ” the minister recalled. “And if it will be a one-time strike, it won’t deter use of chemical weapons. “We said to ourselves, ‘What use will it be if 50 or 100 Tomahawks will land on half-empty bases in Syria?’ ” the minister recalled. “And if it will be a one-time strike, it won’t deter use of chemical weapons.
“Then it occurred to us,” he added. “The best thing will be Russia and the United States will collaborate together in order to dismantle the chemical stockpiles.”“Then it occurred to us,” he added. “The best thing will be Russia and the United States will collaborate together in order to dismantle the chemical stockpiles.”
It seemed like a win-win-win-win-win. “For the Russians it will be good; all the world mocked them for supporting a brutal dictator who uses chemical weapons,” Mr. Steinitz explained. “For the Americans it will be good because the real aim of Obama is to ensure there will be no further use of chemical weapons; this is much better than just a strike. Assad will not be able to resist because he is so dependent on Russia.”It seemed like a win-win-win-win-win. “For the Russians it will be good; all the world mocked them for supporting a brutal dictator who uses chemical weapons,” Mr. Steinitz explained. “For the Americans it will be good because the real aim of Obama is to ensure there will be no further use of chemical weapons; this is much better than just a strike. Assad will not be able to resist because he is so dependent on Russia.”
“The Syrian people will not suffer any more chemical attacks,” he added. “And Israel will get rid of a very serious strategic threat that existed since the 1970s.”“The Syrian people will not suffer any more chemical attacks,” he added. “And Israel will get rid of a very serious strategic threat that existed since the 1970s.”
The Russian, whom Mr. Steinitz did not name, asked to see the Israeli intelligence that the minister had mentioned on the radio. Mr. Steinitz demurred, and offered his idea instead. The Russian took notes. “He said, ‘This is very serious; I’m going to deliver it today.’ ” The Russian, whom Mr. Steinitz did not name, asked to see the Israeli intelligence that the minister had mentioned on the radio. Mr. Steinitz demurred and offered his idea instead. The Russian took notes. “He said, ‘This is very serious; I’m going to deliver it today.’ ”
Realizing he did not “ask any permission from the prime minister and we have to inform our American friends,” Mr. Steinitz rushed to Mr. Netanyahu’s office. Within a day or two, he recalled, “the Americans and the Russians began to promote this idea together, and we were sitting aside.”Realizing he did not “ask any permission from the prime minister and we have to inform our American friends,” Mr. Steinitz rushed to Mr. Netanyahu’s office. Within a day or two, he recalled, “the Americans and the Russians began to promote this idea together, and we were sitting aside.”
“They never asked if they can give us credit, and we never asked them to give us credit,” he added. “Until today, it was a secret.”“They never asked if they can give us credit, and we never asked them to give us credit,” he added. “Until today, it was a secret.”
In fact, Mr. Steinitz had no idea Mr. Oren had included the episode in his book, or that Bloomberg had written about it — until Mr. Oren, a newly elected member of Israel’s Parliament, told him about it during a parliamentary session Monday night. “I was very surprised it was published,” Mr. Steinitz said. In fact, Mr. Steinitz had no idea Mr. Oren had included the episode in his book, or that Bloomberg had written about it, until Mr. Oren, a newly elected member of Israel’s Parliament, told him about it during a parliamentary session Monday night. “I was very surprised it was published,” Mr. Steinitz said.