American Pressure (1996)

Today's cartoon is from August 1996, fifteen years ago this month.

Fifteen long years have gone by since I drew this cartoon. Jonathan Pollard is still in prison, and an American Administration is still trying to pressure Israel into betraying her own interests. These days America is pressuring Israel to apologize to Turkey about the 2010 flotilla incident.

WASHINGTON (JTA) -- "The Obama administration agrees with a formulation in which Israel would apologize to Turkey for the deadly 2010 flotilla raid without accepting blame, Ehud Barak said.

Israel's defense minister outlined the formulation, which would have Israel apologize to Turkey for "mistakes made, if there were any" in exchange for Turkey barring legal action against the Israeli troops involved, to reporters on July 28. Barak had spent the day in meetings with National Security Adviser Tom Donilon, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and Defense Secretary Leon Panetta.

He told reporters that the formulation arose in his meeting with Clinton, although it was not clear whether he or Clinton initiated the idea. Barak said the Americans made the case that "if you want to defend your soldiers, make this deal." -more