Transcript from CNN's The Situation Room Aired March 15,2010
Even as the president is struggling with health care, he has some new international headaches as well. Israel's ambassador to the United States is quoted as saying that U.S./Israeli relations are the worst that they have been in 35 years. That's pretty serious. Republican Senator John McCain today questioned the administration's open criticism of Israel's plan to build new settlements in a disputed area of East Jerusalem.
SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R), ARIZONA: Don't you think if we want the Israeli government to act in a way that would be more in keeping with our objectives that it doesn't help them to have published -- public disparagement by the secretary of state, by the president's political adviser on the Sunday shows.
On the contrary, shouldn't we lower the dialogue, talk quietly among friends and work together towards the mutual goals that we share?
MALVEAUX: I want to bring in our senior political analyst David Gergen.
David, obviously what we're seeing here over the weekend, Secretary Clinton said it was downright insulting that you had that announcement that came at the time the vice president was visiting. And that she was getting her direct orders, really, the direction from President Obama, who was extremely frustrated at what had happened.
Is the administration being too critical of Israel right now? How risky is this strategy to take that very public critical stand?
DAVID GERGEN, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Well, Suzanne, what you find is that this very question splits the Jewish community and the United States. The more hard-line groups are saying that -- agreeing with John McCain that the administration has overreacted and should tone it down. AIPAC came out that way today. That's the American-Israeli Public Affairs Committee, and the most famous of the Jewish lobby groups. Also, the ADL, Abe Foxman came out that way.
On the other hand, a more moderate new Jewish lobbying group called J Group -- or J Streets, said that was up to Israel to calm things down. And Martin Indyk, who is a well-respected former American ambassador to Israel has said basically, Israel has got to realize that America has interests, too.
Now, Indyk, interestingly, said he disagreed with Ambassador Oren it's the worst in 35 years, but he said it is heading in that direction.
MALVEAUX: And, David, I want to talk about China. Obviously, it's having some problems. Officials in Beijing, they are still fuming about the president's recent visit with the Dalai Lama. And China is also balking as well at the U.S. pressure to increase the value of its currency. Do you think that China and Israel feel like they are in a strong position now essentially to bully the Obama administration?
GERGEN: Well, that's a very, very good question, and it's clear that China feels its own power, and is being more assertive. But it also senses, and I think mistakenly, reads President Obama's soft approach to power as weak approach to power. And one sees that same thing in Netanyahu in that both are challenging America, will you stand up against us or not?
So some ways Hillary Clinton's call was the right thing to do to the Israelis, to stand up to them firmly. But there is clearly a need to ratchet it down now in public.
MALVEAUX: And obviously Iran figures into this. The United States needs, obviously, China as well as its other allies. How does that figure into the president's problems with both of those countries, China and Israel?
GERGEN: Well, in both cases we need something from them as well as them needing something from us. And in the past, the U.S. hasn't needed so much. But here we need the Israelis to show restraint with regard to Iran. Not, you know, be heavily militaristic about it. At the same time, we very much need China's help to apply sanctions. And of course, need China's help on a variety of things.
So that's why it's important to try to get these relationships re-aligned in a more harmonious way because we do have interests as well. But a lot of this has to be done in a diplomatic way, Suzanne, calm down the rhetoric, OK, take a couple of shots at each other, but get it calmed down and then try to get re-aligned on policy.
MALVEAUX: I know White House officials are trying to take a little bit of time to slow this thing down a little bit for everybody to, as you say, calm down. Because this is a very -- very critical relationships with these nations.
GERGEN: Both relationships are very critical.
MALVEAUX: Thank you so much, David.
GERGEN: Thank you, Suzanne.