Frontline (1983–…): Season 34, Episode 1 - Netanyahu at War - full transcript

HISTORY WILL NOT GIVE THE

JEWISH PEOPLE ANOTHER CHANCE.

TONIGHT ON FRONTLINE...

BENJAMIN NETANYAHU AT WAR.

HE IS AT WAR.

HE'S UNDER SIEGE.

IN CONFLICT WITH THE

PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES.

THAT'S NOT GOING TO HAPPEN.

EVERYBODY KNOWS IT'S NOT GOING

TO HAPPEN.



I'VE NEVER SEEN A FOREIGN

LEADER SPEAK TO THE PRESIDENT

LIKE THAT.

OUTRAGEOUS, OUTRAGEOUS.

HE IS SO CONVINCED THAT HE'S

RIGHT, EQUALLY SO CONVINCED THAT

OBAMA IS DEAD WRONG.

FROM THE BATTLES THAT SHAPED

HIM...

PALESTINIANS WERE FED UP.

SO EVERYTHING UNRAVELS.

AND BOOM!

IT EXPLODES.

AND HIS POLITICAL RISE.



THE COUNTRY'S POLITICAL

SYSTEM WAS SUPER-HEATED.

HE WAS ABLE TO TRANSLATE THE

HORROR OF SUICIDE BOMBERS INTO

POLITICAL POWER.

AN EPIC STORY OF ISRAEL,

AMERICA, AND THE LIFE OF

BENJAMIN NETANYAHU.

(MAN SPEAKING HEBREW)

NARRATOR: MARCH 2015.

THE ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER

BENJAMIN NETANYAHU...

NARRATOR: JERUSALEM.

THE PRIME MINISTER'S RESIDENCE.

PRIME MINISTER BENJAMIN

NETANYAHU IS DETERMINED TO STOP

PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA'S NUCLEAR

DEAL WITH IRAN.

THE PRIME MINISTER HAS A

MESSIANIC NOTION OF HIMSELF, AS

A PERSON CALLED TO SAVE THE

JEWISH PEOPLE.

NARRATOR: HE WAS ABOUT TO

DELIVER A SPEECH TO THE AMERICAN

CONGRESS.

HE NEVER MADE SUCH AN

IMPORTANT SPEECH.

HE FELT HE HAD A HISTORIC ROLE

TO PLAY AND HE CANNOT MAKE A

MISTAKE.

HE WANTS TO BE THE WINSTON

CHURCHILL WHO STOPS THE NEW EVIL

POWER, IRAN, IN THE WAY THAT

CHURCHILL STOPPED NAZI GERMANY.

THE PRIME MINISTER LEFT TEL

AVIV THIS MORNING.

HE IS SCHEDULED TO ADDRESS

CONGRESS.

HE WANTS IT TO BE CLEAR THAT

HE MADE THE MOST POWERFUL

STATEMENT POSSIBLE TO WARN

AGAINST THIS DEAL.

SO, WHEN THE DEAL TURNS BAD

HE'LL GO DOWN IN HISTORY AS THE

PERSON WHO WARNED US ALL FROM

WHAT'S ABOUT TO HAPPEN.

BENJAMIN NETANYAHU HAS

ARRIVED IN WASHINGTON DC.

(REPORTER SPEAKING FOREIGN

LANGUAGE)

NARRATOR: NETANYAHU CAME AS

ISRAEL'S RIGHT WING LEADER

VOWING TO KEEP HIS COUNTRY SAFE

FROM ITS ARCHENEMY, IRAN.

MR. NETANYAHU WAS INVITED TO

SPEAK BY JOHN BOEHNER.

A ROW BETWEEN THE OBAMA

ADMINISTRATION AND ISRAEL...

IT'S RARELY SOMEBODY WHO

COMES TO SAY YOUR PRESIDENT IS

WRONG AND YOU, THE CONGRESS, IN

EFFECT, NEED TO STOP IT.

GROWING TENSIONS BETWEEN THE

U.S. AND ISRAEL...

IT WAS EXTRAORDINARY FOR A

FOREIGN LEADER TO COME INTO THE

UNITED STATES CONGRESS AND USE

IT AS A PLATFORM TO TRY AND

UNDERMINE ADMINISTRATION POLICY.

IT WAS A REALLY AUDACIOUS THING

TO DO.

HE IS DEFINITELY WILLING TO

SACRIFICE ISRAELI-U.S.

RELATIONS IN ORDER TO DO WHAT HE

THINKS IS PROPER TO FIGHT OFF

THE IRANIAN CHALLENGE.

NARRATOR: HIS AUDIENCE- THE

REPUBLICAN CONTROLLED CONGRESS--

THE PRESIDENT'S FIERCEST

CRITICS.

THE DAYS WHEN THE JEWISH

PEOPLE REMAINED PASSIVE IN THE

FACE OF GENOCIDAL ENEMIES, THOSE

DAYS ARE OVER.

(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)

WE MUST ALWAYS REMEMBER THE

GREATEST DANGER FACING OUR WORLD

IS THE MARRIAGE OF MILITANT

ISLAM WITH NUCLEAR WEAPONS.

(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)

THERE WAS NO OTHER TIME WHEN

THE ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER LET

HIMSELF BE SO DEEPLY INVOLVED IN

AMERICAN POLITICS RECRUITING,

REDRAFTING AMERICAN POLITICS

AGAINST THE AMERICAN PRESIDENT.

AMERICA'S FOUNDING DOCUMENT

PROMISES LIFE, LIBERTY AND THE

PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS.

IRAN'S FOUNDING DOCUMENT PLEDGES

DEATH, TYRANNY, AND THE PURSUIT

OF JIHAD.

NETANYAHU DID AN END RUN

AROUND PRESIDENT OBAMA TODAY.

THANK YOU, AMERICA.

WITH EVEN SOME DEMOCRATIC

SUPPORTERS OF THE PRESIDENT

CALLING THE SPEECH POWERFUL...

NETANYAHU DID NOT MINCE WORDS

ABOUT U.S.-LED NUCLEAR TALKS

WITH IRAN.

BRING RELATIONS BETWEEN

ISRAEL AND THE WHITE HOUSE TO A

NEW LOW.

NARRATOR: PRESIDENT BARACK

OBAMA'S ANGER WAS NO SECRET.

THEY SEEMED TO HATE EACH

OTHER.

THIS WAS THE HEIGHT OF THE

WHITE HOUSES ANIMOSITY TOWARDS

NETANYAHU.

I THINK THEY VIEWED THIS ALMOST

AS A USURPATION, AS A COUP

D'ETAT AND THEY WERE LIVID.

NARRATOR: IT WAS A DIRECT

ATTACK ON HIS FOREIGN POLICY

LEGACY.

HE VERY MUCH WANTED TO RECAST

THE UNITED STATES AS A FRIEND OF

THE ISLAMIC WORLD.

PART OF THAT NARRATIVE IS THAT

WE'VE BEEN ASSOCIATED WITH

ISRAEL TOO CLOSELY.

NARRATOR: OBAMA SUMMONED THE

PRESS INTO THE OVAL OFFICE.

TELL ME WHEN EVERYBODY'S IN.

BARACK OBAMA IS FURIOUS.

FURIOUS.

IT'S A HUMILIATION FOR HIM.

IT'S A HUMILIATION IN THE MIDST

OF A VERY DELICATE NEGOTIATION

WITH IRAN.

THE ALTERNATIVE THAT THE

PRIME MINISTER OFFERS IS NO

DEAL, IN WHICH CASE IRAN WILL

IMMEDIATELY BEGIN ONCE AGAIN

PURSUING ITS NUCLEAR PROGRAM.

THE PRESIDENT WAS ANGRY; HE

THOUGHT THIS WAS AN AFFRONT...

WITHOUT US HAVING ANY INSIGHT

INTO WHAT IT IS THEY'RE DOING.

...AND IT WAS DELIBERATE AND

HE WASN'T GOING TO TRY TO MAKE

NICE AND PRETEND IT WASN'T WHAT

HE THOUGHT IT REALLY WAS.

ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU, GUYS.

APPRECIATE IT.

IT CLEARLY REVEALS A DEGREE

OF DYSFUNCTION ON BOTH SIDES.

THIS IS SOME RESPECTS WAS A

TRAIN WRECK WAITING TO HAPPEN

EVEN FROM THE BEGINNING.

NARRATOR: FOR BENJAMIN

NETANYAHU, THE CLASH WITH THE

AMERICAN PRESIDENT WAS ONLY THE

LATEST IN A LIFELONG BATTLE.

THREE ARMED ARABS TODAY

HIJACKED A BELGIAN AIRLINER

FLYING FROM VIENNA TO TEL AVIV.

NARRATOR: IN HIS EARLY 20S,

NETANYAHU SAW MILITARY ACTION.

AFTER BEING HIJACKED BY THREE

ARAB GUERILLAS.

NARRATOR: PALESTINIAN

MILITANTS HAD HIJACKED A PLANE

BOUND FOR ISRAEL.

...THE PLANE AND ITS

OCCUPANTS WOULD BE BLOWN UP.

NARRATOR: THE WORLD WATCHED

TO SEE HOW THE ISRAELIS WOULD

REACT.

THE BASIC NEWS IS THAT ARMED

PERSONS WHO CLAIM TO BELONG TO A

TERRORISTIC ORGANIZATION, WHICH

IS CALLED THE BLACK SEPTEMBER,

TOOK OVER A SABENA PLANE.

NARRATOR: LIEUTENANT

NETANYAHU WOULD BE PART OF THE

SPECIAL ISRAELI STRIKE FORCE.

MR. NETANYAHU WAS A MEMBER OF

THE SAYERET MATKAL UNIT, WHICH

IS THE... IT'S LIKE THE NAVY

SEALS.

IT'S THE FABLED UNIT OF THE

ISRAELI ARMY.

IT'S THE ONE THAT ANYBODY WHO

WAS ANYBODY WANTED TO BELONG TO.

NARRATOR: NETANYAHU AND THE

OTHERS DRESSED IN AIRPORT

MECHANICS WHITE OVERALLS.

THE DECISION WAS TO ACT AS A

MECHANICAL AND TECHNICIANS, YOU

KNOW, WHO IS COMING TO TAKE CARE

ABOUT THE AIRPLANE.

AND THEN THEY PENETRATE VERY

QUICK INTO THE AIRPLANE.

(GUNSHOTS)

ARE THEY SHOOTING?

YES.

THEY'RE SHOOTING.

THEY ARE INSIDE THE AIRCRAFT.

SUDDENLY THEY BURST THROUGH

THE DOORWAYS AND ESCAPE HATCHES

GUNS BLAZING.

PASSENGERS LEAPED FROM THE PLAN

WHILE THE ISRAELIS DUELED WITH

THE HIJACKERS.

NARRATOR: NETANYAHU CHARGED

TO THE FRONT OF THE PLANE.

GUNNED DOWN THE MALE

HIJACKERS, CAPTURED THE ARAB

WOMEN, AND FREED THE

PASSENGERS.

THIS WAS AN UNBELIEVABLE

SUCCESS.

TWO OF THE TERRORISTS DEAD,

AND SOME OF THE

SAYERET MATKAL TEAM INJURED,

INCLUDING BENJAMIN NETANYAHU,

WHO WAS INJURED IN HIS HAND,

BECAUSE OF HIS FRIEND'S BULLET

THAT WAS FIRED IN THE WRONG

DIRECTION.

BUT, YOU KNOW, MINIMAL COST.

THE PASSENGERS, MANY OF THEM

ISRAELIS GOT A JUBILANT WELCOME

AS THEY TROOPED INTO THE

AIRPORT BUILDING.

NARRATOR: IN THE DAYS AFTER

THE RAID, NETANYAHU RECEIVED

PRAISE FROM ISRAEL'S PRESIDENT.

I THINK THERE WAS THIS

ELEMENT OF A RITE OF PASSAGE FOR

NETANYAHU TO BE IN SUCH A UNIT.

THERE WAS NOTHING GRANDER THAN

BEING IN SAYERET MATKAL.

NARRATOR: HE HAD EARNED

FULL-FLEDGED ISRAELI STATUS,

ESSENTIAL EXPERIENCE FOR A YOUNG

MAN WHO SPENT HIS FORMATIVE

YEARS IN AMERICA.

WHEN HE WAS SEVEN, BENJAMIN, WHO

WAS CALLED BIBI, AND HIS TWO

BROTHERS, YONI AND IDDO, LEFT

ISRAEL.

HE SPENT SOME OF HIS BEST

YEARS IN THE UNITED STATES.

AND NETANYAHU TRULY ADMIRES

AMERICA, THE AMERICAN CULTURE,

THE AMERICAN LANGUAGE,

EVERYTHING ABOUT AMERICA.

NARRATOR: HE ATTENDED

ELEMENTARY SCHOOL IN NEW YORK;

HIGH SCHOOL IN SUBURBAN

PHILADELPHIA.

HE PICKED UP FLAWLESS AMERICAN

ENGLISH.

HE'S SO AMERICAN.

WHEN YOU HAVE A CONVERSATION

WITH NETANYAHU, WHEN HE REALLY

GETS ENGAGED IN IT, HE SWITCHES

FROM HEBREW TO ENGLISH.

NARRATOR: THE MOVE TO AMERICA

WAS NOT VOLUNTARY.

BIBI'S FATHER BELIEVED HE WAS

FORCED TO LEAVE ISRAEL BECAUSE

OF HIS STRIDENT RIGHT-WING

POLITICS.

BENZION NETANYAHU DID NOT GET

TENURE AT THE HEBREW UNIVERSITY

AS A HISTORIAN.

AND HE CONSIDERED IT A GREAT

DEFEAT AND A HUMILIATION TO HAVE

TO LEAVE THE COUNTRY AND FIND

HIS ACADEMIC WAY IN THE UNITED

STATES.

NARRATOR: AS A HISTORY

PROFESSOR IN AMERICA, BIBI'S

FATHER BENZION DREW A DARK

PICTURE OF THE THREATS FACING

THE JEWISH PEOPLE.

HE SEES A WORLD THAT IS

FUNDAMENTALLY HOSTILE, A WORLD

THAT IS AFFLICTED BY AN ETERNAL

ANTI-SEMITISM, THAT THE NAZI

HOLOCAUST WAS PART OF A LONG

SERIES OF ACTS AGAINST JEWS.

NARRATOR: IT WAS A WORLDVIEW

PASSED ON TO BIBI AND HIS

BROTHERS.

THE OUTLOOK THAT IS COMING

FROM HIS FATHER IS THAT THERE

WILL ALWAYS BE A HOSTILE WORLD

THAT WOULD NOT CARE FOR THE

SECURITY AND WELFARE OF THE

JEWISH NATION.

AND ONE THING THAT WE SHOULD DO

IS DO IT OURSELVES.

NARRATOR: THE BROTHERS WERE

TOLD IT WAS UP TO THEM TO

PROTECT ISRAEL.

THEY'RE OUT TO GET US.

THEY MIGHT KILL US.

ISRAEL IS FRAGILE.

MY ROLE IS TO SAVE THIS PEOPLE

WHO ARE LIKE CHILDISH, THEY

DON'T UNDERSTAND HISTORY AND

WORLD POLITICS AND MY ROLE IS TO

TRY TO SAVE THEM FROM THEIR OWN

MISTAKES AND FROM THESE TERRIBLY

DEMONIC EVIL FORCES SURROUNDING

THEM.

THIS IS BASICALLY THE NETANYAHU

GESTALT.

NARRATOR: AND IN 1967...

JORDANIAN KING HUSSEIN SIGNS

A MILITARY PACT WITH...

NARRATOR: ...BIBI WATCHED AS

HIS FATHER'S DIRE WARNINGS WERE

TRANSFORMED INTO REALITY.

ARAB ARMIES HAD MASSED ON

ISRAEL'S BORDERS.

IN EGYPT ALONE THERE WERE

MORE THAN A QUARTER OF A

MILLION SOLDIERS.

NARRATOR: THOUSANDS OF TANKS

FROM EGYPT, JORDAN, SYRIA

SURROUNDED THE ISRAELIS.

HUNDREDS OF ROCKET LAUNCHERS.

THE FEELING HERE IN ISRAEL IS

THAT WE'LL LOOK AT A VERY CLOSE

AND CLEAR DANGER OF BEING

EXTERMINATED.

THE HEAD OF THE PALESTINE

LIBERATION ARMY, AHMED SHUKRI,

CALLS FOR A JIHAD, A HOLY WAR.

"WE SHALL SLAUGHTER YOU, WE

SHALL WIPE YOU OUT.

KILL THE JEWS.

WIPE OUT ISRAEL."

AT LEAST FOR NETANYAHU'S

FATHER, THIS WAS, YOU KNOW,

HISTORY REPEATING ITSELF.

...BY LOW-FLYING ISRAELI JETS

WHO SWOOPED IN FROM THE

MEDITERRANEAN, AVOIDING RADAR.

NARRATOR: FOLLOWING A

SURPRISE AIR ATTACK, ISRAEL

DEFEATED THE ARAB ARMIES.

...AS CRACK AIR FORCE,

INFANTRY, ARTILLERY, AND TANK

CORPS COMBINE TO SWEEP ACROSS

THE SINAI PENINSULA.

NARRATOR: THE 1967 WAR LASTED

ONLY SIX DAYS.

ISRAEL SAVES ITS OWN LIFE.

THE VICTORY WAS SO PROFOUND, AND

SO SUDDEN THAT IT HAD A

DESTABILIZING EFFECT.

IT SET IN MOTION A LOT OF WHAT

WE'RE DEALING WITH TODAY.

THE WAR HAS CREATED NEW

REFUGEE CAMPS.

MORE THAN A MILLION ARABS HAVE

BEEN DISPLACED, HOMELESS AND

HELPLESS.

THEY STRUGGLE TO SURVIVE WHILE

THE SEARCH FOR PEACE, LASTING

PEACE, GOES ON.

BY THE END OF THE '67 WAR.

ISREAL OCCUPIED THE GOLAN

HEIGHTS, THE WEST BANK,

THE GAZA STRIP, AND THE SINAI.

ISREAL HAD MORE THAN

TRIPLED IN SIZE.

THE OCCUPATION OF LAND

INHABITED BY PALESTINIANS

WOULD IGNITE DECADES OF CONFLICT

BUT FOR THE BREAKS

THAT'S THE STORY OF THE SIX

DAY WAR.

IT SHOWS YOU HAVE TO BE ALERT;

YOU HAVE TO HAVE GOOD

INTELLIGENCE, AND IF YOUR

COUNTRY IS THREATENED, YOU HAVE

TO RESPOND QUICKLY.

NARRATOR: A SENIOR IN HIGH

SCHOOL IN AMERICA, BIBI HAD

SKIPPED HIS GRADUATION TO RETURN

TO ISRAEL FOR THE WAR-- TO DIG

TRENCHES.

HE WOULD WITNESS A TURNING POINT

IN ISRAELI HISTORY.

YOU COULD UNDERSTAND WHY IT'S

SO INTOXICATING, AND IF YOU'RE

AN 18 YEAR OLD, WHO WAS RAISED

IN THE HOUSEHOLD OF BENZION

NETANYAHU, WHO HAS A FATALISTIC

UNDERSTANDING OF THE NATURE OF

THE WORLD, YOU ASSUME THE WORST;

YOU ASSUME THE WORST THING IS

GOING TO HAPPEN, AND THEN THIS

MIRACULOUS BEST THING HAPPENS,

AND IT HAS TO SORT OF SET YOU ON

A COURSE FOR THE REST OF YOUR

LIFE.

NARRATOR: THAT COURSE WOULD

LEAD HIM TO FIGHT IN YET ANOTHER

WAR WITH ISRAEL'S NEIGHBORS.

AND THEN TO THE DEVASTATING LOSS

OF HIS OLDER BROTHER YONI, A

NATIONAL HERO WHO WAS KILLED IN

ACTION.

LIEUTENANT COLONEL YONATAN

NETANYAHU OF ISRAEL.

YONI IN ISRAEL IS ONE OF THE

LINE OF MYTHICAL HEROES OF

ISRAEL'S INDEPENDENCE.

PEOPLE NAME THEIR CHILDREN YONI

AFTER YONI NETANYAHU.

HIS BOOK, LETTERS OF YONI,

BECAME ONE OF THE MOST READ

BOOKS, RIVALING THE DIARY OF

ANNE FRANK.

SO YONI IS CERTAINLY A NATIONAL

HERO.

THE DEATH OF HIS BROTHER

AFFECTED HIM IMMENSELY, AS THE

VIOLENT DEATH OF ANYONE'S

BROTHER WOULD.

BUT IT ALSO ENLARGED HIS SENSE

OF PURPOSE, HIS SELF-REGARD, HIS

SENSE OF DESTINY, HIS SENSE OF

MISSION AND PURPOSE.

THERE'S NO QUESTION ABOUT THAT.

FROM FANEUIL HALL IN BOSTON:

THE ADVOCATES.

NARRATOR: NOT LONG AFTER HIS

BROTHER'S DEATH, NETANYAHU BEGAN

A NEW LIFE ON AMERICAN

TELEVISION.

THE FIRST THING THAT HAPPENS

IS THAT BENJAMIN NETANYAHU

BEGINS TO PRESENT HIMSELF AS AN

EXPERT ON TERRORISM.

I CALL NOW AS MY FIRST

WITNESS, MR. BENJAMIN NITAY.

NARRATOR: HAVING GRADUATED

FROM MIT AND AMERICANIZED HIS

NAME TO BEN NITAY, HE WOULD

FIGHT FOR ISRAEL IN HIS OWN

WAY, WAGING THE BATTLE FOR

PUBLIC OPINION.

LOOK, I'M 28 YEARS OLD.

I'VE HAD TO DEFEND MY COUNTRY IN

TWO WARS AND IN MANY BATTLES.

NOBODY WANTS PEACE MORE THAN

ISRAEL.

BUT THE STUMBLING BLOCK TO THE

ROAD TO PEACE IS THIS DEMAND FOR

A PLO STATE WHICH WILL MEAN MORE

WAR, WHICH WILL MEAN MORE

VIOLENCE IN THE MIDDLE EAST.

NETANYAHU WAS ONE OF THE

EARLIEST PEOPLE WHO BROUGHT UP

THIS MESSAGE: THAT THERE IS A

WAR GOING ON AND IT'S A WAR

BETWEEN GOOD AND EVIL.

AND AS I SAID...

I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT THE

ARABS IN ISRAEL, I'M TALKING

ABOUT THE ARABS ON THE WEST BANK

AND THE GAZA STRIP.

IF YOU LET ME, I'LL ANSWER

YOUR QUESTION, PLEASE.

AND THAT YOU HAVE TO STAND UP

IN THAT WAR.

AND YOU CANNOT JUST RUN AWAY.

YOU HAVE TO FIGHT IT AND WIN IT.

ISRAEL WANTS TO LIVE IN PEACE

AND WANTS TO BE SECURE.

IF THAT INVOLVES MAINTAINING OUR

OWN MILITARY GUARANTEES AGAINST

THE DESTRUCTION OF PEOPLE WHO

SURROUND US, YES, I BELIEVE WE

SHOULD FIGHT FOR OUR SURVIVAL.

IF I HAVE TO, I'LL FIGHT AGAIN,

BUT I HOPE NOT TO.

THANK YOU, THANK YOU, MR...

NARRATOR: BY THE 19805, HE

WAS APPOINTED AN OFFICIAL

SPOKESMAN AT THE ISRAELI EMBASSY

IN WASHINGTON AS "BENJAMIN

NETANYAHU."

BENJAMIN NETANYAHU BEGINS HIS

ISRAELI POLITICAL CAREER IN THE

UNITED STATES.

HE'S UNKNOWN IN ISRAEL IN THE

19805.

I CANNOT IMAGINE THE GROWTH

OF INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM IN

THE LAST 15 YEARS WITHOUT THE

PIVOTAL ROLE PLAYED BY YASSER

ARAFAT'S PLO.

WHAT WE ARE DOING IS TRYING TO

STOP THIS KIND OF TERROR FROM

SPREADING.

THE IDEA OF BIBI BEING A

PERFORMER ON TELEVISION GOES WAY

BACK.

YOU REPRESENT YOUR COUNTRY.

YOU SELL YOUR COUNTRY.

AND THAT IS WHAT HE DID AND HE

DID IT WITH ENORMOUS PRIDE AND

CONFIDENCE.

THE ARABS TRIED REGULAR WAR,

THEY FAILED.

THEY TRIED TERRORISM, THEY

FAILED.

THEY'VE NOW EMBARKED ON A NEW

STRATEGY.

IT'S CALLED ANARCHY AND TRIAL BY

MEDIA.

HE HAS A PERFECT AMERICAN

ACCENT, WHAT HE THINKS IS A

FINGERTIP FEEL FOR AMERICAN

SENSIBILITIES AND TOUCH POINTS,

AND HE'S GREAT FOR CNN.

NARRATOR: AND IN RONALD

REAGAN'S AMERICA, NETANYAHU WAS

A RISING STAR.

HE'S ALREADY A CELEBRITY WITH

THE JEWISH RIGHT IN THE UNITED

STATES.

HE CULTIVATED FROM THE OUTSET

JEWISH RICH PEOPLE, JEWISH

MILLIONAIRES WHO WOULD PAY

ALMOST ANY SUM AT THE TIME TO BE

NEAR HIM AND TO, YOU KNOW, TO

SORT OF GET A WHIFF OF HIS,

WHAT'S IT CALLED, STARDUST.

DIPLOMATS HERE WERE GATHERING

A SHORT TIME AGO FOR THEIR

THIRD ANTI-ISRAELI RESOLUTION

IN AS MANY WEEKS.

NARRATOR: AT AGE 34,

NETANYAHU WAS APPOINTED ISRAELI

AMBASSADOR TO THE UNITED

NATIONS.

HE BECAME ISRAEL'S CHIEF

DEFENDER AGAINST CRITICISM OF

ITS ONGOING OCCUPATION OF THE

WEST BANK AND GAZA.

...ISRAELI AMBASSADOR WAS IN

ACTION IM M EDIATELY.

WHAT THE SECURITY COUNCIL IS

DOING IS SENDING A VERY CLEAR

MESSAGE, IT'S SAYING BASICALLY

THIS.

IT SAYS, "WE CONDONE ALL

PALESTINIAN VIOLENCE AGAINST

ISRAEL.

WE CONDEMN ANY ISRAELI

COUNTERMEASURES."

THAT'S WHAT HE WAS BUILT FOR.

THAT WAS WHAT HE WAS DESIGNED

FOR.

IT WAS REAGAN'S AMERICA, 19805.

TERROR IS THE DANGER, AND AT THE

HEART OF THE NETANYAHU

WORLDVIEW IS SEEING ISRAEL AS

THE FORTRESS FACING FORCES

ENDANGERING WESTERN

CIVILIZATION.

NARRATOR: IN 1988, NETANYAHU

RESIGNED.

HE RETURNED TO ISRAEL TO BUILD

HIS OWN RIGHT-WING POLITICAL

BASE.

PREPARATIONS ARE UNDERWAY.

WE EXPECT TO SEE THE PRESIDENT

SHORTLY...

...FOR WHAT HE CALLED A

HISTORIC AND HONORABLE

COMPROMISE.

NARRATOR: BY THE EARLY 19905,

NETANYAHU'S HARD-LINE POLITICS

WERE OUT OF FASHION.

THE TALK WAS NO LONGER OF WAR,

BUT OF PEACE.

NEGOTIATIONS WERE UNDERWAY WITH

THEIR ARAB NEIGHBORS.

IT'S A DAY FOR OPTIMISM.

NARRATOR: AND NOW WITH THE

PALESTINIANS.

A DEAL WAS STRUCK IN SECRET

BY THE PRINCIPLES-- BY THE PLO,

AND THE ISRAELI...

NARRATOR: ISRAELI PRIME

MINISTER YITZHAK RABIN, A FORMER

GENERAL AND HERO OF THE '67 WAR,

REPRESENTED ISRAEL.

HAVE NOW AGREED TO LAY DOWN

THEIR GUNS.

NARRATOR: REPRESENTING THE

PALESTINIANS, YASSER ARAFAT, THE

CHAIRMAN OF THE PLO.

A HISTORIC PEACE AGREEMENT

DESIGNED TO PUT AN END TO 45

YEARS OF ARMED CONFLICT.

THIS IS A HISTORIC

BREAKTHROUGH, BETWEEN ISRAEL AND

THE PLO, TWO NATIONAL MOVEMENTS

COMPETING FOR THE SAME SPACE AND

FOR THE FIRST TIME, THEY'RE

PREPARED TO RECOGNIZE EACH

OTHER.

NARRATOR: KNOWN AS THE OSLO

ACCORD, IT WAS DESIGNED TO END

YEARS OF VIOLENCE BY LAYING OUT

A PEACE PROCESS, A DEAL THAT

COULD GIVE PALESTINIANS THEIR

OWN STATE AND LAND CAPTURED IN

THE '67 WAR.

ONCE THE AGREEMENT WAS DONE,

IT WAS THE WHITE HOUSE AS THE

VENUE AGREED FOR THE SIGNATURE.

PRESIDENT CLINTON FELT THIS WAS

HIS BABY.

NARRATOR: BUT THAT DAY THINGS

WERE TENSE.

TO THE LAST MINUTE THERE WERE

ISSUES.

RABIN WAS INSISTING THAT ARAFAT

CAN'T COME IN ANYTHING THAT

LOOKS LIKE A UNIFORM.

WE'RE TELLING ARAFAT, "YOU CAN'T

COME WITH A... YOU DON'T BRING A

WEAPON."

YOU KNOW, HE ALWAYS HAD A

PISTOL.

"YOU DON'T BRING A WEAPON TO THE

WHITE HOUSE."

THEN, AT A POINT, THE

PRESIDENT LOOKS AT RABIN, AND HE

SAYS, "YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO

SHAKE HIS HAND."

AND RABIN LOOKED LIKE SOMEONE

HAD PUNCHED HIM IN THE STOMACH.

AND HE STOOD THERE FOR A MOMENT.

THIS IS A MAN HE CONSIDERED A

TERRORIST ALL HIS LIFE.

AND HE SAID TO CLINTON, "OKAY,

BUT NO KISSING."

SO WE THEN WENT DOWN TO THE OVAL

OFFICE AND WE WORKED OUT

MANEUVERS WITH CLINTON OF HOW

IF... ARAFAT LIKED TO KISS,

USUALLY THREE KISSES.

AND WE WORKED OUT SORT OF

FOOTBALL/BASKETBALL MANEUVERS OF

HOW CLINTON COULD STEP IN

VARIOUS WAYS, IF ARAFAT MADE A

LUNGE TOWARDS RABIN, HOW CLINTON

COULD BREAK THEM UP.

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, MR.

ARAFAT, YITZHAK RABIN, THE

PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES.

NARRATOR: THE CEREMONY WAS

CAREFULLY SCRIPTED.

THERE WERE SPEECHES, THE SIGNING

OF THE OSLO ACCORD, AND ALL EYES

WERE ON ARAFAT AND RABIN.

RABIN IS VERY UNEASY.

THE IDEA OF PERSONALLY SHAKING

HANDS WITH THIS GUY IS

PHYSICALLY DIFFICULT FOR HIM.

HE COULDN'T HIDE HIS FEELINGS.

AND THAT COMES THROUGH.

THE FIRST AGREEMENT EVER

SIGNED BETWEEN...

NARRATOR: AND THEN THE

HANDSHAKE.

AN IMAGE THAT WOULD BECOME

ICONIC.

THESE HANDS THAT SHOOK KNEW

NOTHING BUT TO SHOOT-- THE

TRIGGER, THE BULLETS, THE BOMBS,

THE FIGHT.

AND THE QUESTION TO ME IS, CAN

THIS HANDSHAKE LEAD TO THE

CULTURE IN THE MINDS OF

PALESTINIANS AND ISRAELIS, THAT

COEXISTENCE IS POSSIBLE, THAT

PEACE IS POSSIBLE TO LIVE AND

LET LIVE.

(APPLAUSE)

NARRATOR: NOW IN ISRAEL,

NETANYAHU WAS BUILDING A

COALITION OF THE ULTRA-RELIGIOUS

RIGHT AND SECURITY-MINDED

CONSERVATIVES.

THEY STRONGLY OPPOSED THE OSLO

AGREEMENT.

AND IN NO TIME, PROTESTS BEGAN.

THE WORLD CELEBRATED THAT

HANDSHAKE, THAT HISTORIC

HANDSHAKE ON THE WHITE HOUSE

LAWN, BUT IN ISRAEL THERE WAS A

FAIR DEGREE OF SKEPTICISM.

NARRATOR: WEEK AFTER WEEK,

NETANYAHU WATCHED THE PROTESTS

BUILD.

THE PEOPLE ON THE RIGHT IN

ISRAEL WERE NOT HAPPY ABOUT THE

OSLO PROCESS, AND RECOGNIZING

THE PLO, THE TERRORISTS, WAS A

BITTER PILL.

WE'RE DEMONSTRATING AGAINST

THE INABILITY OF THE GOVERNMENT

TO MAINTAIN ORDER IN THIS

COUNTRY AND TO PROTECT THE

RIGHTS OF JEWS LIVING IN THEIR

OWN LAND.

NARRATOR: WITH AN ELECTION ON

THE HORIZON, NETANYAHU

MANEUVERED THE GROWING ANGER

INTO A POLITICAL FORCE.

HE DID NOT BELIEVE IN THE

POSSIBILITY OF A DEAL WITH THE

PALESTINIANS.

HE DIDN'T TRUST THEM, HE DIDN'T

LIKE THEM, HE DOESN'T AND HE

DOESN'T WANT TO HAVE A DEAL WITH

THEM, HE DIDN'T WANT TO HAVE A

DEAL WITH THEM.

NARRATOR: AS HEAD OF THE

CONSERVATIVE LIKUD PARTY,

NETANYAHU HIMSELF BECAME THE

FACE OF THE OPPOSITION TO OSLO.

NETANYAHU SAW A MOMENT OF

BETRAYAL, AND PERIL, AND AN

AGREEMENT THAT WOULD NEVER AND

COULD NEVER WORK.

(CHANTING AND SHOUTING)

THERE'S A REALLY UGLY

CHARACTER TO IT.

THE LEVEL OF VITRIOL, THE ANGER,

THE SCOPE OF THESE

DEMONSTRATIONS.

THE KIND OF INCITEMENT, THE

PORTRAYAL OF RABIN, DRESSING

RABIN IN NAZI UNIFORMS OR

PUTTING A KEFFIYAH ON HIM.

NARRATOR: NETANYAHU FOUND

HIMSELF AT THE CENTER OF THE

ANGER.

IN MOST CASES HE DOESN'T DO

ANYTHING ABOUT IT.

ITHINK NETANYAHU EVEN IN SOME

WAYS BENEFITS FROM THIS

ASSOCIATION WITH THE RABBLE

ROUSERS ON THE RIGHT.

I THINK THE COUNTRY'S

POLITICAL SYSTEM WAS

SUPERHEATED.

IT WAS LIKE A CAR RIDING ON A

HIGHWAY THAT HAD NO WATER LEFT

IN THE RADIATOR.

AND YOU COULD LOOK AT THE

TEMPERATURE GAUGE, AND IT'S ALL

THE WAY IN THE... IN HOT.

NARRATOR: THE INTENSITY GREW,

CULMINATING IN A MASSIVE

PROTEST.

TENS OF THOUSANDS CRAMMED INTO

THE CENTER OF JERUSALEM.

HE WAS GENUINELY OUTRAGED,

BUT HE KNEW HOW TO CHANNEL THAT

OUTRAGE AND THAT COINCIDED WITH

HIS RISE TO POWER.

NARRATOR: IN NETANYAHU'S

CONSERVATIVE LIKUD PARTY, THERE

WAS CONCERN ABOUT THE GROWING

TENSION IN THE CROWDS THAT

NIGHT.

THERE WERE MOMENTS WHEN

NETANYAHU WAS ADVISED THAT, YOU

KNOW, THERE ARE REAL NUTCASES

IN THE NATIONAL RELIGIOUS CAMP

THAT WE SEE, THAT WE NEED TO

CALM DOWN, EVEN GESTURALLY.

NETANYAHU NEVER DID THAT, HE

NEVER DID THAT, TO HIS ENORMOUS

DISCREDIT.

(SPEAKING HEBREW)

NARRATOR: THE CROWD WAS WITH

HIM AS HE ATTACKED ARAFAT...

ARAFAT...

(CROWD BOOING)

NARRATOR: ...AND THEN THE

GOVERNMENT OF YITZHAK RABIN.

ALL LIKUD LEADERS, ESPECIALLY

BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, THEY HAVE

USED VERY STRONG LANGUAGE

AGAINST PRIME MINISTER RABIN.

THEY DIDN'T USE ANY KIND OF

CONDEMNATION AGAINST THE

VIOLENCE THAT WAS STARTING TO

TAKE PLACE.

NARRATOR: NETANYAHU WOULD

LATER SAY HE NEVER SAW THE

UGLIEST MOMENTS THAT NIGHT.

THROUGHOUT ISRAEL THE ANGER

BOILED OVER.

(PEOPLE SHOUTING)

(POLICE WHISTLE BLOWING)

(SIRENS BLARING)

I WAS THERE AND A LOT OF

OTHER PEOPLE MY AGE WERE THERE.

THIS WAS SUCH A VOLATILE

ATMOSPHERE AT THE TIME AND THE

WRITING WAS ON THE WALL.

(CHANTING)

NARRATOR: NIGHT AFTER NIGHT,

THE CROWDS MASSED ACROSS THE

STREET FROM PRIME MINISTER

RABIN'S APARTMENT IN TEL AVIV.

I'M THERE ONE SHABBAT

EVENING.

WE'RE TALKING.

AND IT'S JUST THE TWO OF US.

AND THERE IS A DEMONSTRATION

OUTSIDE.

AND I SAID TO HIM AT THE TIME,

I SAID, "DON'T YOU WORRY ABOUT

SOME OF THIS?"

AND HE GOES, "NO."

I MEAN HE WAS... IT'S NOT THAT

HE WAS COMPLETELY DISMISSIVE OF

IT, BUT HE TOOK IT AS KIND OF A

GIVEN.

HE KNEW, IN A SENSE, WHAT WAS

HE KNEW, IN A SENSE, WHAT WAS

COMING, AND SIMPLY ACCEPTED IT.

NARRATOR: RABIN RESPONDED

WITH HIS OWN RALLY, MORE THAN

100,000 SUPPORTERS SINGING OF

PEACE.

(WOMAN SINGING)

(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)

THEN AS RABIN WAS LEAVING--

THAT'S HIM COMING DOWN THE

RAMP-- THE MAN IN THE BLUE

T-SHIRT APPROACHED.

(GUNSHOTS)

THREE SHOTS FROM BEHIND.

THE ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER,

YITZHAK RABIN, THE ARCHITECT OF

THE MIDDLE EAST PEACE PROCESS

HAS BEEN ASSASSINATED.

NARRATOR: THE ASSASSIN, A

RIGHT WING ISRAELI JEW: YIGAL

AMIR.

TRULY SHOCKING NEWS FROM THE

MIDDLE EAST TONIGHT-- ISRAEL'S

PRIME MINISTER, YITZHAK RABIN,

HAS BEEN ASSASSINATED.

AN EVENING SPENT DREAMING OF

PEACE TURNS INTO A NATIONAL

NIGHTMARE.

NARRATOR: OUTSIDE THE

HOSPITAL, THE CROWD BEGAN TO

CHANT, "BIBI IS A MURDERER."

(CHANTING)

...THIS EVENING, THERE IS

ANGER, SHOCK, AND

UN DERSTAN DAB LE SADNESS.

NARRATOR: THE SIGN SAYS,

"BIBI, RABIN'S BLOOD IS ON YOUR

HANDS."

(SHOUTING)

AN ASSASSIN HAS TAKEN YET

ANOTHER WORLD LEADER AWAY FROM

US.

IT WAS JUST AFTER THE BIGGEST

PEACE RALLY IN TEL AVIV...

NARRATOR: RABIN'S WIDOW

BLAMED NETANYAHU FOR

CONTRIBUTING TO HER HUSBAND'S

DEATH...

THE ASSASSINATION OF YITZHAK

RABIN HAS ALSO PRODUCED SHOCK

IN THE PALESTINIAN COMMUNITY.

NARRATOR: ...AND SAID SO ON

WORLDWIDE TELEVISION.

YOUR HUSBAND POINTED THE

FINGER AT MR. NETANYAHU AND

SAID, "YOU MUST STOP THIS

INCITEMENT."

TO WHAT EXTENT DO YOU BLAME MR.

NETANYAHU AND THE LIKUD FOR WHAT

HAS HAPPENED?

I DO-- I DO BLAME THEM.

THE RALLY IN KIKAR ZION IN

JERUSALEM THAT SHOWED HIM IN THE

UNIFORM OF A NAZI.

SO MR. BIBI NETANYAHU NOW WE CAN

SAY FROM HERETO ETERNITY THAT

HE DIDN'T SUPPORT IT AND DIDN'T

AGREE WITH IT, BUT HE WAS THERE

AND HE DIDN'T STOP IT.

NARRATOR: NETANYAHU'S CLOSE

ADVISOR AT THE TIME VEHEMENTLY

DISAGREES.

THE ATTEMPT TO PIN ON HIM THE

MURDER OF THE PRIME MINISTER IS

A CHEAP, POLITICAL PROPAGANDA

TRICK THAT WAS TAKEN BY HIS

POLITICAL OPPONENTS-- MOSTLY

FROM THE LEFT-- IN ORDER TO

DE-LEGITIMATIZE NETANYAHU AS THE

POLITICAL PUBLIC AND TO

DE-LEGITIMATIZE THE POSITIONS OF

LIKUD IN THE ISRAELI OPEN

POLITICAL DEBATE.

(MAN SINGING MOURNFULLY)

(SOBBING)

NARRATOR: AS THE NATION

MOURNED, BIBI NETANYAHU FACED

THE POLITICAL CONSEQUENCES OF

RABIN'S DEATH. THE AMERICAN

AMBASSADOR SAYS THEY SPOKE ABOUT

IT THE DAY BEFORE THE FUNERAL.

I REMEMBER NETANYAHU SAYING

TO ME, "LOOK, LOOK AT THIS.

HE'S A HERO NOW.

BUT IF HE HAD NOT BEEN

ASSASSINATED I WOULD HAVE BEATEN

HIM IN THE ELECTIONS AND THEN HE

WOULD HAVE GONE INTO HISTORY AS

A FAILED POLITICIAN."

NETANYAHU WAS THINKING, WELL,

POLITICALLY HE WAS ON THE ROPES

BEFORE HE WAS ASSASSINATED.

NARRATOR: AND NETANYAHU HAD A

NEW AND POWERFUL OPPONENT: THE

AMERICAN PRESIDENT.

PRESIDENT CLINTON WAS REALLY

AFFECTED BY RABIN'S

ASSASSINATION.

AND HE VIEWED, I THINK,

NETANYAHU THROUGH THE EYES OF

RABIN AS THE PERSON WHO WOULD

BRING DOWN OSLO IF GIVEN HALF A

CHANCE.

YOUR PRIME MINISTER WAS A

MARTYR FOR PEACE, BUT HE WAS A

VICTIM OF HATE.

SURELY, WE MUST LEARN FROM HIS

MARTYRDOM THAT IF PEOPLE CANNOT

LET GO OF THE HATRED OF THEIR

ENEMIES, THEY RISK SOWING THE

SEEDS OF HATRED AMONG

THEMSELVES.

HE FELT A REAL RESPONSIBILITY

TO RABIN, A PERSONAL

RESPONSIBILITY TO SEE THROUGH

HIS LEGACY, AND THE OSLO ACCORDS

WAS RABIN'S LEGACY.

NARRATOR: BUT RABIN'S LEGACY

WAS IN JEOPARDY.

HIS SUCCESSOR, SHIMON PERES,

WOULD HAVE TO WIN AN ELECTION,

AND THAT MEANT FACING BIBI

NETANYAHU.

BIBI IN THE ELECTION IS

RUNNING AGAINST OSLO.

SO THE CHOICE SEEMS SO CLEAR.

CLINTON WANTS TO DO EVERYTHING

WE CAN TO HELP PERES.

AND HE PROBABLY GOES OVERBOARD

IN TERMS OF THAT.

I MEAN, IF THERE'S EVER A

TIME WHERE WE TRIED TO INFLUENCE

AN ISRAELI ELECTION, IT WAS

PERES VERSUS NETANYAHU.

NARRATOR: CLINTON'S POLITICAL

OPERATIVES OPENED A BACK CHANNEL

WITH THE PERES CAMPAIGN.

CLINTON AUTHORIZED HUNDREDS OF

MILLIONS IN ADDITIONAL MILITARY

AIDE, AND RETURNED TO ISRAEL TO

PERSONALLY CAMPAIGN FOR SHIMON

PERES.

ISRAELIS LOVED CLINTON; IF HE

RAN HERE FOR PRIME MINISTER, HE

WOULD WIN EASILY, NO MATTER

UNDER WHICH BANNER.

ISRAELIS LOVED CLINTON.

BILL CLINTON.

NARRATOR: THE WEEK AFTER THE

ASSASSINATION, NETANYAHU WAS

BEHIND IN THE POLLS BY 31

POINTS.

PEOPLE THAT HAVE SPOKEN TO

HIM IN THOSE DAYS HAVE SAID THAT

HE THOUGHT THAT HIS CAREER WAS

OVER.

NARRATOR: THEN, AS ELECTION

DAY NEARED...

(LOUD EXPLOSION)

TEN KILOGRAMS OF EXPLOSIVES

REDUCED THIS COMMUTER BUS...

NARRATOR: IT WAS THE NUMBER

18 BUS, RIGHT THROUGH THE HEART

OF JERUSALEM-- A SYMBOLIC ACT.

THE PALESTINIAN EXTREMIST GROUP

HAMAS CLAIMED RESPONSIBILITY.

THERE WERE SOME PALESTINIAN

GROUPS TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT

SABOTAGING OF THE PEACE PROCESS.

"RABIN WAS ASSASSINATED, LET US

STOP THE WHOLE PROCESS.

(LOUD EXPLOSION)

IT WAS THE BLOODIEST DAY...

NARRATOR: AND IT WAS JUST THE

BEGINNING.

IT'S EASY TO FORGET THAT

ACTUALLY RABIN'S GREAT, HEROIC

ACT ENDED UP WITH TERROR IN OUR

STREETS, AND PEOPLE DYING, AND

WE WERE ALL DRIVEN NUTS BY...

YOU HAD PEACE CEREMONIES ONE

DAY, AND TERROR THE OTHER DAY.

AND IT DROVE PEOPLE CRAZY.

NARRATOR: FOR NETANYAHU, IT

WAS AN OPENING.

AND SO NETANYAHU IS NATURALLY

RETURNED TO CENT ER ST AGE AS THE

PERSON WHO HAD WARNED ABOUT

TERRORISM AND SLOWLY STARTS TO

RECOVER.

THIS MORNING THE SOUND OF

SIRENS AGAIN INTERRUPTED THE

MORNING COMMUTE.

NARRATOR: SIX DAYS LATER, THE

NUMBER 18 BUS AGAIN.

POLICE COMBED THE HELLISH

WRECKAGE FOR CLUES...

(SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

VICTIMS WERE HURLED FROM THE

DEMOLISHED BUS, ONLY BODY PARTS

COULD BE RECOVERED.

NARRATOR: OVER NINE DAYS,

FOUR BOMBS, 59 DEAD, HUNDREDS

INJURED.

MANY ISRAELIS DID NOT, COULD

NOT BELIEVE THE MORNING NEWS.

ANOTHER BLOODY SUNDAY.

A SUICIDE BOMBER HAS ONCE

AGAIN BLOWN UP A CITY BUS.

AND ISRAELIS LOST FAITH IN

THE PROCESS, IN THAT PROCESS.

ONE OF THE SLOGANS THAT CAME

FROM GRASSROOTS WAS, "THIS

PEACE IS KILLING US."

(CHANTING)

"PERES GO HOME," SCREAMED

THESE JEWS OPPOSED TO THE PEACE

PROCESS.

THEY TAUNTED HIM, CHANTING THE

NAME OF THE PRIME MINISTER

RABIN'S ASSASSIN, YIGAL AMIR.

YIGAL AMIR!

YIGAL AMIR!

I WILL NEVER FORGET THIS.

IN TEL AVIV ONCE, THERE WAS A

HORRIBLE TERRORIST BOMBING.

I DROVE BY ABOUT THREE DAYS

AFTERWARDS, AND SOMEBODY HAD

WRITTEN GRAFFITI ON THE WALL,

AND THEY WROTE, "THE LIKUD WAS

RIGHT."

(WOMAN SPEAKING FOREIGN

LANGUAGE)

NARRATOR: NETANYAHU STARTED

TO CLIMB IN THE POLLS.

HE WAS ABLE TO SPEAK TO THE

MASSES AND TRANSLATE THE HORROR

OF SUICIDE BOMBERS INTO

POLITICAL POWER.

AND SAY, "I WILL BE ABLE TO

SOLVE THIS.

I AM STRONG.

I COME FROM A MILITARY

BACKGROUND.

I HAVE THE EXPERIENCE AND THE

SPIRIT TO STOP SUICIDE BOMBERS."

NARRATOR: BUT BY MIDNIGHT ON

ELECTION DAY, IT LOOKED LIKE

NETANYAHU'S SURGE HAD FALLEN

SHORT.

THE ENTIRE COUNTRY WENT TO

SLEEP CONVINCED THAT PERES HAD

BEEN ELECTED AND WOKE UP WITH

BENJAMIN NETANYAHU AS PRIME

MINISTER.

THE ARAB WORLD AND THE UNITED

STATES WILL NOW HAVE TO DEAL

WITH A MUCH MORE

CONSERVATIVE...

NARRATOR: NETANYAHU HAD

PROMISED SECURITY TO THE GROWING

NUMBER OF ISRAELIS SCARRED BY

THE VIOLENCE.

IT WORKED, BARELY.

...AND THE CURRENT PRIME

MINISTER SHIMON PERES IS A MERE

FRACTION OF ONE PERCENT.

I WALK INTO HIS SUITE AT

ABOUT 5:30 IN THE MORNING AND

BASICALLY I DIDN'T LEAVE IT.

HE SAID, "YOU, YOU, YOU, ALL

THREE OR FOUR OF US WERE THERE.

YOU'RE THE CORE TEAM."

AND THAT'S HOW IT OFFICIALLY

STARTED.

(SIRENS BLARING)

NETANYAHU IS ONE HIS WAY TO

THE UNITED STATES FOR HIS FIRST

VISIT SINCE BECOMING ISRAEL'S

PRIME MINISTER.

BENJAMIN NETANYAHU'S DEALINGS

WITH THE PRESIDENT OF THE

UNITED STATES WILL BE OF

INTENSE INTEREST AMONG ARABS

WHO HAVE ALREADY BEGUN...

NARRATOR: JUST OVER ONE MONTH

LATER, PRIME MINISTER NETANYAHU

WAS AT THE WHITE HOUSE.

PRESIDENT CLINTON AND PRIME

MINISTER NETANYAHU WILL HOLD A

JOINT NEWS CONFERENCE...

NARRATOR: WAITING ALONE FOR A

FACE-TO-FACE MEETING WITH BILL

CLINTON.

WHEN HE CAME IN AS PRIME

MINISTER TO MEET THE PRESIDENT

OF THE UNITED STATES, HE KNEW

THAT HE WAS DEALING WITH ANOTHER

YOUNG GUY, JUST AS SMART AS HE

WAS.

BUT AS PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED

STATES, CLINTON HAD HIS SET OF

RESPONSIBILITIES.

NETANYAHU AS AN ISRAELI LEADER

HAS HIS RESPONSIBILITIES.

AND THEY WERE IN COLLISION.

THEY WERE OF VERY DIFFERENT

MINDS.

BIBI HAD JUST BEEN ELECTED.

THE PRESIDENT HAD INTERVENED

AGAINST HIM.

THERE WAS A KIND OF... NOT A

VERY GOOD WAY TO START A

MEETING.

NARRATOR: BEHIND CLOSED

DOORS, CLINTON WOULD DEMAND

NETANYAHU CONTINUE THE OSLO

PEACE PROCESS AND PERSONALLY

MEET WITH YASSER ARAFAT.

IT DIDN'T TAKE LONG FOR THE

MEETING TO BECOME CONTENTIOUS.

HE CAME IN PRETTY FULL OF

HIMSELF.

AND HE WAS PRETTY MUCH TELLING

THE PRESIDENT HOW TO DEAL WITH

THE ARABS.

HE UNDERSTANDS HOW TO DEAL WITH

THE ARABS.

HIS SORT OF POSTURE WAS, "LET

ME TELL YOU ABOUT THE MIDDLE

EAST."

AND THEN HE PROCEEDED TO LECTURE

THE PRESIDENT ON THE REALITIES

OF THE MIDDLE EAST.

"HERE IS THE WAY IT IS."

NARRATOR: NETANYAHU DID NOT

HOLD BACK ON HIS FEELINGS ABOUT

OSLO.

NETANYAHU WANTED TO MAKE

CLEAR THAT EVEN THOUGH THE

PREVIOUS GOVERNMENT HAD SIGNED

THE AGREEMENT THAT HE HAD SOME

REAL RESERVATIONS ABOUT IT.

AND SO I THINK THAT THAT'S WHERE

IT GOT OFF TO A BAD START.

AND SO WHEN THE MEETINGS

OVER, CLINTON TURNS, AND HE

SAYS, "WHO DOES HE THINK THE

SUPERPOWER IS?"

NARRATOR: BUT CLINTON

WOULDN'T GIVE UP ON THE PEACE

AGREEMENTS, AND NETANYAHU

COULDN'T IGNORE HIM-- THE U.S.

WAS ISRAEL'S BIGGEST SUPPORTER.

AND I THINK THERE'S A MOMENT

WHERE NETANYAHU HAS TO DECIDE:

CAN HE TRY TO BLOCK THE ACTUAL

IMPLEMENTATION OF THE AGREEMENT,

BUT CONCEDE SOME THINGS THAT

CLINTON WAS PRESSING FOR IN

TERMS OF AN ON CAMERA, FOR

INSTANCE, HANDSHAKE WITH ARAFAT?

I THINK THAT WAS THE

CALCULATION.

NARRATOR: NETANYAHU DECIDED

TO GO ALONG WITH ONE KEY CLINTON

DEMAND.

HE DROVE 50 MILES TO THE BORDER

OF PALESTINIAN TERRITORY IN

GAZA.

AT THE EREZ CROSSING HE MET HIS

ENEMY, YASSER ARAFAT.

AND THAT DAY I WAS THERE.

AND I WAS THINKING, HOW WILL

THIS HAPPEN?

I WAS TRYING TO DO WHATEVER I

CAN TO MAKE SURE THAT IF NEEDS

TO I WILL EMPLOY EVERY DAMAGE

CONTROL MECHANISM, EVERY CRISIS

MANAGEMENT, EVERYTHING.

NARRATOR: IT WAS A MEETING

NETANYAHU HAD INSISTED WOULD

NEVER HAPPEN.

VERY, VERY HARD.

VERY HARD.

HE SWORE HE WOULD NEVER SHAKE

ARAFAT'S HAND.

NARRATOR: BUT NOW HE WAS IN

THE SAME ROOM WITH THE MAN HE

HAD CALLED A TERRORIST.

HE IS, IN SOME WAYS, IN MANY

WAYS A REALITY-BASED POLITICIAN.

HE HAD TO MEET WITH ARAFAT.

HE HAD TO WORK WITHIN THE

CONTEXT THAT RABIN CREATED, BUT

HE DIDN'T WANT TO WORK WITHIN

THE CONTEXT RABIN CREATED.

NARRATOR: BILL CLINTON GOT

WHAT HE WANTED: THE HANDSHAKE.

NETANYAHU SAID HE FEARED HIS

FATHER WOULD DISAPPROVE OF THE

GESTURE.

BUT, ONCE STARTED, THE

HANDSHAKES JUST KEPT ON COMING.

AND HE TOOK OTHER STEPS.

HE PULLED ISRAELI TROOPS OUT OF

THE WEST BANK CITY OF HEBRON AND

SIGNED A TREATY AGREEING TO

FURTHER IMPLEMENT OSLO.

BUT CLOSE OBSERVERS SAY HE WAS

SLOW WALKING THE PEACE PROCESS.

NETANYAHU MADE LIFE VERY,

VERY DIFFICULT FOR THE AMERICAN

ADMINISTRATION, AND FOR THOSE

ISRAELIS WHO WANTED PEACE.

HE WAS REALLY DIFFICULT, HE WAS

SLOW, HE WAS STUBBORN, HE MADE

LIFE VERY DIFFICULT FOR ALL THE

PEACENIKS-- AMERICANS,

EUROPEANS, AND ISRAELIS.

NARRATOR: AND BEHIND THE

SCENES AT ONE PEACE CONFERENCE,

BILL CLINTON LET BIBI NETANYAHU

KNOW HOW FRUSTRATED HE WAS.

ONE MORNING, I THINK IT WAS

4:00 A.M. IN THE MORNING, I HEAR

SHOUTING.

REAL SHOUTING.

SCREAMING.

4:00 A.M. IN THE MORNING,

PRESIDENT CLINTON SHOUTING FROM

THE DEPTH OF HIS STOMACH, AND

HEAD, AND EARS, AND EYES, AND

NOSE, AND MOUTH, AND LEGS AT

BIBI NETANYAHU.

NARRATOR: EREKAT AN D OTHERS

SAY BIBI'S MANEUVERS COULD BE

MADDENING.

I'VE SEEN THE FRUSTRATION OF

MANY PEOPLE.

I'VE SEEN THE FRUSTRATION OF

ISRAELI NEGOTIATORS.

I'VE SEEN THE FRUSTRATION OF

AMERICAN PRESIDENTS.

I'VE SEEN MY FRUSTRATION.

NARRATOR: BEFORE LONG,

NETANYAHU'S POLITICAL SUPPORT

BEGAN TO ERODE.

NOBODY WAS HAPPY WITH HIM.

THE LEFT WEREN'T HAPPY WITH HIM

FOR WHAT HE WAS DOING TO

UNDERMINE OSLO AND THE RIGHT

WASN'T HAPPY WITH HIM FOR WHAT

HE WAS DOING TO KEEP OSLO.

HE WAS IN THIS SORT OF

IMPOSSIBLE BALANCING ACT.

(SHOUTING)

AT THAT POINT, THE PRIME

MINISTER'S CONSERVATIVE BASE

FOLDS, AND SOME PEOPLE ON THE

CONSERVATIVE RIGHT WORK WITH THE

ISRAELI LEFT TO BRING DOWN PRIME

MINISTER NETANYAHU.

NARRATOR: BY ELECTION NIGHT,

IT WAS CLEAR NETANYAHU WAS

HEADED TO A DECISIVE DEFEAT TO

EHUD BARAK.

I REMEMBER THAT NIGHT OF

ELECTIONS, YOU KNOW IT WAS A

TOTAL DISASTER.

HE STOOD UP, HE SAID, "I'M

TAKING TIME OFF FROM POLITICS."

AND I REMEMBER SAYING, "OKAY,

WE'RE NOT GOING TO SEE HIM

AGAIN}.

(CAR ENGINE STARTING)

ISRAELIS AND PALESTINIANS,

IN A LAST-DITCH PITCH FOR

MIDDLE EAST PEACE...

...A SUMMIT AT CAMP DAVID, A

SUMMIT THE CLINTON

ADMINISTRATION BELIEVES...

NARRATOR: NOW WITH NETANYAHU

OUT OF THE PICTURE, BILL CLINTON

TRIED TO PERSONALLY PUSH THROUGH

A FINAL PEACE DEAL.

AT CAMP DAVID, HE BROUGHT

TOGETHER YASSER ARAFAT AND

ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER EHUD

BARAK FOR THE HIGH-STAKES

NEGOTIATION.

BUT COMING TO ANY AGREEMENT

PROVED ELUSIVE.

BARAK MADE A FAR-REACHING

OFFER, I THINK, WENT FURTHER

THAN WE WAS PLANNING TO DO, BUT

FOR ARAFAT IT WAS UNACCEPTABLE.

AND HE SAID, "IF I ACCEPT

THIS, YOU'LL BE... DO YOU WANT

TO WALK BEHIND MY CASKET?"

THAT'S WHAT HE SAID.

NARRATOR: AMONG THE MOST

CONTENTIOUS ISSUES: THE FUTURE

OF JERUSALEM.

EHUD BARAK COMES WITH THE

HELP OF THE AMERICAN TEAM, AND A

LOT OF AMERICAN SUPPORT.

AND BARAK DOES EVERYTHING.

HE IS A COURAGEOUS GUY-- A BIT

TOO COURAGEOUS-- BUT HE TRIES

EVERYTHING AND BOOM!

IT EXPLODES, AND THERE'S NO

NET ANY AHU AROUND.

YOU CANNOT BLAME... WHEN THE

CAMP DAVID PEACE SUMMIT FAILS,

NO, NETANYAHU IS NOT THERE.

(LOUD EXPLOSION)

NARRATOR: PALESTINIANS

LAUNCHED A NEW ROUND OF

VIOLENCE, A SUSTAINED UPRISING:

THE INTIFADA.

PALESTINIANS WERE FED UP.

THERE WERE YEARS OF FAILED

NEGOTIATIONS.

SECURITY FOR THEM WENT

BACKWARDS.

FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT WENT

BACKWARDS.

FREEDOM OF RELIGION WENT

BACKWARDS.

THE ECONOMY WENT BACKWARDS.

AND THERE WAS A POINT AT WHICH

PALESTINIANS SAID, "ENOUGH.

WE ARE DONE WITH THIS PROCESS OF

NEGOTIATIONS."

AND SO EVERYTHING UNRAVELS.

EVERYTHING UNRAVELS.

NARRATOR: AMID THE TURMOIL,

NETANYAHU WORKED AT REBUILDING

HIS POLITICAL SUPPORT AND FOUND

A RECEPTIVE AUDIENCE.

THE CONCLUSION ON THE ISRAELI

RIGHT CERTAINLY IS THIS IS WHAT

YOU GET FOR WEAKNESS.

THIS VIEW SPREADS FROM THE

ISRAELI RIGHT REALLY RATHER MORE

BROADLY IN ISRAELI SOCIETY, THE

VIEW THAT THERE IS NO PARTNER

FOR PEACE.

NARRATOR: TO HIS SUPPORTERS

THE CONTINUING VIOLENCE SEEMED

TO BE EVIDENCE THAT NETANYAHU

SHOULD BE RETURNED TO POWER.

WE WARNED BEFOREHAND THAT

THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT IS GOING TO

HAPPEN.

IF YOU PUT YOURSELF TO BE IN A

SITUATION THAT THE OTHER SIDE

SEES YOU AS SUCH A WEAK LEADER,

THE RESULT IS NOT GOING TO BE

RECONCILIATION.

IT'S NOT GOING TO BE A HISTORIC

SHIFT, METAMORPHOSIS OF THE

PALESTINIANS.

IT IS GOING TO BE WAR.

(LOUD EXPLOSION)

NARRATOR: AS HE REBUILT HIS

POLITICAL COALITION, NETANYAHU

WOULD WATCH AS TERROR STRUCK

BEYOND THE MIDDLE EAST.

AN APPARENT TERRORIST ATTACK.

A VERY LARGE PLANE JUST FLEW

DIRECTLY OVER MY BUILDING AND

THERE'S BEEN ANOTHER COLLISION.

SEPTEMBER 11TH, THE YEAR

2001, A DAY UNLIKE ANY OTHER...

NARRATOR: MUSLIM EXTREMISTS

STRUCK AMERICA.

I CAN HEAR YOU AND THE REST

OF THE WORLD HEARS YOU.

NARRATOR: A NEW AMERICAN

PRESIDENT USED RHETORIC THAT

WOULD RESONATE WITH NETANYAHU'S

VIEW OF THE WORLD.

THERE'S NO NEUTRAL GROUND IN

THE FIGHT BETWEEN CIVILIZATION

AND TERROR BECAUSE THERE IS NO

NEUTRAL GROUND BETWEEN GOOD AND

EVIL.

NARRATOR: AND IN ISRAEL, THE

VIOLENCE CONTINUED AS EVEN MORE

EFFORTS AT PEACE COLLAPSED.

ANOTHER SUICIDE BOMB, MORE

VIOLENCE AND DEATH.

NARRATOR: BY 2008,

NETANYAHU WAS ON THE RISE,

ONCE AGAIN THE HEAD OF LIKUD

AND PREPARING TO RUN

FOR PRIME MINISTER.

THE POLITICAL CULTURE

HAS SHIFTED.

IN FACT, HE IS ONE OF THE MAIN

POLITICAL FORCES THAT'S HELPED

MOVE THE ENTIRE ISRAELI

POLITICAL SPECTRUM TO THE RIGHT.

HE IS A GREAT POLITICIAN

AND HE HAS UNDERSTOOD THE DNA

OF THE ISRAELI PUBLIC.

HE UNDERSTANDS THAT YOU HAVE TO

LOOK THEM IN THE EYE AND YOU

HAVE TO SAY, "I'LL KEEP YOU

SAFE}.

NARRATOR: BY THAT SUMMER,

HE WAS AHEAD IN THE POLLS.

AND AS HIS ADVISORS BEGAN TO

PREPARE FOR THE FUTURE, THEY SAY

THEY WERE WORRYING ABOUT A

DIFFERENT ELECTION.

IN AMERICA, IT LOOKED LIKE

THE DEMOCRAT MIGHT WIN.

FIRED UP!

READY TO GO!

FIRED UP!

READY TO GO!

BARACK OBAMA CAME PRETTY MUCH

OUT OF NOWHERE.

HE WAS A SENATOR FOR ABOUT

TEN AND A HALF MINUTES,

AND SUDDENLY, HE WAS RUNNING

FOR PRESIDENT.

THIS A PRETTY ALIEN CREATURE

TO NETANYAHU AND TO A LOT OF

IS RAELIS.

NARRATOR: THEY MET IN

JERUSALEM IN THE SUMMER OF 2008.

I WAS AT THE FIRST MEETINGS

BETWEEN PRIME MINISTER NETANYAHU

AND PRESIDENT OBAMA, BEFORE

EACH WAS ELECTED.

WHAT I SENSED WERE TWO

INDIVIDUALS WHO COME FROM

DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE POLITICAL

SPECTRUM, ONE VERY LIBERAL IN

HIS FOREIGN POLICY ASSUMPTIONS,

THE OTHER CONSERVATIVE,

NATIONAL SECURITY ORIENTED.

NARRATOR: AN D NETANYAHU

HIMSELF WAS CONCERNED.

I HAPPENED TO BE ON A

REPORTING TRIP IN JERUSALEM.

AND I WENT INTO THE COFFEE SHOP

AT THE KING DAVID HOTEL.

THERE WAS ONE OTHER PERSON

THERE, AND IT WAS NETANYAHU

SITTING IN A CORNER BY HIMSELF

READING NEWSPAPERS.

THERE WAS ONE THING ON HIS MIND:

WHO IS THIS GUY OBAMA?

WHO IS HE?

WHAT IS HE REALLY LIKE?

AND HE WANTED VERY MUCH TO POINT

OUT TO ME, AS IF I DIDN'T KNOW

IT, THAT OBAMA'S MIDDLE NAME WAS

HUSSEIN, AND THAT HIS FATHER

WAS A MUSLIM.

WHAT KIND OF OBJECTIVITY

COULD THIS MAN BRING TO BEAR

ON ISRAEL?

I, BARACK HUSSEIN OBAMA,

DO SOLEMNLY SWEAR...

IT'S THE INAUGURATION DAY

FOR THE NATION'S FIRST

AFRICAN-AMERICAN PRESIDENT...

NARRATOR: THE NEW AMERICAN

PRESIDENT'S FIRST MOVES WOULD DO

LITTLE TO REASSURE NETANYAHU.

IN HIS INAUGURAL ADDRESS,

BARACK OBAMA REACHED OUT

DIRECTLY TO MUSLIMS.

TO THE MUSLIM WORLD,

WE SEEK A NEW WAY FORWARD,

BASED ON MUTUAL INTEREST

AND MUTUAL RESPECT.

HE VERY MUCH WANTED TO BREAK,

CERTAINLY WITH THE BUSH LEGACY,

FROM THE IRAQ WAR, AND MAYBE

THE LONGER LEGACY OF AMERICA'S

ESTRANGEMENT FROM THE ARAB

WORLD, FROM THE MUSLIM WORLD,

AS HE WOULD CALL IT.

NARRATOR: ON HIS FIRST DAY

IN OFFICE, HE SET A NEW TONE.

HIS FIRST PHONE CALL,

TO YASSER ARAFAT'S SUCCESSOR,

THE PALESTINIAN PRESIDENT

MAHMOUD ABBAS.

HE STARTED OFF BY SENDING THE

RIGHT SIGNALS TO PALESTINIANS.

AND I FOUND THAT VERY SINCERE

BECAUSE HE DIDN'T NEED TO MAKE

THAT PHONE CALL.

NARRATOR: LATER, HIS FIRST

TELEVISION INTERVIEW.

HE CHOSE AN ARAB TV NETWORK.

I HAVE MUSLIM MEMBERS OF MY

FAMILY.

I HAVE LIVED IN MUSLIM

COUNTRIES.

MY JOB IS TO COMMUNICATE THE

FACT THAT THE UNITED STATES HAS

A STAKE IN THE WELL-BEING OF THE

MUSLIM WORLD.

IT IS MY PRIVILEGE TO COME

HERE...

NARRATOR: AND HE DECIDED

TO SEND A SIGNAL TO

PALESTINIANS AND ISRAELIS.

HE WANTED TO RESTART THE PEACE

PROCESS.

HISTORY SHOWS US THAT STRONG

AND SUSTAINED AMERICAN

ENGAGEMENT CAN BRIDGE DIVIDES

AND BUILD THE CAPACITY THAT

SUPPORTS PROGRESS.

I THINK OBAMA REALLY BELIEVED

IN 2009 HE COULD SIT DOWN WITH

RATIONAL PEOPLE AND COME UP

WITH A RATIONAL SOLUTION.

"ALL WE HAVE TO DO IS GET THEM

TOGETHER, AND OF COURSE WE CAN

SETTLE THIS THING.

WE ALL KNOW IT CAN BE SETTLED.

I CAN BE THE ONE TO DO IT."

NARRATOR: OBAMA HAD BUILT HIS

POLITICAL CAREER ON HIS ABILITY

TO BRIDGE DIFFERENCES.

THE HISTORY OF OBAMA IS A

BELIEF IN HIS OWN ABILITY TO

BRING PEOPLE OF DISPARATE VIEWS

AND CULTURES AND BACKGROUNDS

TOGETHER TO SOLVE DIFFICULT

PROBLEMS.

BLACKS, WHITES, HISPANICS...

NARRATOR: IN HIS 20S,

OBAMA HAD STARTED HIS POLITICAL

EDUCATION IN CHICAGO, NOT LONG

AFTER THE CITY HAD ELECTED ITS

FIRST BLACK MAYOR, HAROLD

WASHINGTON.

...HAVE JOINED HANDS TO FORM

A NEW DEMOCRATIC COALITION!

WASHINGTON'S ELECTION REALLY

IS CHICAGO'S VERSION OF THE

CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT.

AND LIKE THE LARGER CIVIL RIGHTS

MOVEMENT, IT IS AN ALLIANCE

IN MANY WAYS BETWEEN AFRICAN

AMERICANS AND A LOT OF

PROGRESSIVE JEWS.

NARRATOR: AS A CANDIDATE,

OBAMA FORGED AN ALLIANCE WITH

THE CITY'S POWERFUL PROGRESSIVE

JEWS.

OBAMA IDENTIFIES WITH THE

JEWISH COMMUNITY AS THE

COMMUNITY THAT STOOD WITH THE

AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY

IN THOSE VERY DIFFICULT FIGHTS

BACK KN THE 'SOS.

NARRATOR: NEWTON MINOW AND

JUDGE ABNER MIKVA WERE TWO OF

HIS CLOSEST JEWISH SUPPORTERS.

HE BONDED WITH THESE LEADERS

IN THE JEWISH COMMUNITY HERE

BECAUSE THEY SHARED THIS

POWERFUL COMMITMENT TO SOCIAL

JUSTICE WORK.

MY FATHER DESCRIBES BARACK OBAMA

AS HAVING A YIDDISH NESHAMA--

A JEWISH SOUL.

THE MAN HAS BEEN SURROUNDED

BY JEWISH INFLUENCES: THE LAW

PROFESSORS, THE LAW COLLEAGUES,

FELLOW COMMUNITY ORGANIZERS,

HIS EARLY BACKERS IN CHICAGO.

HE HAS A VISION OF AN IDEALIZED

ISRAEL.

ISRAEL'S THIS CHANCE TO GET IT

RIGHT, TO BUILD A NATION STATE,

BUT TO DO IT RIGHT,

IN A PROGRESSIVE WAY.

NARRATOR: HE WOULD BE ELECTED

WITH MORE THAN 70% OF THE JEWISH

VOTE.

MANY OF THEM SHARED HIS BELIEF

THAT ISRAELIS AND PALESTINIANS

COULD SIT DOWN AND RESOLVE THEIR

DIFFERENCES.

BY AND LARGE, THEIR POLITICS

WAS LIBERAL, PROGRESSIVE,

AND THAT EXTENDED NOT ONLY

TO THEIR VIEWS OF, SAY, SOCIAL

POLICY IN THE UNITED STATES OR

ANY OTHER ISSUE, BUT ALSO HAVING

TO DO WITH ISRAEL.

NARRATOR: IT WAS A VISION

THAT WAS VERY MUCH AT ODDS WITH

WHAT BENZION NETANYAHU HAD

TAUGHT HIS SON.

WHAT OBAMA IS ADMIRING IN THE

JEWISH TRADITION AND IN THE JEWS

THAT HE KNOWS IS EXACTLY WHAT

NETANYAHU FEARS.

IT IS THE SENSE THAT JEWS HAVE

THIS INSTINCT TOWARDS MAKING THE

WORLD BETTER.

THAT MAY MAKE THEM, IN

NETANYAHU'S EYES, TOO

IDEALISTIC TO DEAL WITH THE

ACTUAL THREATS THAT THEY REALLY

FACE, ESPECIALLY IN A PLACE LIKE

THE MIDDLE EAST.

THE DEEPER CLASH HERE IS

REALLY, IF YOU WISH, LIKE

BETWEEN TWO VERSIONS OF JUDAISM.

ONE IS THE UNIVERSALIST,

LIBERAL, PROGRESSIVE JUDAISM,

AND ONE IS THE UNDER-SIEGE

FORTRESS JUDAISM WHICH NETANYAHU

IS ALL ABOUT.

NARRATOR: AND NOW AS

PRESIDENT, OBAMA SOUGHT TO MAKE

THOSE PROGRESSIVE IDEALS A

REALITY, DOING WHAT NO OTHER

PRESIDENT HAD DONE: CREATING

PEACE BETWEEN ISRAELIS AND

PALESTINIANS.

I THINK IN A LOT OF WAYS, THE

PRESIDENT AND THE PEOPLE AROUND

HIM WERE CAUGHT UP WITH OBAMA

BEING A TRANSFORMATIVE FIGURE.

THEY WERE CAUGHT UP IN THE

MOMENT THAT HE REPRESENTED SUCH

A TRANSFORMATION, SUCH A CHANGE,

AND THAT IN ITSELF HAD A KIND

OF POWER.

AND IT CREATED A KIND OF

LEVERAGE, AND I THINK IT

CREATED A SET OF EXPECTATIONS

ABOUT WHAT THEY COULD PRODUCE

AS A RESULT.

NARRATOR: TO HELP BRIDGE THE

DIFFERENCES BETWEEN ISRAELIS AND

PALESTINIANS, OBAMA TURNED TO

VETERAN CONFLICT NEGOTIATOR

GEORGE MITCHELL.

JUST 48 HOURS AFTER HE HAD

BEEN INAUGURATED AS PRESIDENT,

HE SAID TO ME, "I'M SERIOUS

ABOUT THIS.

I WANT TO DO SOMETHING.

AND I WANT YOU TO GO THERE RIGHT

AWAY AS AN INDICATION OF MY

SERIOUSNESS."

I SAID, "WELL, I CAN'T LEAVE

TONIGHT," I SAID, "BECAUSE I'VE

GOT TO GO HOME AND PACK A BAG."

BUT I LEFT A COUPLE OF DAYS

LATER.

LATER.

WE BEGIN TONIGHT WITH

BREAKING NEWS.

NEW EXPLOSIONS IN GAZA.

FRESH ISRAELI AIR STRIKES.

NARRATOR: BUT ON THE GROUND

IN ISRAEL, MITCHELL QUICKLY

FOUND THAT OBAMA'S HOPES DID NOT

MATCH THE STARK REALITY.

IN GAZA, THE EXTREMIST GROUP

HAMAS WAS IN CHARGE.

HAMAS SECURITY FORCES THE

TARGET IN A THIRD DAY OF

ISRAELI MISSILE STRIKES

IN GAZA.

THE TIMING FOR THE POTENTIAL

FOR SUCCESS IN EARLY 2009

COULD NOT HAVE BEEN WORSE.

PRESIDENT OBAMA WAS SWORN IN

JUST FOUR DAYS AFTER THE WAR IN

GAZA BETWEEN ISRAEL AND HAMAS

HAD COME TO A CONCLUSION.

EMOTIONS WERE VERY HIGH

AND VERY NEGATIVE.

THERE WAS A LOT OF HOSTILITY,

A LOT OF FEELINGS OF

VICTIMIZATION ON BOTH SIDES.

THE CIRCUMSTANCES WERE NOT

CONDUCIVE TO MOVING FORWARD.

LIKUD LEADER BENJAMIN

NETANYAHU APPEARS TO HAVE

LOCKED UP THE PRIME MINISTER'S

OFFICE.

NARRATOR: AND THERE WAS

A POLITICAL CHALLENGE.

ISRAEL ELECTED A NEW PRIME

MINISTER.

NOW BARACK OBAMA WOULD HAVE TO

DEAL WITH BIBI NETANYAHU.

THEY ARE COMPLETELY

OPPOSITES, BECAUSE IT'S DEEP.

IT'S NOT ONLY A PROGRESSIVE

AND A CONSERVATIVE.

BARACK OBAMA HAS MARTIN LUTHER

KING IN HIM.

HE HAS NELSON MANDELA IN HIM.

THE WORLD IS MOVING IN THE RIGHT

DIRECTION, AND HIS ROLE IS TO

ACCELERATE THAT.

AND NETANYAHU IS PROFOUNDLY

A PESSIMIST, PROFOUNDLY

A PESSIMIST.

SO IT'S NOT ONLY THE CLASH

BETWEEN THE PROGRESSIVE

AND THE CONSERVATIVE;

IT'S A CLASH BETWEEN THE

OPTIMIST AND THE PESSIMIST.

NARRATOR: AT THE WHITE HOUSE,

THE PRESIDENT'S STAFF WERE

ANXIOUS ABOUT NETANYAHU'S

VICTORY.

CHIEF OF STAFF RAHM EMANUEL, A

VETERAN OF PRESIDENT CLINTON'S

CLASHES WITH NETANYAHU, WARNED

OBAMA.

RAHM EMANUEL IN PARTICULAR

HAS THESE VIVID MEMORIES OF

NETANYAHU TRYING TO PUSH AROUND

BILL CLINTON, AND COMES TO OBAMA

ESSENTIALLY AND SAYS, "WE'RE NOT

GOING TO DO THAT OVER AGAIN.

DON'T GET PLAYED BY THIS GUY.

THIS GUY IS GOING TO DO X, Y,

AND Z, AND WE'RE NOT GOING TO

ALLOW HIM TO PLAY HIS GAME."

SO THERE WAS AN INSTINCTIVE

FEELING THAT BIBI WILL NEVER DO

WHAT HE NEEDS TO DO UNLESS YOU

PRESSURE HIM.

AND I THINK THAT WAS BASICALLY

RAHM'S ATTITUDE-- AT LEAST,

IT'S THE WAY I UNDERSTOOD RAHM'S

ATTITU DE.

NARRATOR: THE STRATEGY WOULD

BE TO SHOW THE ARAB WORLD THAT

OBAMA COULD TAKE A HARD LINE ON

ISRAEL-- COULD CREATE SOME

DAY LXGHT .

THAT'S THE EXPRESSION,

"DAYLIGHT," THE IMPOSING OF

DAYLIGHT IN THE RELATIONSHIP.

THERE'S A BELIEF THAT YOU WIN

FRIENDS IN THE ARAB WORLD BY

DISTANCING YOURSELF FROM ISRAEL.

NARRATOR: THAT MAY, PRIME

MINISTER BENJAMIN NETANYAHU

ARRIVED AT THE WHITE HOUSE.

ALL RIGHT, EVERYBODY.

JUST TELL ME WHEN EVERYBODY'S

SET UP.

GREAT.

WELL, LISTEN, I FIRST OF ALL

WANT TO THANK PRIME MINISTER

NETANYAHU FOR MAKING THIS VISIT.

OBAMA IS IN THE DIFFICULT

POSITION OF DEALING WITH AN

ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER WHO HAS

NOW, FROM THE AMERICAN POINT OF

VIEW, REGRESSED TO THE POINT OF

VIEW WHERE IT'S HARD TO SEE

HOW YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE

ANY MEANINGFUL NEGOTIATION

WITH THE PALESTINIANS.

NARRATOR: OBAMA

INSISTED THAT NETANYAHU

STOP THE CONSTRUCTION

OF JEWISH SETTLEMENTS

ON LANDS CAPTURED IN THE

'67 WAR. WHICH WERE

CLAIMED BY THE PALESTINIANS

IT WASN'T A REQUEST;

IT WAS A DEMAND.

AND I THINK THAT THIS SHOCKED

NETANYAHU, SHOCKED THE PEOPLE

AROUND NETANYAHU, AND GAVE PROOF

TO THE PEOPLE WHO HAD BEEN

WHISPERING IN NETANYAHU'S EARS

THAT THIS GUY IS UP TO NO GOOD.

NARRATOR: A SETTLEMENT

FREEZE-- A RECURRING DEMAND OF

AMERICAN PRESIDENTS, BUT IT WAS

A DEAL-BREAKER FOR THE RIGHT

FLANK OF NETANYAHU'S FRAGILE

POLITICAL COALITION.

THE FREEZE NOTION WAS

A DIFFICULT ONE.

IT HAD A VERY SHARP POINT,

AND IT CAME AT ISRAEL IN THE

FIRST INSTANCE WITH A KNIFE.

NETANYAHU IS SURPRISED BY

THAT AND FEELS THAT IN A SENSE,

HE'S KIND OF WALKED INTO A TRAP.

NETANYAHU FOUND THAT

OUTRAGEOUS.

PALESTINIANS WEREN'T DOING

ANYTHING, AS FAR AS HE WAS

CONCERNED, SO WHY SHOULD HE?

SO THERE'S ALREADY SOME REAL

SCRATCHINESS THERE OVER WHAT

OBAMA EXPECTED ISRAEL TO DO

AND WHAT ISRAEL EXPECTED OUT

OF OBAMA.

IT WILL NOT BE EASY.

IT NEVER HAS BEEN EASY.

NARRATOR: AND IN FRONT OF THE

PRESS, OBAMA DOUBLED DOWN,

MAKING THE DEMAND IN PUBLIC.

I'M SAYING PUBLICLY WHAT I

SAID PRIVATELY: THAT SETTLEMENTS

HAVE TO BE STOPPED IN ORDER

FOR US TO MOVE FORWARD.

THAT'S A DIFFICULT ISSUE,

I RECOGNIZE THAT, BUT IT'S

AN IMPORTANT ONE, AND IT HAS

TO BE ADDRESSED.

NARRATOR: FOR NETANYAHU, HIS

FIRST MEETING WITH THE PRESIDENT

COULDN'T HAVE GONE WORSE.

I THINK NETANYAHU RECOGNIZED

IN OBAMA SUDDENLY A PERSON

WHO WAS HELL-BENT ON SETTING UP

A PALESTINIAN STATE.

I REMEMBER HIM COMING BACK

FROM HIS FIRST MEETING WITH

PRESIDENT OBAMA.

SOMETHING TELLS HIM IT'S GOING

TO BE A DIFFERENT PRESIDENT.

SUPER-INTELLIGENT LAWYER WHO IS

PROBABLY A BRILLIANT, BRILLIANT

MAN.

HE HAS IDEAS, HE HAS GOALS,

HE HAS A VISION, AND SOMETHING

WHAT WE IN HEBREW CALL

A "NESHAMA."

THE SOUL IS TOO COLD

TO BE CONNECTED TO ISRAEL.

WHAT EVER HAPPENED

IN THAT TRAUMATIC MEETING,

HE CAME BACK...

...ANGRY, SUSPICIOUS, HOSTILE.

HE CAME BACK FROM WASHINGTON

FEELING THAT HE IS AT WAR,

THAT HE IS UNDER SIEGE.

AND THAT SHAPED THE ENTIRE

RELATIONSHIP, BECAUSE PEOPLE

LIKE NETANYAHU, YOU DON'T GET

A SECOND CHANCE.

NARRATOR: THE PRESIDENT

OF THE UNITED STATES WAS NOW

AN ADVERSARY.

PRESIDENT OBAMA TODAY

DELIVERS ONE OF THE MOST

IMPORTANT SPEECHES OF HIS YOUNG

ADMINISTRATION.

NARRATOR: TWO WEEKS LATER...

A MAJOR SPEECH TO REACH OUT

TO THE MUSLIM WORLD.

NARRATOR: ...THE OBAMA

CAMPAIGN TO WIN THE HEARTS

AND MINDS OF THE MUSLIM WORLD

CO NTIN U ED.

THE PRESIDENT TURNS HIS

ATTENTION TO A MUCH LARGER ARAB

AUDIENCE IN CAIRO AND BEYOND.

THAT SPEECH WAS TO TRY TO

RESET RELATIONS WITH THE MUSLIM

WORLD AND SEND A MESSAGE THAT

THE UNITED STATES WAS NOT

ANTI-MUSLIM.

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, THE

PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES.

NARRATOR: DURING HIS FIRST

DAYS IN OFFICE, HE HAD SIGNALED

A CHANGE IN TONE.

WITH THE NETANYAHU MEETING, HE

HAD TRIED TO SHOW HE COULD GET

TOUGH WITH ISRAEL.

AND NOW IN EGYPT, HE WOULD

PERSONALLY MAKE THE CASE.

HE BELIEVED THAT HE COULD

MAKE AN OVERTURE TO THE MUSLIM

WORLD, AND THE MUSLIM WORLD

WOULD BELIEVE HIM.

HE MEANT TO BE A GOOD SOLDIER,

A GOOD GUY, A MIDDLE MAN,

AN HONEST BROKER, AN AMERICAN

PRESIDENT YOU COULD DEAL WITH,

AN AMERICAN WHO IS SYMPATHETIC

TO YOU.

NARRATOR: IT WAS BILLED AS

AN UNPRECEDENTED ADDRESS TO THE

WORLD'S ONE AND A HALF BILLION

MUSLIMS.

I'VE COME HERETO CAIRO

TO SEEK A NEW BEGINNING BETWEEN

THE UNITED STATES AND MUSLIMS

AROUND THE WORLD...

NARRATOR: BUT ISRAELIS WERE

WATCHING TOO, AMONG THEM MICHAEL

OREN, ISRAEL'S AMBASSADOR TO THE

UNITED STATES.

IT'S THE FIRST TIME, TO MY

KNOWLEDGE AS AN HISTORIAN, THAT

A PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES

ADDRESSES THE WORLD ADHERENTS

OF ONE FAITH.

SO LET THERE BE NO DOUBT:

THE SITUATION FOR THE

PALESTINIAN PEOPLE IS

INTOLERABLE.

ISRAEL HAD NO ADVANCE

WARNING OF THE CAIRO SPEECH.

COMPLETE SHOCK.

AND THERE ARE MANY ASPECTS OF

THE SPEECH WHICH HAVE DIRECT

IMPACT ON ISRAEL, THE MOST

OBVIOUS OF WHICH IS THE

CONDEMNATION OF SETTLEMENTS.

THE UNITED STATES DOES NOT

ACCEPT THE LEGITIMACY OF

CONTINUED ISRAELI SETTLEMENTS.

IT IS TIME FOR THESE SETTLEMENTS

TO STOP.

HE ADDRESSED THE PALESTINIAN

ISSUE IN A WAY THAT WAS NOT

A POLITICAL ISSUE, BUT A JUST

ISSUE, AND I THINK THAT WAS

A HARD POINT FOR THE ISRAELI

PUBLIC TO SWALLOW.

NARRATOR: FOR MANY OF THE

ISRAELIS WATCHING, THE MESSAGE

WAS CLEAR.

WE LIVE IN A WORLD OF IMAGES

AND PERCEPTIONS.

AND FOR SOME, IT GAVE THE

IMPRESSION THAT IN CHOOSING

BETWEEN ISRAEL AND THE MUSLIM

WORLD, THE CHOICE WAS THE MUSLIM

WORLD.

MAY GOD'S PEACE BE UPON YOU.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE SPEECH,

CRYSTAL CLEAR, I REMEMBER

TALKING TO AN ISRAELI

JOURNALIST, A VERY SENIOR

JOURNALIST WHOM THE WHITE HOUSE

CLEVERLY HAD INVITED TO CAIRO

TO HEAR THE SPEECH, AND HE

CALLED ME FROM CAIRO.

HE SAID, "THIS IS A DISASTER.

THIS IS A DISASTER."

I SAID, "TELL RAHM.

TELL HIM, BECAUSE THEY NEED

TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS.

THIS IS REALLY GOING TO LOSE

THE ISRAELIS."

NARRATOR: THE PRESIDENT

THEN LEFT THE MIDDLE EAST.

TO THE SURPRISE OF MANY,

HE DID NOT STOP OVER IN ISRAEL.

THE MESSAGE OF PRESIDENT

BARACK OBAMA'S HISTORIC SPEECH

IN EGYPT...

WORSE THAN ANYTHING, WHILE HE

WAS THERE, A 45-MINUTE PLANE

RIDE TO ISRAEL, HE DIDN'T STOP

THERE.

HE JUST WENT ON HIS WAY.

THE ISRAELIS WERE INSULTED.

I MEAN, YOU'RE COMING INTO THE

NEIGHBORHOOD, CAN'T YOU DROP FOR

COFFEE?

WE'RE JUST SO CLOSE.

I MEAN, CAIRO, TEL AVIV?

COME ON, SAY HELLO, WE'LL BE

NICE TO YOU!

DON'T FORGET, HE WENT TO

TURKEY, SAUDI ARABIA, EGYPT.

HE DIDN'T GO TO ISRAEL.

FOR ISRAELIS, THE COMBINATION

OF NOT VISITING AND THE SPEECH

SENT THEM A VERY STRONG SIGNAL

THAT HE DIDN'T LIKE THEM.

NARRATOR: THE DECISION TO

SKIP ISRAEL HAD BEEN ADVOCATED

BY THE PRESIDENT'S SENIOR

FOREIGN POLICY ADVISORS.

BEN RHODES AND DENNIS

MCDONOUGH STRONGLY ARGUED

AGAINST GOING TO ISRAEL BECAUSE

IT WOULD LOOK LIKE BUSINESS

AS USUAL.

AND IF HE WAS GOING TO SHOW IT

WAS DIFFERENT THIS TIME, HE HAD

TO ACT IN A WAY THAT WAS

DIFFERENT THIS TIME.

HE HAD TO BREAK THE MOLD.

THAT WAS THE REASON.

NARRATOR: DEPUTY NATIONAL

SECURITY ADVISOR BEN RHODES

INSISTS IT WAS THE RIGHT MOVE.

I HAVE LIVED IN THIS JOB FOR

SEVEN YEARS AND HAVE LEARNED

REPEATEDLY THAT YOU ARE DAMNED

IF YOU DO AND DAMNED IF YOU

DON'T.

FRANKLY, I SEE IT AS A LOSE-LOSE

PROPOSITION.

WHATEVER WE WERE GOING TO DO WAS

NOT GOING TO BE THE RIGHT THING

FOR THIS PARTICULAR ISRAELI

GOVERNMENT.

NARRATOR: OTHER OBAMA

ADVISORS NOW ADMIT IT WAS

A MISTAKE.

I PERSONALLY THINK IT WOULD

HAVE BEEN WISE HAD THE PRESIDENT

GONE ON TO ISRAEL FROM THERE

AND MADE A COMPARABLE STATEMENT

OF REASSURANCE.

I REGRET THAT.

I THINK IF WE WERE TO DO THAT

ALL OVER AGAIN, I THINK WE

SHOULD HAVE ADDED A STOP THERE.

NARRATOR: NETANYAHU

CAPITALIZED ON OBAMA'S DECISION

NOT TO STOP IN ISRAEL.

NETANYAHU WAS THE FIRST

ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER, IN A

WAY, TO RUN AGAINST AN AMERICAN

PRESIDENT.

TO SORT OF GO TO HIS BASE AND

SAY, "YOU'VE GOT TO VOTE FOR ME,

BECAUSE I CAN KEEP THIS

AMERICAN PRESIDENT AT BAY."

NARRATOR: RIGHT WING

NEWSPAPERS FANNED THE FLAMES,

INCREASINGLY PORTRAYING THE

PRESIDENT AS AN ENEMY OF ISRAEL.

THE MESSAGING HAS BEEN

CONSISTENT THAT THIS GUY IS A

DANGER TO US, AND THE ONLY THING

STOPPING HIM FROM HAVING HIS WAY

WITH ISRAEL IS BENJAMIN

NETANYAHU.

NARRATOR: OBAMA'S REPUTATION

TOOK A HIT.

JUST SIX PERCENT OF JEWISH

ISRAELIS SAID THEY CONSIDERED

HIM PRO-ISRAEL.

OBAMA IS VERY UNPOPULAR

IN ISRAEL, AND HE'S THE FIRST

AMERICAN PRESIDENT IN A VERY

LONG TIME TO BE VERY UNPOPULAR.

WE TALK ABOUT HOW POPULAR

CLINTON WAS, THAT'S NOT THE CASE

FOR OBAMA.

ONCE HE LOST THE ISRAELIS,

HE COULDN'T MOVE THE ISRAELIS

BECAUSE HE DIDN'T HAVE THE TRUST

THAT CLINTON HAD.

NETANYAHU FIGURED OUT THAT HE

HAD THE BACKING OF HIS PEOPLE,

THE BACKING OF HIS GOVERNMENT.

HE WAS PERFECTLY COMFORTABLE

TO STAND STILL.

PRESIDENT OBAMA IMMEDIATELY

DISPATCHING HIS SPECIAL ENVOY

GEORGE MITCHELL...

MITCHELL VISITS ISRAEL...

NARRATOR: DESPITE THE

OBSTACLES, OBAMA SENT HIS ENVOY

GEORGE MITCHELL TO ISRAEL

19 TIMES OVER TWO YEARS.

MITCHELL SAYS HE WILL BE

GOING BACK TO THE REGION...

NARRATOR: HUNDREDS OF

MEETINGS.

IT WAS TOUGH GOING.

NEITHER SIDE WAS READY

TO DO A DEAL.

BACK AGAIN IN ISRAEL...

NARRATOR: MITCHELL GAVE UP.

HE SUBMITTED HIS LETTER

OF RESIGNATION IN 2011.

I WITHDREW.

I CONCLUDED THAT THE LEVEL OF

MISTRUST BETWEEN BOTH SOCIETIES

MADE IT HIGHLY UNLIKELY THAT

THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO OVERCOME

THAT LEVEL OF MISTRUST AND REACH

AGREEMENT.

NARRATOR: THE PRESIDENT

HAD LOST HIS POINT MAN,

AND HIS MIDDLE EAST POLICY

WAS IN TROUBLE.

THE PRESIDENT ASKED HIS STAFF

FOR A REPORT CARD ABOUT HOW WELL

THEY HAD DONE ON EXECUTING ON

THE 2009 SPEECH, AND IT WAS

BASICALLY A SERIES OF DS AND FS.

THEY HAD DONE AN EXTREMELY POOR

JOB.

NARRATOR: AND THERE WAS

MOUNTING CRITICISM BY JEWS

IN ISRAEL AND AMERICA.

YOU KNOW, I REMEMBER A TIME

WHEN I WORKED IN THE WHITE HOUSE

AND I WENT TO FIND THE

PRESIDENT, AND HE WAS JUST

STARING INTO SPACE.

HE WAS VERY CONTEMPLATIVE.

I SAID, "WHAT'S ON YOUR MIND?"

AND HE SAID, "YOU KNOW, ITHINK

I'M THE CLOSEST THING TO A JEW

WHO'S EVER SAT IN THIS OFFICE.

I FEEL VERY CLOSE TO THE

COMMUNITY, AND IT HURTS TO BE

DEPICTED SOMEHOW AS HOSTILE TO

THE COMMUNITY.

IT BOTHERS ME."

NARRATOR: THEN, THIS MAN IN

TUNISIA LIT HIMSELF ON FIRE.

MOHAMMED BOUAZIZI SETS

HIMSELF ON FIRE, AND WITHIN

A VERY SHORT PERIOD OF TIME,

HE SETS THE WHOLE MIDDLE EAST

ON FIRE.

THOUSANDS OF ANGRY

DEMONSTRATORS MARCHED THROUGH

THE STREETS OF TUNISIA'S

CAPITAL THIS MORNING...

WE'RE TRACKING THIS VERY

SERIOUS DEVELOPMENT...

NARRATOR: WITHIN WEEKS,

PROTESTS HAD BROKEN OUT

IN YEMEN, BAHRAIN, LIBYA.

AND IN CAIRO'S TAHRIR SQUARE,

HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS TURNED OUT

TO PROTEST PRESIDENT HOSNI

MUBARAK.

AT THE WHITE HOUSE, PRESIDENT

BARACK OBAMA WATCHED THE

PROTESTS ON TELEVISION.

WHEN OBAMA SEES THESE

INSURRECTIONS IN NORTH AFRICA

AND THE MIDDLE EAST,

HE IS VERY EXCITED BY THEM.

NOW SUDDENLY, IT LOOKS LIKE

THE FORCES OF HISTORY ARE IN THE

SQUARES, NOT IN THE PRESIDENTIAL

PALACES.

AND NOW THE PRESIDENT WANTS TO

BE ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF HISTORY.

NARRATOR: FOR THREE DECADES,

MUBARAK HAD BEEN AN AMERICAN

ALLY.

THE ARAB STREET IS RISING UP

AGAINST THESE DICTATORS, AND I

THINK OBAMA FACED THIS MOMENT,

THIS DECISION.

OBAMA IS VERY ENTHUSIASTIC

ABOUT WHAT'S HAPPENING IN TAHRIR

SQUARE, MORE THAN MANY PEOPLE

IN HIS OWN CABINET.

AND HE WANTS TO PUT AMERICA

ON THE SIDE OF THAT.

NARRATOR: THE PRESIDENT

DECIDED TO GET INVOLVED:

HE WOULD TELL MUBARAK TO LEAVE.

I WAS WITH HIM IN THE OVAL

OFFICE WHEN HE DOES THIS PHONE

CALL TO MUBARAK.

HE WAS TRYING TO NUDGE MUBARAK

IN A CERTAIN DIRECTION,

AND MUBARAK WAS IN A STATE

OF COMPLETE DENIAL.

MUBARAK IS TELLING THE

PRESIDENT, "YOU DON'T

UNDERSTAND.

I UNDERSTAND MY PEOPLE."

NARRATOR: AND IN FRONT OF THE

CAMERAS, OBAMA REPEATED HIS

DEMAND.

GOOD EVENING, EVERYBODY.

OVER THE PAST FEW DAYS, THE

AMERICAN PEOPLE HAVE WATCHED THE

SITUATION UNFOLDING IN EGYPT.

WHAT IS CLEAR-- AND WHAT I

INDICATED TONIGHT TO PRESIDENT

MUBARAK-- IS MY BELIEF THAT AN

ORDERLY TRANSITION MUST BE

MEANINGFUL, IT MUST BE PEACEFUL,

AND IT MUST BEGIN NOW.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

NARRATOR: HE HAD ISSUED

HIS ULTIMATUM.

IN ISRAEL, NETANYAHU EXPRESSED

AMAZEMENT AT WHAT OBAMA HAD

DONE.

THE ARAB SPRING IS A PERFECT

EXAMPLE OF WHERE NETANYAHU

BELIEVES THAT OBAMA WAS

COLOSSALLY NAIVE.

NARRATOR: ISRAEL HAD MADE

PEACE WITH SOME OF ITS ARAB

NEIGHBORS, INCLUDING EGYPT.

NOW NETANYAHU WAS WORRIED THOSE

REGIMES WOULD FALL TO MUSLIM

EXTREMISTS.

NETANYAHU'S REACTION WAS THE

TRAGIC REALIST REACTION, WHICH

IS, "THIS AIN'T GONNA WORK OUT,

GUYS.

DEMOCRACY'S NOT GOING TO TAKE

ROOT.

YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE THE MUSLIM

BROTHERHOOD IN CAIRO IN A YEAR

OR TWO."

ISRAELIS ARE SLAPPING THEIR

HEADS AND SAYING, "OH MY GOD,

WHAT A DISASTER."

BECAUSE WHAT THEY SEE IS NOT

AN OUTBREAKING OF DEMOCRACY;

THEY SEE AN OUTBREAKING

OF CHAOS THAT'S GOING TO BE

QUICKLY SNATCHED AND DOMINATED

BY ISLAMIC EXTREMISTS.

NARRATOR: AT THE TIME,

DAN MERIDOR WAS THE DEPUTY

PRIME MINISTER.

THE QUICK PACE WITH WHICH THE

AMERICAN ADMINISTRATION STARTED

TO PUSH MUBARAK OFF THE CLIFF--

"HE HAS TO GO, HE HAS TO GO NOW,

HE HAS TO GO NOW"-- AMAZED ME.

THE THINKING THAT IF MUBARAK IS

OUT, A NEW THOMAS JEFFERSON IS

GOING TO BE BORN ON THE NILE

AND BUILD A NEW REPUBLIC

WAS MISERABLY NAIVE.

THE PRESIDENT HOSNI MUBARAK

HAS STEPPED DOWN...

THE SOUND OF FREEDOM...

NARRATOR: TEN DAYS AFTER

OBAMA'S PHONE CALL, MUBARAK

RESIGNED.

TONIGHT, THE PEOPLE OF EGYPT

HAVE TOPPLED THEIR LEADER.

THAT NATION HAS JUST BEEN...

WHEN HE FELL, I THINK

THE AMAZEMENT OF MUBARAK

AND HIS PEOPLE THAT AMERICA

DESERTED THEM OPENLY, AND THE

AMAZEMENT OF MANY ALLIES OF

AMERICA, LEADERS IN THE REGION,

THAT AMERICA SEEMED NOT TO BE

A RELIABLE ALLY AND PUSHES YOU

WHEN THEY NEED AT LEAST

NOT TO INTERFERE.

I THINK THIS WAS A BIG MISTAKE.

NARRATOR: AT THE WHITE HOUSE,

THE PRESIDENT SEIZED THE MOMENT.

OBAMA WANTED A RESET OF HIS

APPROACH TO THE MIDDLE EAST.

HE TOLD HIS STAFF TO PREPARE A

NEW SPEECH.

THE PRESIDENT WANTED TO SPEAK

AND LAY OUT WHAT THE U.S.

PRINCIPLES WERE GOING TO BE AS

WE DEALT WITH A REGION THAT WAS

GOING THROUGH SEISMIC CHANGE.

THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED

STATES, BARACK OBAMA.

NARRATOR: HE DELIVERED THE

SPEECH IN FRONT OF A ROOM FILLED

WITH STAFFERS AT THE STATE

DEPARTMENT.

FOR SIX MONTHS, WE HAVE

WITNESSED AN EXTRAORDINARY

CHANGE TAKING PLACE IN THE

MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA.

NARRATOR: HE SPOKE FOR NEARLY

AN HOUR, BUT THE SPEECH WOULD BE

REMEMBERED FOR JUST ONE LINE.

WE BELIEVE THE BORDERS OF

ISRAEL AND PALESTINE SHOULD BE

BASED ON THE 1967 LINES WITH

MUTUALLY AGREED SWAPS.

NARRATOR: IT WAS A FAMILIAR

DEMAND, BUT ONE NEVER SAID SO

PUBLICLY BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE

UNITED STATES.

IT BECAME THE HEADLINE.

THE HEADLINE IN THE NEW YORK

TIMES WAS, "PRESIDENT OBAMA

ENDORSES THE '67 BORDERS."

THE REST OF THE SPEECH ABOUT

THE ARAB SPRING WENT VIRTUALLY

UNREPORTED.

NOW, FOR ISRAEL, THIS WAS A

MAJOR DEVELOPMENT.

NARRATOR: NETANYAHU'S

REACTION WAS IMMEDIATE.

HE SUMMONED HIS CLOSEST ADVISORS

FOR AN EMERGENCY MEETING.

MY SECRETARY COMES RUSHING

IN, AND SHE GOES, "DORE, THE

PRIME MINISTER IS ON THE PHONE."

I GET ON THE PHONE, HE GOES,

"DORE, WHERE ARE YOU?"

HE SAYS, "I NEED YOU TO COME

HERE RIGHT NOW."

I WALK INTO HIS OFFICE WHERE

HIS DESK IS, AND HE'S SURROUNDED

BY HIS TOP ADVISORS.

HE'S ON A SPEAKERPHONE

TO SECRETARY OF STATE HILLARY

CLINTON.

AND WHILE I WON'T GO INTO WHAT

WAS SAID IN DETAIL, I'LL JUST

SAY ROUGHLY, HE WAS NOT HAPPY.

NARRATOR: WHAT SET NETANYAHU

OFF WAS THAT THE PRESIDENT HAD

MADE ANY MENTION OF ISRAEL'S

BORDERS BEFORE THE '67 WAR.

EVERYONE SAYS, "GO BACK

TO JUNE 4, 1967," AS IF THAT

WILL SOLVE ALL THE PROBLEMS.

HERE'S THE PROBLEM: JUNE 4, 1967

WERE NOT LINES OF PEACE.

THOSE WERE LINES OF WAR.

A NOOSE OF DEATH WAS PLACED

AROUND ISRAEL IN THOSE JUNE 4,

1967 LINES.

NARRATOR: THE WHITE HOUSE HAD

NOT BRIEFED NETANYAHU, AND AS IT

TURNED OUT, HE WAS PLANNING A

TRIP TO WASHINGTON THE NEXT DAY.

FROM NETANYAHU'S POINT OF

VIEW, HE WAS CONVINCED THAT THIS

WAS AN ATTEMPT TO AMBUSH HIM,

EMBARRASS HIM.

AND PUT HIM IN A SITUATION

WHERE THE PRESIDENT WAS,

FROM NETANYAHU'S POINT OF VIEW,

WEAKENING ISRAEL'S NEGOTIATING

POSITION BY DECLARING A STANCE

ON THE '67 LINES.

SO HE WAS FURIOUS ABOUT IT.

NARRATOR: WHEN NETANYAHU

LANDED, HIS AMBASSADOR COULD

TELL THERE WOULD BE TROUBLE.

I'D NEVER SEEN HIM LIKE

THAT COMING OUT OF THE PLANE.

THERE WAS NO SMILE,

THERE WAS NO WAVE.

AND YOU CAN ALMOST IMAGINE

STEAM COMING OUT OF HIS EARS.

HIS TEAM OF ADVISORS TRIED TO

CALM HIM DOWN, BUT HE HAD THINGS

HE WANTED TO SAY TO THE

PRESIDENT.

NARRATOR: AT THE WHITE HOUSE,

OBAMA AND HIS TOP ADVISORS HAD

HEARD FROM HILLARY CLINTON THAT

BIBI WAS ANGRY.

THE PRESIDENT ASKED ME, "WHY

DID BIBI REACT SO NEGATIVELY

TO THE SPEECH?"

AND I SAID, "BECAUSE HE WAS

SURPRISED BY IT AND HE FELT HE

WAS BEING PUT IN A CORNER AND

YOU WERE TRYING TO JAM HIM IN

FRONT OF HIS OWN CONSTITUENCY

BEFORE HE CAME HERE."

NARRATOR: BUT ONE OF THE

PRESIDENT'S TOP ADVISORS SAYS

NETANYAHU OVERREACTED.

IF YOU LOOK AT THE PRINCIPLES

THAT WE IDENTIFIED, THE NOTION

OF '67 LINES WITH MUTUALLY

AGREED SWAPS IS NOT AT ALL A

CONTROVERSIAL IDEA.

THAT HAS BEEN THE BASIS FOR

EVERY NEGOTIATION THAT HAS

NEARED A RESOLUTION OVER THE

HISTORY OF THIS CONFLICT.

NARRATOR: JUST AS IN THEIR

FIRST MEETING, THE PRESS WAS

SUMMONED.

EVERYBODY SET UP?

ALL GOOD?

LET ME, FIRST OF ALL, WELCOME

ONCE AGAIN PRIME MINISTER

NETANYAHU.

NARRATOR: BUT THIS TIME, BIBI

NETANYAHU WOULD LECTURE BARACK

OBAMA, TAKING A HARD LINE ON THE

PEACE PROCESS.

IT'S NOT GOING TO HAPPEN.

EVERYBODY KNOWS IT'S NOT GOING

TO HAPPEN.

AND I THINK IT'S TIME TO TELL

THE PALESTINIANS FORTHRIGHTLY

IT'S NOT GOING TO HAPPEN.

I HAVE NEVER SEEN A FOREIGN

LEADER SPEAK TO THE PRESIDENT

LIKE THAT, AND CERTAINLY NOT IN

PUBLIC, AND I HAVE NEVER,

CERTAINLY NEVER SEEN IT HAPPEN

IN THE OVAL OFFICE.

ISRAEL OBVIOUSLY CANNOT BE

ASKED TO NEGOTIATE WITH A

GOVERNMENT THAT IS BACKED BY THE

PALESTINIAN VERSION OF AL QAEDA.

YOU'RE WATCHING PRESIDENT

OBAMA THERE WITH HIS FACE IN HIS

HAND, AND YOU CAN TELL IT'S NOT

GOING OVER WELL.

THIS IS HIS HOUSE, AND TO BE

LECTURED IN HIS OFFICE RANKLES.

WE CANNOT GO BACK TO THE

1967 LINES BECAUSE THESE LINES

ARE INDEFENSIBLE.

NARRATOR: WATCHING IT UNFOLD,

CHIEF OF STAFF BILL DALEY.

BILL DALEY IS STANDING NEXT

TO ME AND HE IS GOING,

"OUTRAGEOUS, OUTRAGEOUS."

IT'S LIKE HE'S ALMOST

LEVITATING.

WE CANNOT NEGOTIATE WITH A

PALESTINIAN GOVERNMENT THAT IS

BACKED BY HAMAS.

THAT WAS INTENTIONAL.

THAT WAS DONE FOR POLITICAL...

FOR POLITICAL EFFECT.

I THINK HE CAME WITH A MIND

TOWARD INFLAMING...

INFLAMING THE RELATIONSHIP.

MR. PRESIDENT, HISTORY WILL

NOT GIVE THE JEWISH PEOPLE

ANOTHER CHANCE.

OBAMA WAS TREATED TO A

LECTURE ON JEWISH AND ISRAELI

HISTORY THAT JUST WENT ON AND ON

AND DEEPLY OFFENDED, DEEPLY

OFFENDED OBAMA AND HIS PEOPLE.

IT'S THE ANCIENT NATION OF

ISRAEL, AND YOU KNOW, WE'VE BEEN

AROUND FOR ALMOST 4,000 YEARS.

WE'VE EXPERIENCED STRUGGLE AND

SUFFERING LIKE NO OTHER PEOPLE.

THERE WAS A SENSE OF... GALL.

WHAT GALL.

AND NOW IT FALLS ON MY

SHOULDERS AS THE PRIME MINISTER

OF ISRAEL.

I THINK NETANYAHU FRAN KLY

HAD GIVEN UP ON OBAMA.

HE FELT, "THIS ADMINISTRATION

FROM DAY ONE HAS DISLIKED ME,

HAS WANTED ME OUT, HAS WANTED

ME GONE, SO WHAT'S THE POINT

OF HOLDING BACK?"

THANK YOU, GUYS.

THE DECISION WAS MADE

TO COME DIRECTLY AT US.

I MEAN, IMAGINE THE PRESIDENT

OF THE UNITED STATES GOING TO

JERUSALEM AND SAYING THINGS LIKE

THAT NEXT TO THE PRIME MINISTER.

I MEAN, IT WAS A FAIRLY DRAMATIC

MOMENT.

NARRATOR: THE PRESIDENT HAD

A CHOICE: TRY TO PUSH NETANYAHU

EVEN HARDER OR WALK AWAY

FROM THE PEACE PROCESS.

I THINK OBAMA REALIZED

AT THAT TIME THAT THE PRICE THAT

HE WAS PAYING FOR TRYING TO RAM

SOMETHING DOWN NETANYAHU'S

THROAT THAT NETANYAHU DIDN'T

WANT TO HAVE RAMMED DOWN HIS

THROAT WASN'T WORTH IT FOR HIM.

NARRATOR: WITH THE

PRESIDENT'S REELECTION CAMPAIGN

LOOMING, THE OBAMA WHITE HOUSE

WAS KEENLY AWARE OF THE

POLITICAL COSTS OF CONFRONTING

NETANYAHU.

THE OBAMA PEOPLE DIDN'T WANT

TO GIVE THE REPUBLICANS A WEAPON

BY HAVING OPEN FIGHTS AT THIS

POINT WITH NETANYAHU BECAUSE IT

BECOMES A TALKING POINT.

"YOU KNOW, THIS IS A PRESIDENT

WHO'S NOT SUPPORTIVE OF OUR

GREAT FRIEND ISRAEL.

HOW CAN HE DO THIS TO OUR GREAT

FRIEND?"

THEY WERE LOOKING TO NEGATE THAT

AS AN ISSUE THAT MIGHT COME OUT

OR BE USED BY THE REPUBLICANS

AGAINST THEM.

ISRAEL'S PRIME MINISTER

TELLING PRESIDENT OBAMA

EXACTLY WHAT HE THOUGHT...

NARRATOR: THE PALESTINIANS

WHO HAD ONCE CHEERED OBAMA'S

ELECTION NOW WATCHED WITH

DISAPPOINTMENT.

HIS APPROACH HAS BEEN TO SEND

SIGNALS, BUT TO NEVER FOLLOW UP

HIS SIGNALS WITH ACTUAL ACTION.

HE DIDN'T BACK UP HIS STATEMENTS

AGAINST SETTLEMENTS WITH ACTUAL

ACTIONS AND SAYING TO THE

ISRAELIS, "YOU HAVE TO MAKE A

CHOICE NOW.

DO YOU WANT THESE SETTLEMENTS,

OR DO YOU WANT THE MONEY

THAT WE GIVE YOU EVERY YEAR?"

IT'S ALWAYS JUST BEEN ONE SIGNAL

AFTER ANOTHER SIGNAL AFTER

ANOTHER SIGNAL, AND THIS ISN'T

AN AREA THAT DEALS WELL WITH

SIGNALS; THIS IS AN AREA

THAT REQUIRES CONCRETE ACTION.

NARRATOR: INDEED UNDER

OBAMA, THE UNITED STATES HAS

CONTINUED TO PROVIDED ISRAEL

WITH AS MUCH AS THAN $3 BILLION

A YEAR IN MILITARY AID.

NETANYAHU HAD STOOD UP

TO THE AMERICAN PRESIDENT.

THE PEACE PROCESS WAS ON HOLD.

NOW HE COULD FOCUS ON AN ISSUE

HE BELIEVED WAS MORE PRESSING:

THE FEAR THAT IRAN WAS BUILDING

A NUCLEAR WEAPON.

BIBI NETANYAHU HAS SAID 1,000

TIMES, IF ONCE, THAT IRAN

NOT ONLY IS AN ENEMY OF ISRAEL,

BUT WOULD LITERALLY USE THOSE

NUCLEAR WEAPONS AGAINST US.

NEVER AGAIN ARE WE GOING TO PUT

OURSELVES IN A POSITION OF

ALLOWING AN OUTSIDE FORCE TO USE

OVERWHELMING POWER TO KILL US,

TO TRY TO WIPE US OUT.

IT'S NOT GOING TO HAPPEN.

WE ARE THINKING IRAN,

A REGIME WHICH REPRESENTS

EXTREMIST ISLAMIC IDEOLOGY THAT

WOULD NOT ACCEPT OUR RIGHT TO

EXIST AT ALL, THAT DENIES THE

HOLOCAUST, TRYING TO ACHIEVE A

NUCLEAR WEAPON?

I MEAN...

NARRATOR: AND IN MEETING

AFTER MEETING, NETANYAHU'S

MILITARY AND INTELLIGENCE

SERVICES DELIVERED THE BAD NEWS.

WE'RE SEEING IRAN RACING

AHEAD TO PRODUCE THE FISSILE

MATERIAL NECESSARY FOR NUCLEAR

WEAPONS.

THEY HAD NOT ONLY LOW ENRICHED

URANIUM, BUT THEY WERE STARTING

TO PILE UP MORE AND MORE BOMBS'

WORTH OF LOW ENRICHED URANIUM.

AND WE COULD SEE THAT MONTH

AFTER MONTH, THAT NUMBER WAS

GETTING HIGHER AND HIGHER.

NARRATOR: HIS DEFENSE

MINISTER, EHUD BARAK, ONCE A

RIVAL, WAS NOW ON HIS SIDE.

IRAN, BARAK SAID, WAS ENTERING

"THE ZONE OF IMMUNITY."

THE ZONE OF IMMUNITY WAS

THAT PLACE ON THE TIMELINE AFTER

WHICH THE IRANIAN NUCLEAR SITES

ARE GOING TO BE IMMUNE FROM

ISRAELI FIREPOWER.

THERE WERE A NUMBER OF CLOCKS

TICKING.

ONE CLOCK WAS THE RATE AT WHICH

IRAN WAS ENRICHING URANIUM.

IRAN WAS ENRICHING URANIUM.

ANOTHER CLOCK WAS THE RATE AT

WHICH THEY WOULD COMPLETE THE

ENRICHMENT AND MOVE
UNDERGROUND,

AT WHICH POINT IT'D BE TOO LATE.

NARRATOR: THEY ORDERED THE

ISRAELI MILITARY TO PLAN FOR A

DIRECT STRIKE ON IRAN'S NUCLEAR

PROGRAM.

IN THE FIRST THREE MONTHS

OF 2012, EVERYTHING WAS READY.

HUGE MILITARY BUILDUP, INCLUDING

LAND BASES IN OTHER COUNTRIES,

INTELLIGENCE COOPERATION,

ADVANCED WEAPONRY.

BREAKING NEWS...

THERE'S BREAKING NEWS ABOUT

THE POSSIBILITY OF AN ISRAELI

ATTACK ON...

ISRAELIS HAVE BEEN TALKING

ABOUT A SO-CALLED "ZONE OF

IMMUNITY"...

PANETTA BELIEVES ISRAEL WILL

STRIKE IRAN IN APRIL, MAY...

ISRAELIS SAY IRAN HAS ALREADY

PRODUCED ENOUGH URANIUM...

NARRATOR: BUT IN THE WHITE

HOUSE SECURE BASEMENT SITUATION

ROOM, THEY WERE RECEIVING

NO WORD ON WHEN OR IF NETANYAHU

WOULD ORDER THE STRIKE.

MOUNTING TONIGHT THAT ISRAEL

IS READY TO ATTACK IRAN...

NARRATOR: COMMUNICATIONS HAD

BROKEN DOWN BETWEEN THE

PRESIDENT AND PRIME MINISTER.

THE AMERICAN MILITARY

PLANNERS WERE ASSUMING EVERY

NIGHT WHEN THEY WENT TO SLEEP

THAT THEY WOULD WAKE UP TO AN

ISRAELI ATTACK.

THE ISRAELI GOVERNMENT

CERTAINLY LOOKED LIKE THEY WERE

PRACTICING AN ATTACK.

THEY DID A MILITARY EXERCISE

IN WHICH THEY FLEW FROM ISRAEL

OUT OVER THE SEA EXACTLY THE

DISTANCE YOU WOULD HAVE TO GO

TO HIT NATANZ AND THE OTHER

MAJOR NUCLEAR SITES IN IRAN.

AND THAT REALLY SET OFF A LOT

OF ALARMS IN THE UNITED STATES.

NARRATOR: AS THE TENSION

MOUNTED, THE PRESIDENT'S TOP

ADVISORS WARNED THAT AN ISRAELI

STRIKE COULD IGNITE A WAR

IN THE MIDDLE EAST.

ANY MILITARY ACTION WOULD

HAVE PRECIPITATED, IN OUR VIEW,

A MUCH BROADER CONFLICT WITH

IRAN.

IRAN WOULD HAVE BEEN LIKELY

TO RESPOND WITH PROXIES.

AND THAT LIKELY WOULD HAVE LED

TO A CHAIN OF EVENTS WHERE THE

UNITED STATES IS AT WAR WITH

IRAN.

YOU COULD IMAGINE: ISRAEL

ATTACKS IRAN IN ORDER TO DO

DAMAGE TO ITS NUCLEAR PROGRAM.

IRAN NOW FIRES MISSILES

AT ISRAEL.

THERE'S A LARGE CASUALTY TOLL.

IT CONTINUES.

WHAT DOES THE UNITED STATES DO?

NARRATOR: FOR BARACK OBAMA,

THE DECISION TO INITIATE A WAR

WITH IRAN WAS NOW IN THE HANDS

OF BENJAMIN NETANYAHU.

I THINK THE PRESIDENT WAS

RESIGNED TO THE IDEA THAT IF

ISRAEL WENT AND ATTACKED AND

THEN NEEDED HELP FINISHING THE

JOB OR PROTECTING ITSELF, THERE

WASN'T ANY REAL CHOICE THAT THE

PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES

WAS GOING TO GO IN AND HELP.

NARRATOR: BUT AS THE

POSSIBILITY OF A STRIKE GREW,

NETANYAHU HAD A PROBLEM.

THE ISRAELI MILITARY WAS NERVOUS

ABOUT ATTACKING IRAN ON ITS OWN.

THERE ARE ALL KINDS OF

FIGURES IN THE ISRAELI SECURITY

ESTABLISHMENT, BIG MILITARY

FIGURES, WHO ALL THINK THAT IT

WOULD BE CRAZY, TO SAY

NOTHING... COUNTERPRODUCTIVE,

DANGEROUS, RUINOUS, FOR ISRAEL

TO ATTACK IRAN.

NARRATOR: WITH HIS MILITARY

WARY ABOUT A UNILATERAL STRIKE,

NETANYAHU RELUCTANTLY ASKED

OBAMA FOR UP-FRONT ASSURANCE

THAT IF ISRAEL WENT AHEAD,

THE U.S. WOULD BACK THEM UP.

WHAT NETANYAHU WANTS IS

EITHER A GREEN LIGHT OR A YELLOW

LIGHT TO GO BOMB THE IRANIAN

PROGRAM, AND THE KNOWLEDGE THAT

IF THE IRANIANS RETALIATED

AGAINST ISRAEL, OBAMA WOULD BE

RIGHT WITH HIM TO GET INTO THAT

CONFLICT.

AND OBAMA WASN'T GOING

TO GIVE HIM THAT.

NARRATOR: AT JUST THIS TIME,

THE PRESIDENT'S REELECTION

CAMPAIGN WAS BEGINNING.

PRESIDENT OBAMA'S APPROVAL

RATINGS HAVE HIT AN ALL-TIME

LOW...

OBAMA IS UNDER 50%...

NARRATOR: IN THE EARLY GOING,

HE WAS IN TROUBLE.

NO PRESIDENT HAS BEEN

REELECTED WITH THIS TYPE...

NARRATOR: SO NETANYAHU

DECIDED TO TAKE HIS ARGUMENT

FOR STRIKING IRAN DIRECTLY

TO THE AMERICAN VOTERS.

WE'VE SEEN HIS APPROVAL

RATINGS ON THE ECONOMY DIP...

NETANYAHU HAD HIS MAXIMUM

LEVERAGE IN THE SUMMER AND FALL

OF 2012.

THIS IS THE POINT OF MAXIMUM

ISRAELI POWER ON THE ISSUE.

THE WHITE HOUSE AND THE

PRESIDENT COME TO BELIEVE THAT

BIBI IS USING AN ELECTION YEAR

TO TRY TO LEVERAGE HIM ON THE

IRAN ISSUE.

AND "IF YOU'RE NOT GOING TO LET

US GO MILITARILY, THEN YOU HAVE

TO Go).

THIS MORNING, A SPECIAL HOUR

OF MEET THE PRESS.

AN EXCLUSIVE NETWORK INTERVIEW

WITH A KEY PLAYER IN THE

MIDDLE EAST...

NARRATOR: ON TV SHOW AFTER TV

SHOW, HE URGED OBAMA TO COMMIT

TO MILITARY ACTION IF IRAN

CROSSED A "RED LINE."

I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO

PLACE A RED LINE BEFORE THEM.

I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO

DELINEATE A RED LINE FOR IRAN.

A RED LINE SHOULD BE DRAWN

RIGHT HERE.

HE IS SO CONVINCED

THAT HE'S RIGHT ON IT,

EQUALLY SO CONVINCED THAT OBAMA

IS DEAD WRONG.

AND IF HE CAN PERSUADE MORE AND

MORE PEOPLE, AMERICA CAN SOMEHOW

CHANGE ITS MIND.

DON'T LET THESE FANATICS HAVE

NUCLEAR WEAPONS.

IT PUTS ENORMOUS PRESSURE ON

THE PRESIDENT, ENORMOUS PRESSURE

ON THE WHITE HOUSE.

NARRATOR: BUT NETANYAHU'S

MEDIA BLITZ DID LITTLE TO

PERSUADE THE PRESIDENT.

WHEN NETANYAHU PUSHES OBAMA,

IT CAUSES OBAMA'S NECK

TO STIFFEN FURTHER.

AND WHEN OBAMA PUSHES NETANYAHU,

IT SENDS HIM TOWARD HIS CORNER.

SO IT'S ALL WRAPPED UP IN THE

DYSFUNCTION BETWEEN THESE TWO

MEN.

NARRATOR: BY THE FALL OF

2012, AT THE UNITED NATIONS,

OBAMA WOULDN'T EVEN SIT IN THE

SAME ROOM WITH NETANYAHU.

THERE WAS AN ATTEMPT TO SET

A MEETING BETWEEN THE PRIME

MINISTER AND THE PRESIDENT IN

SEPTEMBER AT THE U.N. WHEN

THEY'RE BOTH AT THE GENERAL

ASSEMBLY, AND THE PRESIDENT

WON'T TAKE THE MEETING.

NARRATOR: NETANYAHU DECIDED

TO DO SOMETHING NO OTHER ISRAELI

PRIME MINISTER HAD DONE:

APPEAR TO ACTIVELY SUPPORT

THE PRESIDENT'S OPPONENT.

HOW ARE YOU, MY FRIEND?

GOOD TO SEE YOU.

THANKS SO MUCH FOR MAKING TIME

TO SAY HELLO.

YOU'RE VERY KIND.

IT WAS A REMARKABLE SCENE.

YOU'VE NEVER SEEN AN ISRAELI

PRIME MINISTER GET AS DIRECTLY

INVOLVED IN A POLITICAL CAMPAIGN

AS THIS ONE.

GOVERNOR ROMNEY, MITT,

IT'S A PLEASURE TO WELCOME YOU

IN JERUSALEM.

WE'VE KNOWN EACH OTHER FOR MANY

DECADES.

WE WERE SO YOUNG THEN,

AND FOR SOME REASON,

YOU STILL LOOK YOUNG.

I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU DO IT.

IT'S A REAL GAMBLE FOR

NETANYAHU TO EMBRACE MITT ROMNEY

THE WAY HE DOES.

I MEAN, IT'S A RELATIVELY BRAZEN

INTERFERENCE, IN EFFECT,

IN AN AMERICAN ELECTION.

NARRATOR: AND NETANYAHU'S

WEALTHY JEWISH SUPPORTERS IN

AMERICA INITIATED A MEDIA

CAMPAIGN.

THE WORLD TELLS ISRAEL,

"WAIT, THERE'S STILL TIME."

NARRATOR: THE AD TARGETED

JEWISH VOTERS IN FLORIDA.

AND I SAY, "WAIT FOR WHAT?

WAIT UNTIL WHEN?"

THE WORLD NEEDS AMERICAN

STRENGTH...

NARRATOR: AT THE WHITE HOUSE,

ADMINISTRATION OFFICIALS SAID

NETANYAHU HAD CROSSED THE LINE.

IT WAS, I THINK, PRETTY CLEAR

THAT NETANYAHU WAS NOW WORKING

WITH THE REPUBLICANS TO TRY

TO DEFEAT HIM.

THERE IS NO DOUBT IN MY MIND

THAT HE WAS, HE AND DERMER,

HAD PLACED THEIR BET ON THE

REPUBLICANS WINNING IN 2012.

THE VOTERS VOTE,

THE COUNTERS COUNT...

NARRATOR: ON ELECTION NIGHT,

NETANYAHU WATCHED WITH

ANTICIPATION.

CAMPAIGN 2012.

WE'RE CLOSING IN ON THE FIRST

RESULTS IN THE BATTLE FOR THE

WHITE HOUSE...

I KNOW FOR A FACT THAT

ON ELECTION NIGHT, YOU KNOW,

THE CHAMPAGNE BOTTLES,

METAPHORICALLY, WERE ON ICE.

THEY WERE WAITING.

THEY WERE ABSOLUTELY CONVINCED

THAT THE WORLD COULD NOT FAIL

TO SEE THINGS AS THEY DID,

AND THEREFORE ROMNEY WOULD

ALMOST CERTAINLY WIN.

THIS IS AN ABC NEWS...

NARRATOR: BUT AS THE RESULTS

CAME IN, OBAMA WON STATE AFTER

STATE.

HERE WE ARE, OHIO IS IN.

WE ARE PROJECTING THE

BATTLEGROUND STATE...

THE ISRAELI GOVERNMENT

ANALYSIS WAS THAT ROMNEY

WAS GOING TO WIN.

YOU ARE LOOKING AT THE

PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES.

NARRATOR: AGAIN, OBAMA

RECEIVED AN OVERWHELMING

JEWISH VOTE: 69%.

NETANYAHU WAS ONE OF THE LAST

PEOPLE, REALLY LAST PEOPLE,

LIKE MIDNIGHT U.S. TIME ON

ELECTION NIGHT, TO SORT OF SAY,

"OH, I GUESS HE REALLY DIDN'T

HAVE IT."

HE WAS LIKE A FOX NEWS

BITTER ENDER IN THAT SENSE.

NARRATOR: IN VICTORY, OBAMA

DECIDED AMERICA WOULD HANDLE

IRAN WITHOUT ISRAEL.

I THINK IN THAT PERIOD,

THE AIR WENT OUT OF THE BALLOON.

I THINK THE PRESIDENT HAS

ESSENTIALLY WRITTEN OFF

NETANYAHU.

NARRATOR: OBAMA WANTED

TO TALK WITH IRAN, AND SAW AN

OPPORTUNITY TO SHOW DIPLOMACY

WOULD BE MORE EFFECTIVE THAN

NETANYAHU ' S CONFRONTATIONAL

APPROACH.

OBAMA COMES TO OFFICE ON THE

THEORY THAT WE SHOULD TALK TO

OUR ENEMIES, RIGHT?

AND IRAN IS AMONG THEM.

YES, IRAN IS A HOSTILE COUNTRY.

YES, IRAN IS SPONSORING

TERRORISM.

BUT IF WE DON'T FIND WAYS

TO CONNECT WITH THEM,

THERE'S NO WAY TO COUNTER THEM.

AND SITTING DOWN TO TALK, TO

HIM, IS A RATIONAL, REASONABLE

THING TO DO.

NARRATOR: OBAMA TOLD HIS

STAFF TO ENGAGE IN A SERIES OF

SECRET NEGOTIATIONS WITH IRAN,

AND HE ORDERED THEM NOT TO TELL

NETANYAHU.

THERE WAS CONCERN THAT THERE

WERE ENOUGH ISRAELIS HOSTILE TO

THE VERY NOTION OF A CHANNEL

WITH IRAN THAT IT WOULDN'T

REMAIN PRIVATE AND IT WOULD GET

BLOWN UP POLITICALLY BEFORE

WE HAD A CHANCE TO EXPLORE

WHETHER IT WOULD WORK.

NARRATOR: THE SECRET MEETINGS

CONTINUED FOR MONTHS IN THE

GULF STATE OF OMAN.

BUT ISRAELI INTELLIGENCE SOON

FOUND OUT, AND THEY WERE

MONITORING THE TRAVELS OF

WILLIAM BURNS AND JAKE

SULLIVAN, THE U.S. NEGOTIATORS.

ISRAELI INTELLIGENCE LEARNS

THAT THE UNITED STATES HAS A

SECRET BACK CHANNEL OF

NEGOTIATION WITH IRAN IN OMAN,

IN MUSCAT.

AND WHEN IT LEARNED ABOUT THIS,

OF COURSE BENJAMIN NETANYAHU

WAS FURIOUS.

IT WAS A TYPE OF IMPLOSION.

WE'RE CONFRONTED WITH THIS

REALITY IN WHICH OUR PRINCIPAL

ALLY HAS NEGOTIATED BEHIND OUR

BACKS FOR SEVEN MONTHS WITH OUR

WORST ENEMY.

NOW, THAT IS HARD TO SQUARE.

BENJAMIN NETANYAHU SEES THIS

HIGHLY SENSITIVE, SECRETIVE

INTELLIGENCE COMING FROM

TEHRAN.

THE IRANIANS ARE HAPPY, THE

AMERICAN DELEGATES ARE MAKING

CONCESSION AFTER CONCESSION,

AND IT LEADS, I THINK NATURALLY,

TO HARSHEN THE LINE AGAINST

THE U.S. GOVERNMENT AND SAY,

"THIS IS A VERY BAD DEAL.

YOU ARE GOING TO MAKE A VERY

BAD DEAL."

SECRETARY OF STATE JOHN KERRY

ARRIVES IN ISRAEL TODAY...

HIS NEXT STOP, ISRAEL...

NARRATOR: JUST AS OUTLINES

OF A SECRET DEAL BECAME PUBLIC,

SECRETARY OF STATE JOHN KERRY

MADE A STOPOVER IN ISRAEL.

NETANYAHU RUSHED TO BEN GURION

AIRPORT FOR A FACE-TO-FACE

MEETING WITH KERRY.

WE FELT IT'S RIDICULOUS,

UNJUSTIFIED, IMMORAL.

IT'S GOING TO BE MORE OF THE

SAME AND WORSE THAN THE SAME.

NARRATOR: WHILE KERRY WAIT ED

IN THE FIRST-CLASS LOUNGE,

NETANYAHU STOPPED FOR A WORD

WITH THE PRESS.

I UNDERSTAND THE IRANIANS ARE

WALKING AROUND VERY SATISFIED,

AS WELL THEY SHOULD BE, BECAUSE

THEY GOT EVERYTHING AND PAID

NOTHING.

THIS IS A VERY BAD DEAL,

AND ISRAEL UTTERLY REJECTS IT.

NARRATOR: THEN NETANYAHU

HEADED FOR KERRY.

HE DID NOT HOLD BACK.

IT WAS JUST KERRY AND

NETANYAHU, BUT I WAS OUTSIDE

THE ROOM AND I COULD HEAR IT.

I COULD HEAR IT, THAT'S FOR

SURE.

HE HAD A REALLY STRONG SENSE

OF BETRAYAL.

HE WAS FURIOUS.

WHEN BIBI GETS UPSET, HE STARTS

SCREAMING AND POUNDING THE

TABLE.

AND SO IT WAS ONE OF THOSE

MOMENTS.

NARRATOR: BUT HE WAS NOT

DONE.

BEFORE LEAVING, NETANYAHU

WENT BEFORE THE CAMERAS

ONE MORE TIME.

THIS IS A BAD DEAL,

A VERY, VERY BAD DEAL.

IT'S THE DEAL OF THE CENTURY

FOR IRAN; IT'S A VERY DANGEROUS

AND BAD DEAL FOR PEACE

IN THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY.

NARRATOR: LATER THAT DAY,

NETANYAHU SUMMONED OBAMA'S

FORMER ADVISOR DENNIS ROSS.

BIBI ASKED ME TO COME AND SEE

HIM ON FRIDAY EVENING AT THE

PRIME MINISTER'S RESIDENCE.

SO IT WAS SHABBAT EVENING.

AND I GET THERE ANDI HAVE

TO WAIT ABOUT CLOSE TO AN HOUR

BECAUSE HE'S ON THE PHONE

WITH THE PRESIDENT.

NARRATOR: IN AN EMERGENCY

PHONE CALL FROM AIR FORCE ONE,

OBAMA TRIED TO CALM NETANYAHU

DOWN AND PERSUADE HIM THAT

A DEAL WITH IRAN WOULD MAKE

ISRAEL SAFER.

BUT IT DIDN'T WORK.

AS MANY TIMES AS I HAVE DEALT

WITH BIBI, I HAD NEVER SEEN HIM

THIS WAY.

HE WASN'T ANGRY, BUT HE WAS...

THE ONLY WAY I CAN PUT IT

IS THAT HE WAS FEELING ALARMED.

NOT ANGRY, BUT ALARMED.

AND THE FIRST THING HE SAYS

TO ME IS, "THE PRESIDENT HAS

DECIDED HE HAS NO CHOICE BUT

TO DO A DEAL WITH THE IRANIANS,

FORCE US OFF THE TABLE."

AND I SAID, "HE DIDN'T SAY THAT

TO YOU."

HE SAID, "HE DID."

I SAID, "NO, HE DIDN'T

SAY THAT TO YOU."

HE SAID, "HE DID."

NARRATOR: NETANYAHU BELIEVED

THE IRANIANS WOULD ONLY RESPOND

TO THE THREAT OF FORCE.

TO HIM, IF THAT WAS NOT AN

OPTION, OBAMA WAS SURRENDERING

TO THE IRANIANS.

I HAVE NO RECOLLECTION OF THE

PRESIDENT EVER TELLING PRIME

MINISTER NETANYAHU THAT THE

MILITARY OPTION IS OFF THE

TABLE.

THE PRESIDENT WAS SAYING, "LOOK,

WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY HERETO

GET MORE THROUGH DIPLOMACY THAN

WE COULD ACCOMPLISH EVEN THROUGH

TAKING MILITARY ACTION."

AND THAT'S AN ARGUMENT HE'S HAD

WITH THE PRIME MINISTER MULTIPLE

TIMES OVER THE COURSE OF THE

LAST TWO YEARS NOW.

BIBI WAS CONVINCED OF WHAT

HE HAD HEARD.

HE WASN'T SAYING HE SAID THOSE

EXACT WORDS, BUT HE INTERPRETED

WHAT HE HEARD AS IF THE

PRESIDENT, "YOU KNOW, THERE'S

TOO MUCH WAR WEARINESS IN THE

STATES, I DON'T HAVE THE OPTION

OF USING FORCE.

THIS IS THE ONLY OPTION I HAVE."

NARRATOR: ROSS REACHED OUT TO

SECRETARY OF STATE JOHN KERRY.

I ACTUALLY CONTACTED KERRY

AND SAID, "LOOK, YOU HAVE

A PROBLEM HERE.

IT HAS TO BE FIXED."

HE SAID, "I'LL CALL HIM."

I SAID, "NO, IT SHOULDN'T BE

YOU.

THE PROBLEM ISN'T YOU.

THE PROBLEM IS WHAT BIBI THINKS

WHERE THE PRESIDENT IS.

THIS NEEDS TO BE FIXED

BY THE WHITE HOUSE."

AND IT WASN'T.

HE DIDN'T GET A CALL.

PRESIDENT OBAMA BEGAN THE

SELLING JOB FOR THE NUCLEAR

DEAL WITH IRAN...

NARRATOR: INSTEAD, OBAMA WENT

TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE TO SELL

A DEAL THAT WOULD IMPOSE LIMITS

ON IRAN'S NUCLEAR PROGRAM AND

ALLOW INTERNATIONAL INSPECTIONS

IN EXCHANGE FOR LIFTING

SANCTIONS.

FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF U.S.

INTERESTS, IT IS FAR BETTER

IF WE CAN GET A DIPLOMATIC

SOLUTION.

FOR THE FIRST TIME IN A DECADE,

WE'VE HALTED THE PROGRESS

ON IRAN'S NUCLEAR PROGRAM.

KEY PARTS OF THE PROGRAM

WILL BE ROLLED BACK.

A COMPREHENSIVE AGREEMENT THAT

PREVENTS A NUCLEAR-ARMED IRAN,

SECURES AMERICA AND OUR ALLIES,

INCLUDING ISRAEL, WHILE

AVOIDING YET ANOTHER MIDDLE

EAST CONFLICT.

TOUGH TALK, AS THE PRESIDENT

OF THE UNITED STATES IS TRYING

TO PULL A MAJOR SALES JOB...

FOR OBAMA, THIS IS HIS CHANCE

AT A LEGACY IN THE MIDDLE EAST,

WHICH HAS BEEN VERY, VERY

FRUSTRATING FOR HIM.

IRAN IS SO CENTRAL TO HIS LEGACY

AND HIS PERCEPTION OF AMERICAN

NATIONAL INTERESTS.

IRAN HAS AGREED TO

TEMPORARILY FREEZE KEY PARTS...

NARRATOR: IN MARCH 2015, AS

THE PRESIDENT AND IRANIANS

WERE ON THE VERGE OF SIGNING

A DEAL...

GREEN-LIGHT AN HISTORIC

DEAL...

NARRATOR: BENJAMIN NETANYAHU,

RUNNING OUT OF TIME, ARRIVED IN

WASHINGTON TO MAKE THAT

CONTROVERSIAL SPEECH URGING

CONGRESS TO BLOCK THE DEAL.

YOU CAN SEE HIM WALKING BY

WITH DANA, MAYBE HE'LL STOP.

SEE, NETANYAHU HAS ALREADY

GIVEN UP ON OBAMA, HE LOOKS

AT WASHINGTON AND SAYS,

"WHO CAN I FIND AS AN ALLY?

WELL, THE REPUBLICANS NOW

CONTROL BOTH HOUSES OF

CONGRESS, AND IN EFFECT,

HE DECIDES TO MAKE COMMON CAUSE

WITH THEM.

IT'S A BIG DAY ON CAPITOL

HILL.

ISRAEL PRIME MINISTER BENJAMIN

NETANYAHU WILL ADDRESS

CONGRESS.

MR. SPEAKER!

THE PRIME MINISTER OF ISRAEL.

NARRATOR: HE COULD COUNT ON

THE REPUBLICAN PARTY TO BE

AGAINST THE PRESIDENT AND

ENLISTED AIPAC-- THE POWERFUL

AMERICAN ISRAELI PUBLIC

AFFAIRS COMMITTEE- TO GO ON THE

ATTACK.

FOR HIM TO GO ON SUCH A TEAR

AND DENOUNCE IT AND LINE AIPAC

UP TO SPEND $20 MILLION TO TRY

TO DEFEAT IT IS A HUGE MISTAKE.

IF HE LOSES, THE PRESIDENT WILL

HAVE SHOWN THAT HE CAN STAND UP

TO ISRAEL AND THE VAUNTED

ISRAELI LOBBY, AND THAT WILL

BE A LESSON FOR A LONG TIME.

I WANT TO THANK YOU ALL

FOR BEING HERE TODAY.

I KNOW THAT MY SPEECH HAS BEEN

THE SUBJECT OF MUCH CONTROVERSY.

NARRATOR: A LARGE NUMBER OF

DEMOCRATS BOYCOTTED THE SPEECH,

CHOOSING TO STAND BY THE

PRESIDENT.

YOU HAVE THIS GREAT DRAMA

OF AMERICAN POLITICS.

YOU HAVE THE DRAMA OF A

REPUBLICAN CONGRESS WHO ALMOST

SEEMS TO WANT TO HAVE BIBI

NETANYAHU AS ITS LEADER RATHER

THAN BARACK OBAMA.

TODAY, THE JEWISH PEOPLE FACE

ANOTHER ATTEMPT BY YET ANOTHER

PERSIAN POTENTATE TO DESTROY US.

I THINK THIS IS FOR HIM

THE FIGHT OF HIS LIFE.

HE IS NO LONGER RATIONAL

ABOUT IT.

A RATIONAL PRIME MINISTER

OF ISRAEL, UNDERSTANDING THE

IMPORTANCE OF THE U.S./ISRAEL

RELATIONSHIP, WOULD NOT CONFRONT

THE PRESIDENT ON THE MOST

IMPORTANT AGREEMENT THAT HE HAS

MANAGED TO NEGOTIATE IN HIS

PRESIDENCY.

WE MUST ALL STAND TOGETHER TO

STOP IRAN'S MARCH OF CONQUEST,

SUBJUGATION, AND TERROR.

NARRATOR: IT WAS RHETORIC

HE HAD PERFECTED OVER DECADES,

DELIVERED TO A RECEPTIVE CROWD.

26 STANDING OVATIONS.

BUT IN THE END, IT WOULD NOT BE

ENOUGH.

MAY GOD BLESS THE STATE OF

ISRAEL, AND MAY GOD BLESS THE

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.

NARRATOR: WITHOUT THE

DEMOCRATS, THE REPUBLICANS ALONE

COULD NOT STOP THE DEAL.

ON THE ONE ISSUE HE CARED MOST

ABOUT, NETANYAHU WOULD FAIL.

IF, GOD FORBID, IT GOES BAD

IN TEN YEARS' TIME, OR 20 YEARS,

I THINK THAT WE WILL ALL GO BACK

TO THESE YEARS,

FROM 2009 TO 2015,

AND WE WILL BE DEEPLY SADDENED

BY THE FACT THAT THERE WASN'T

THE ABILITY TO RISE TO THE

CHALLENGE, TO WORK TOGETHER,

TO GET OVER THE BAD BLOOD,

TO GET OVER THE MISTRUST.

YET ANOTHER ATTACK IN THE

VIOLENCE BETWEEN ISRAELIS

AND PALESTINIANS...

...SEEN AN UPSURGE IN

VIOLENCE IN OCCUPIED TERRITORY

AND IN ISRAEL ITSELF...

NARRATOR: IN THE MONTHS THAT

FOLLOWED, VIOLENCE RETURNED TO

ISRAEL AND THE PALESTINIAN

TERRITORIES.

PUSHED TENSIONS BETWEEN

ISRAELIS AND PALESTINIANS

TO A BOILING POINT...

YOU DO NOT HAVE AN ISRAELI OR

PALESTINIAN LEADER RIGHT NOW, OR

AN AMERICAN PRESIDENT, FRANKLY,

WHO'S PREPARED TO PAY THE PRICE

OF WHAT IT WOULD TAKE TO LAY

THE BASIS FOR A CONFLICT-ENDING

AGREEMENT OF THE ISRAELI/

PALESTINIAN CONFLICT.

EVERY BUS STATION, EVERY

STREET CORNER IS THE SCENE OF

POTENTIAL ATTACK...

NARRATOR: THE PRESIDENT WHO

HAD SOUGHT TO BRIDGE DIFFERENCES

CAN DO LITTLE NOW BUT WATCH

AS THE CONFLICT CONTINUES.

AND THEY'RE JUST THE LATEST

VICTIMS IN A WAVE OF

VIOLENCE...

THE GREAT DREAM HE HAS WHEN

HE COMES INTO OFFICE THAT HE'LL

BE THE PRESIDENT WHO FINALLY

SOLVES THIS, HE BASICALLY TOSSES

THAT ASIDE.

AND HE ADMITS IT.

HE THOUGHT THAT IF HE SIMPLY

SAT PEOPLE DOWN AT A TABLE,

THAT THEY WOULD BE REASONABLE

AND THEY COULD FIGURE THIS OUT.

AND THAT WAS JUST OBVIOUSLY

NOT GOING TO BE THE CASE.

ISRAELI OFFICIALS ARE

STEPPING UP SECURITY

MEASURES...

NARRATOR: NETANYAHU HAD

PROMISED ISRAELIS SECURITY

THROUGH STRENGTH, BUT STILL

PRESIDES OVER A FEARFUL COUNTRY

UNCERTAIN ABOUT ITS FUTURE.

IT WAS SO NEEDED THAT THE

PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES

AND THE PRIME MINISTER OF ISRAEL

WILL WORK TOGETHER IN AN

INTIMATE WAY.

THE PEACE PROCESS HAS BEEN

DEAD NOW FOR MORE THAN A YEAR.

THE FACT THAT THIS NEVER

HAPPENED, THAT IT WAS ALL

BITTERNESS AND SUSPICION AND

POLITICAL BOXING, IT'S A VERY

SAD CHAPTER OF HISTORY.

MORE ON THE HISTORY OF

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ISRAEL

AND U.S. PRESIDENTS.

IT'S NOT GOING TO HAPPEN.

READ EXTENDED INTERVIEWS WITH

AMBASSADOR MARTIN IN DYK...

THAT'S WHY IT GOT OFF TO A

BAD START.

MICHAEL OREN...

NOW, THAT IS HARD TO SQUARE.

AND OTHERS.

WHO DOES HE THINK THE

SUPERPOWER IS?

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