He simply can't leave it alone.
The so-called 'charm' offensive with Israel is over, now that the midterms are concluded. And Barack Obama plans to make up for his abject policy failures at home and abroad by trying to muscle Israel, just as I predicted.
The Israelis have announced building permits for around 1,345 badly needed apartments in the Har Homa neighborhood of Jerusalem. Since the so-called building freeze is over, there's no reason for them not to, especially since the freeze never included Jerusalem in the first place.
However, President Obama took special pains during his visit to the Muslim nation of Indonesia to single out Israel for criticism over the building permits, something I'm sure went over well with his audience.
He pulled the same thing last spring, turning an innocuous announcement of housing starts in an established Jewish neighborhood in Jerusalem into an “insult” to the United States and a major diplomatic incident. The fracas and the ensuing attempt to humiliate Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House not only did nothing to advance negotiations between the 'Palestinians' and Israelis but actually alienated some of Obama's political base among American Jews.
Hence the cynical attempt before the mid terms to mend fences, charm American Jews and pretend that it was all a colossal misunderstanding.The Administration's demonization of Netanyahu ceased, and numerous 'unshakable ally' statements were released.
The first sign that this was simply so much kabuki designed to con naive supporters of Israel came when Obama put pressure on Israel to extend the ten month building freeze including in Jerusalem, something that took no account of the political risk Netanyahu had taken in putting a temporary freeze in place to begin with, or the fact that the 'Palestinians' knew full well the time limits on the freeze and deliberately chose to wait nine and a half months to enter direct talks.
When Netanyahu countered with an offer to take an extension proposal to his cabinet provided the 'Palestinians' simply recognized Israel as a Jewish state, the 'Palestinians' refused outright. So there was absolutely no incentive for Israel to continue the freeze, and they decided to proceed with erecting some badly needed housing.
Netanyahu's response to Obama's remarks was to simply say that Jerusalem was not a settlement, it was the capitol of Israel, and the Israeli government had never agreed to place any restrictions on construction in Jerusalem anyway.
Obama is scheduled to make a 'Cairo Two' speech aimed towards appeasing the Muslim world in Indonesia tomorrow. It appears to be a constituency whose approval he cares more about than some of the people that actually voted for him.
I would bet that he's going to play to the crowd on Israel as well as other issues, and that Obama will ramp up Jews building homes in Jerusalem into a fresh diplomatic incident.
Like I said, he simply can't leave it alone.
(via memeorandum)
2 comments:
"Like I said he simply can't leave it alone." Doesn't Congress control the purse strings? Specifically doesn't the Hosue control this? Is there any possibility of the House cutting funding for these things so he is forced by necessity to "leave it alone."
For what its worth, this isn't really a matter of supporting Israel or not supporting Israel. It is a matter of American national interests. The problems faced by America are MASSIVE!! As I've already discussed here and elsewhere more times than I can remember, there's simply nothing America can do to actually sovle this problem. Even if it could, there is little to no benefit to American national interests. In other words, solving this problem does NOTHING to solve America's problems. As such, it is down right foolish to waste valuable resources on this that could be used to constructively address America's problems.
The statement of the Idonesian leader is most interesting. He says we "need" a resolution to the Israel/Palestine problem.
I have several basic thoughts on this. Is this man so drunk on Anti-Americanism that he doesn't understand the limits of American power? Why didn't the American President very gently point this out to him? Perhaps Mr. Obama is living in a bubble and doesn't understand the nature of the world today. Aren't there enough problems in Indonesia for the Indonesian leadership to address without focusing on a problem involving peoples who are far from them. Where are the Indonesian people to remind him of this fact. Who has worse leadership, Aemrica or Indonesia?
Presumably this visit was done to promote business opportunities between us and them. If so, while the cost seems a little high, this would actually be a worthwhile mission.
Part of leadership is keeping yourself and your team focused on the tasks at hand. We CANNOT afford to be distracted by side issues such as the Israeli/Palestinian issue. If Mr. Obama or the Indonesian leader are good leaders, they will get back on the task that needs to be accomplished.
Finally, is there SOMETHING, ANYTHING the new House can do to put a stop to this foolsihness on the part of the White House? Maybe cut funding for the State Department. Perhaps we can cut the funding available for non domestic travel. In any event, we have GOT TO focus properly on addressing America's problems. We CANNOT afford to get sidetracked on things like the Israeli/Palestinian issue.
"Like I said he simply can't leave it alone." Doesn't Congress control the purse strings? Specifically doesn't the Hosue control this? Is there any possibility of the House cutting funding for these things so he is forced by necessity to "leave it alone."
For what its worth, this isn't really a matter of supporting Israel or not supporting Israel. It is a matter of American national interests. The problems faced by America are MASSIVE!! As I've already discussed here and elsewhere more times than I can remember, there's simply nothing America can do to actually sovle this problem. Even if it could, there is little to no benefit to American national interests. In other words, solving this problem does NOTHING to solve America's problems. As such, it is down right foolish to waste valuable resources on this that could be used to constructively address America's problems.
The statement of the Idonesian leader is most interesting. He says we "need" a resolution to the Israel/Palestine problem.
I have several basic thoughts on this. Is this man so drunk on Anti-Americanism that he doesn't understand the limits of American power? Why didn't the American President very gently point this out to him? Perhaps Mr. Obama is living in a bubble and doesn't understand the nature of the world today. Aren't there enough problems in Indonesia for the Indonesian leadership to address without focusing on a problem involving peoples who are far from them. Where are the Indonesian people to remind him of this fact. Who has worse leadership, Aemrica or Indonesia?
Presumably this visit was done to promote business opportunities between us and them. If so, while the cost seems a little high, this would actually be a worthwhile mission.
Part of leadership is keeping yourself and your team focused on the tasks at hand. We CANNOT afford to be distracted by side issues such as the Israeli/Palestinian issue. If Mr. Obama or the Indonesian leader are good leaders, they will get back on the task that needs to be accomplished.
Finally, is there SOMETHING, ANYTHING the new House can do to put a stop to this foolsihness on the part of the White House? Maybe cut funding for the State Department. Perhaps we can cut the funding available for non domestic travel. In any event, we have GOT TO focus properly on addressing America's problems. We CANNOT afford to get sidetracked on things like the Israeli/Palestinian issue.
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