re: #459 SanFranciscoZionist

I think the argument against Obama has validity but gets played up to an extreme.

I really don’t think he understands the implications of his policy and statements in that arena, or if he does than I think his priorities are off.

I do not think he is anti-Israel or a closet anti-semite. I do think he puts more of the blame for the conflict on the Israelis, and is much more sympathetic to the Palestinians, than previous administrations.

I think it’s likely he means to show the Israelis that he means business, and he isn’t going to give them a free pass on anything… but to get his point across he’s overplayed his hand and has gotten the Israelis very much on the defensive and has the Palestinians licking their chops.

Which is why I’m glad the state department finally made a statement today condemning the incitement. It was the first public statement focusing on the Palestinians without first mentioning problems with Israel since the whole Ramat Shlomo incident.

Obama is lucky the Israelis have Netanyahu in power. If it was anyone else from any of the parties on the right, the whole dispute could have turned MUCH worse. Netanyahu and Amb. Oren have been doing their utmost to shout to the world how solid the bond between the countries remains, and the administration after it’s initial outburst has done the same.

But there is still a sense of frostiness there, and whether or not it’s a true frostiness, it’ll enter into the calculations of Israel’s enemies.