Obama Loses Israel Settlement Fight, Pivots In His Demands

nytimes.com:

UNITED NATIONS -- President Obama, who has met immovable resistance from Israel over his demand for a full freeze on settlements in the West Bank, is largely setting that issue aside as a first step toward restarting Middle East peace talks.

Read the whole story: nytimes.com

Comments

[WarSkeptic]

Wasn't much of a fight

[MarcusT]

The Zionists are even surprised how easy this one fell.

[ray01]

Obama has just done the Tel-Aviv Two Step...it's time for the American public to wake up & throw the Israeli shackles off...it's nauseating to think of how much power the terrorist nation of Israel has over our Senate, House & Oval Office. Cut the aid. Boycott anything Israeli. Impose sanctions. Neutralize her nuclear capacity & the greatest threat to world peace.

[LeroyJenkins]

I think he suddenly realized he needs to be re-elected to serve 8 years

[who38]

In that case, a pivot isn't going to do it. My guess is that Obama will "choose not to run" and Biden, whose epaulets are being burnished by the NYTs and others will become the candidate. Obama will still have his place in history so it will be win-win for everyone except the voter.

[jwcmass]

Is this just idle speculation? Or do you know something (or someone)
the rest of us don't?

Most Presidents have sought second terms, unless, like HST and LBJ, their popularity is so low that they know running would only lead to defeat.

The ONLY President I can think of who was somewhat popular and could have had a second term if he wanted it--but refused to run, was James K Polk. That was in 1848.

And he may have decided not to run because of his health-- he died not long after leaving office.

You don't get to be President without being very ambitious. So it's unlikely that ANY President would choose not to run for a second term. (unless their health was in poor condition).

And don't you think Sec. Clinton might have something to say if Obama chose not to run, and tried to hand off the baton to Biden?

[arvay]

Deep-six to the two-state solution.

Which never was a practical idea, as this humiliating foreign policy reversal demonstrates. The correct answer to Israeli intransigence would have been cutting aid. Instead, we get a "pivot," which means surrender to a nation that owes its minute-by-minute existence to our largess.

To the other world leaders, Obama has demonstrated he's tough enough to make deals in Chicago.

There are two choices now, a single state that embraces both Jews and Arabs, or continued struggle and war. Israel has already chosen war.

Obama can continue to issue "commands" for the two sides to negotiate, but he's already a laughable figure. How does this differ from Bush's policy? O yeah, Bush never issued meaningless "orders" to Israel.

[Goefel]

The Palestinians should ask for the Northern half of Tel-Aviv (formerly Jaffa). It's only fair given they want half all of Jerusalem. I would also want more coastal property.

[jwcmass]

This was just one meeting, and I wouldn't rule anything out. Obama almost certainly knew he wasn't going to get even this symbolic concession now.

but more than most politicians, he is a long-term thinker. often five steps ahead of everyone else.

my guess (and that's all it is) is that -- beginning in mid -October (when Sec. Clinton is due to report on the progress of negotiations) that that is when the pressure will gradually (and probably secretly-- so as not to corner Netanyahu) will be turned up.

This is all still so early that it's way too soon to know how it will all shake out.

[YoJymbo]

And Iraq is not a foreign country recieving aid, it is a country that is occupied by US forces and in the middle of a war against those forces. So, your argument is not only riddled with misinformation, you are making faulty comparisons between foreign aid and money used to fight the Iraq war.
FOX NEWS is in your future baby Sherone.

[telee]

What do you mean Obama loses fight to ban the settlements. I haven't seen him fight for anything except pleasing the politial donors.

[iLoveOldNY]

We need to stop supporting Israel.

[who38]

Why don't you turn your comment into a picket sign and stroll the upper east side. But, be sure that your health insurance is paid up.

[gakabani]

It seems that we all were deceived or we deceived ourselves when Obama was elected. It does not matter who we elect, they are all sub servants to Israel.

[who38]

Israel, like AIPAC, may be a junior partner.

[Goefel]

Once the dollar collapses and we can audit the Fed, Israel will not be our special friend any longer.

[bermanator]

I'm pretty sure the majority of you will be too busy cannibalizing each other to care.

[FairuzGhowar]

You know for a fact that settlements are built to make a two state solution impossible by creating "facts on the ground" and its bull to claim not freezing them has no negative effect.... One State it is then :) Obama didn't listen to Yahoo instead he is pushing for a permanent solution now since Israel can't seem to handle step by step.

[Merp]

This is too bad but it has a very simple solution and would have them changing their mind in minutes: Stop funding Israel.

[martin2]

US should stop funding ethnic cleansing period.

[who38]

We have a winner! Fanned.

[Balzac]

"Obama Loses Israel Settlement Fight, Pivots In His Demands" - I reject this headline. President Obama did not make demands and thus did not lose a "fight" with Netinyahu. President Obama's preference may not have been accommodated, but he certainly has lost no fight against Prime Minister Netinyahu of Israel.

[Ergon]

Gutted and filleted.

[Dailykook]

I love sushi.

[whiteboyblues]

We should stop sending our tax payer dollars to Israel.

[SteadyOn]

How much healthcare would $3 Billion per year buy us??

[norkas]

i am a very big supporter of Israel but that being said please look at who is the builder at the new settlements and you will see there is another reason why this going on. Israel is a country today that is soooooooooo corrupt like any other third world nation and safly to not reflect the many of the people living there .

It is sad for me to see this massive scale of corruption but he builder makes sure lost of money will be divided up even those these later will be destroyed when peace is made.

I know Israel very well and only wish for a times when in such a holy land the leaders and many of the people change

[who38]

Funny how that is always overlooked. Havent' Benny, Olmert, the children of Begin and Sharon all been involved in gratt and corruption?

I would like to see the Israeli census figures for incoming and outgoing people during the past twenty years. I know several people who moved to Israel and then left because the corruption was so rampant. Of course, they were not Hara.di; but they were Z.ionists.

[max08]

Agree.

[marignymitch]

I hope no one is surprized. And, oh, Isreal gets to keep its $ mutibillion US allowance.

[Xentrix]

Huffington Post made quick work of getting this off the front page in no time flat. This is a seriously sad story.