Obama Flinches On Israel After Starting Out Tough

The Washington Post:

President Obama came into office insisting that his administration would press hard and fast to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. But after nine months, analysts and diplomats say, the administration's efforts have faltered in part because of its own missteps.

As Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton made clear during her Middle East trip, which ended Wednesday, U.S. officials are now promoting new tactics -- what they called the "baby steps" of lower-level talks -- to bring the Israeli and Palestinian leaders together for direct talks.

Read the whole story: The Washington Post

Comments

[larmarch5]

I think this is the real goal of Lieberman on his threatening to filibuster health care bill. And watch for more US "aid" for Israel to buy Black Hawk helicopters, built in CT.

[totaldisbelief]

Business as usual......no real change here....more words no substance.....just plain disappointing.

[gbrooks]

I'd go so far as to call it repulsive.

Bunch of sell-outs to another country.

[clearwaterclearmind]

why is it such a problem to support a nation we helped secure, to the extent of granting them their own ancestral grounds back, against an ideology that has continually murdered people that won't fall in line with their own rhetoric.

[JimR]

Why is it such a problem to insist that a nation abandon its de facto apartheid system, and stop treating other human beings as something less than human?

[totaldisbelief]

who are you talking about ?....that case can be made either way.

[yankee222]

Thus far Obama has kow towed to Russia on the missle defense, to China on not allowing the Dahli Lama to visit and now to Israel.

Get a spine bucko or step down from the job.

[CommunistUtopia]

Great analysis.

[themainpoint]

President Obama will find some good guidance on Afghanistan and Israel in George Washington's farewell address to the nation.---and so will all Americans. Washington wrote this address for us and all past and future Americans as guidance for how to keep our country free and strong.

He knew what he was talking about as he wrote the words below after having studied history and what key things caused governments that gave citizens a voice to become tyrannical.

He wrote it after having presided over the making of our Constitution and establishing a free nation that inspired the whole world.

He wrote it after having successfully led the revolution against the tyrant King of England. He wrote it after having served two terms as the first President of our country.

"...nothing is more essential than that permanent, inveterate antipathies against particular nations and passionate attachments for others, should be excluded; and that, in place of them, just and amicable feelings towards all should be cultivated.—The Nation, which indulges towards another an habitual hatred or an habitual fondness, is in some degree a slave. It is a slave to its animosity or to its affection, either of which is sufficient to lead it astray from its duty and its interest. "
"
More to come...

[themainpoint]

more of George Washington's Farewell Address:

"...a passionate attachment of one Nation for another produces a variety of evils.—Sympathy for the favorite nation, facilitating the illusion of an imaginary common interest in cases where no real common interest exists, and infusing into one the enmities of the other, betrays the former into a participation in the quarrels and wars of the latter, without adequate inducement or justification. It leads also to concessions to the favorite Nation of privileges denied to others, which is apt doubly to injure the Nation making the concessions; by unnecessarily parting with what ought to have been retained; and by exciting jealousy, ill-will, and a disposition to retaliate, in the parties from whom equal privileges are withheld; and it gives to ambitious, corrupted, or deluded citizens, (who devote themselves to the favorite Nation) facility to betray or sacrifice the interests of their own country, without odium, sometimes even with popularity "

The whole address is here and on lots of other sites:
http://www.bartleby.com/43/24.html

[themainpoint]

More of George Washington's advice on foreign affairs from his farewell address:

"Against the insidious wiles of foreign influence, I conjure you to believe me, fellow-citizens, the jealousy of a free people ought to be constantly awake; since history and experience prove that foreign influence is one of the most baneful foes of republican Government.—But that jealousy, to be useful, must be impartial; else it becomes the instrument of the very influence to be avoided, instead of a defense against it.—Excessive partiality for one foreign nation, and excessive dislike of another, cause those whom they actuate to see danger only on one side, and serve to veil and even second the arts of influence on the other. Real Patriots, who may resist the intrigues of the favourite, are liable to become suspected and odious; while its tools and dupes usurp the applause and confidence of the people, to surrender their interests.  34   The great rule of conduct for us, in regard to foreign Nations, is, in extending our commercial relations, to have with them as little Political connection as possible.—So far as we have already formed engagements, let them be fulfilled with perfect good faith."

[gbrooks]

Thank you.

[LeeCalif]

As one of the former Israeli foreign ministers once said, to paraphrase: the peace talks keep the world talking and meanwhile Israel creates the facts on the ground. Take a look at the changes in the map of Israel since 1948 and it's impossible to miss what's happening. Israel is taking the whole enchilada and there's not much to talk about. The only thing slowing them down is their strategy of trying to keep the world talking so they can avoid a direct reprimand. Not that a reprimand would make any difference but it would be uncomfortable. The US isn't going to hassle them about it.

[ray01]

fanned

[JimR]

Bravo

[LeeCalif]

President Hy pocrite.

[epiphany1234]

What "hasn't" Obama flinched on from his campaign days...?

[expired]

Dear MoveOn member,
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That's how much progressives pledged this week to fund primary challenges against any Democratic senator who blocks an up-or-down vote on health care reform with a public option.

It's a huge sum, and the clearest signal yet that any Democrat who helps Republicans filibuster health care reform will face an enormous backlash from the grassroots.

Here's another way to make sure conservatives think twice before joining with Republicans: Many of these senators hold coveted committee chairmanships that give them significant power within the Senate.

Our friends at Democracy for America have launched an open letter urging Senate Democrats to strip committee chairmanship from any Democrat who filibusters health care. Will you join in? Clicking below adds your name:

http://pol.moveon.org/norewards/o.pl?id=17816-9193653-yXBqLWx&t=3

[lthuedk 1]

Done

[helen]

Obama flinches on any issue. All one has to do is bluster and Obama caves. :(

[Coinyer101]

No surprise. They all 'flinch'.....,and the cycle continues....,

[plaidsportcoat]

"amateur night at the Apollo Theater."

wonder why he extended the metaphor to include
"at the Apollo Theater" instead of just the usual "amateur hour"

[SavvyLass]

Hmm. Let's think about that one...

[AirForce Vet]

Play a foolish game and you will receive a foolish outcome. Our nation plays a foolish one sided game when it comes to Middle East diplomacy. If we play it long enough, then we are the ones who are portrayed as the fool and more so we have become the fool.

[bioluminescence]

Is there anyone on this planet who thinks the U. S. can be an effective broker in a Middle East settlement? An effective broker has to be neutral. When the U. S. facilitated Israel's membership in the exclusive nuclear club it permanently destabilized the entire region

If the U. S. were serious about achieving peace in the region it could propose a staged disarmament of Israel's 150 nuclear weapns in exchange for a halt to Iran's ambition to acquire nuclear weapons.

If Obama could sell that. It would result in a net reduction of nuclear weapons in the Middle East. It wouild also be a nice beginning to the disarmament of his own country. At that point he will have truly deserved his Nobel Peace Prize.

[alysheba 3]

There is no proof that Iran is developing nuclear weapons. So that lie can stop right now.

There is no case on Earth, other than the Palestinian/Israeli conflict, where criminal activities are allowed to continue while negotiating to end those criminal activities. And until Israel stops the theft of Palestinian land, including in East Jerusalem, there is no reason to believe that Israel has any intention of returning Palestinian land. After all, why keep building if what you build will go to someone else?

[ray01]

fanned

[Whinger]

Benjamin Netanyahu didn't blink first.