Palin, Biden: Middle East 101

I have to give credit where credit is due. Last night, Sarah Palin managed to say Ahmadinejad three times without stumbling or stuttering like her partner John McCain did when he debated Barack Obama. And yes, I know she confused McClellan for David McKiernan when referring to the commanding general in Afghanistan.

But when it came to the Middle East, both candidates forgot to bring their "Middle East 101" manuals to the podium with them.

Now here is a "gotcha" opportunity that Palin missed out on had she had the manual on hand.

This is what foreign-policy expert, Senator Biden had to say when talking about Lebanon, "When we kicked -- along with France, we kicked Hezbollah out of Lebanon, I said and Barack said, move NATO forces in there. Fill the vacuum, because if you don't know -- if you don't, Hezbollah will control it. Now what's happened? Hezbollah is a legitimate part of the government in the country immediately to the north of Israel."

What Palin could have said was," Excuse my naiveté Senator...but Hezbollah has always been a legitimate part of the Lebanese government, they have several representatives in it. Also, it was the Syrians who were kicked out of Lebanon not Hezbollah!" But she didn't. She had forgotten to bring her "Middle East 101" manual.

This is the message Biden sent last night to the entire Arab world: democratically held elections are a bad thing, especially if the party the United States does not approve of wins. Biden said, "He (Bush) insisted on elections on the West Bank, when I said, and others said, and Barack Obama said, "Big mistake. Hamas will win. You'll legitimize them." What happened? Hamas won."

There was a confusing moment when Biden twice repeated that "we spend more money in three weeks on combat in Iraq than we spent on the entirety of the last seven years that we have been in Afghanistan building that country." The fact of the matter is, nearly $88 billion were spent on Afghanistan since 9/11 according to a report by the Congressional Research Service. He also neglected to mention that unlike in Iraq, the EU and NATO countries have pitched in both militarily and in reconstruction efforts.

And yes, the surge, the surge, the surge...do you remember four years ago...it was the Iraqi elections and how wonderful things are going to be for everyone in Iraq. No one mentions this anymore!

Both candidates raised concerns over Iran and Pakistan's nuclear programs. However, neither mentioned Israel's or India's nuclear weapons, as if this had no impact on neighboring countries in the region.

There was one thing both candidates did not require a "Middle East 101" manual for. They both delivered the perfect Israel love fest moment when Sarah Palin told Joe Biden,"I'm so encouraged to know that we both love Israel, and I think that is a good thing to get to agree on." She also repeated a line that we often hear from candidates, something that has never happened -- the idea of moving the US embassy to Jerusalem.

Jamal Dajani produces the Mosaic Intelligence Report on Link TV

Follow Jamal Dajani on Twitter: www.twitter.com/jamaldajani

Comments

[LizM]

Might I suggest that you take a look at the complete Biden and Palin records on the Middle East, and then tell us who needs the "manual".

Surely you are not seriously intimating that an accurate position on such a complicated and multi-faceted matter as Middle East policy can be even remotely gleaned from a 90-minute restricted-format VP debate...are you?

[jad114]

Does Palin need more than 90 minutes of scrutiny? Maybe someone should conduct with her a one on one interview like Kouric's?

[bootcamp]

McCain has nowhere to go now but down. He can run away from President Bush, but he can't run away from the Republican Party. The Republicans will be regarded from now on as "the party that wrecked America." Over the weeks ahead, as carnage in the economy and the financial markets ramps up, it will become increasingly clear. It is important that this meme be spread through the internet. I urge all commentators to adopt and spread the idea that the Republicans are "the party that wrecked America." It will work because it is the truth. Just spread the word.

[Liberoservative]

My thoughts are the fact that nothing has been done in the recent past to move forward the Middle East problems.......

I also will admit that no POTUS knows what the answer is......

I will say that POTUS Obama will bring all the parties together.... whether he makes a difference or not is debatable... but at least they will come to the table. I really have confidence in Obama to change the mindsets of this part of the world. I believe that as POTUS he will have a very long "honeymoon" period in which the rest of the world might actually realize that we are all in it for prosperity.
I believe that he will do more for Democracy than McCain..... I also believe that the status of America will be raised among the world with an Obama presidency....

We are really on a cusp of reality, peoples.... we can choose to move to the future or we can remain in our past....

I choose the future...

GObama/Biden 08/12

[RedneckNOT]

The close relationship between the US and Israel is NOT based on mutual respect and shared values. That is a fallacy. It is based on mutual political need. And the relationship is one that inspires the modern day resentment many Arabs and muslims harbor against the US. It behooves the next US administration to address this and demonstrate to the Middle East - and the world - that it can be an impartial arbiter in international conflicts.

[Texas4Obama]

Senator Biden during the debate did use the word 'Bosniacs' which is a CORRECT word when referring to Muslim Bosnians. A lot of reporters and bloggers thought that he was wrong but he was RIGHT ;)

O and Joe '08

[YDKS]

The only thing that makes this term "CORRECT" is that it's the term cooked up by the US to identify the demographic of Bosnians who are muslims. No Bosnian calls themself a Bosniac.

[jusion]

Israel and the United States are both democracies that hold liberty in the highest regard. Moreover,
Israel is the sole democracy in the Middle East. In their respective regions and throughout the world,
both countries are examples of the democratic values of peace, freedom, and justice.
Israel is perhaps the single most reliable, capable, and willing friend of the United States in its region and in the world. That statement is not a romanticization but is empirically verifiable by the fact that Israel’s support for the United States’ positions in international forums (like the United Nations) has surpassed any other governments’ — even those of other Western countries such as France, Britain, and Canada — for the last 60 years. Democrats and Republicans across the board have been unified in one voice supporting American friendship with Israel. Whereas support for America among European countries sways with changes in political climate and zeitgeist, Israeli support for America is simply a fact of life.
It's painfully obvious, Mr. Dajani, the special relationship between the US and Israel is one of the things that keep you up at night. Deal with it. It's not about to change.

[justice2008]

"Israel and the United States are both democracies that hold liberty in the highest regard. Moreover,
Israel is the sole democracy in the Middle East." Are you Kidding?

That's why Israel needs an Apartheid Wall and by-pass "only Jews " roads. Israel is a theocracy and a Jewish democracy but certainly not a democracy !

[SadButWiser]

You forgot to add that Israel and the USA has one more thing in common; they both occupy Arab lands. Unless you recognize this fact, you may have to stay up all night too.

[jusion]

The Land of Israel (Erez Israel) is given to Jews by G-d as stated in Holy Torah. That is where the Jewish Nation was born 4,000 years ago. That is where Jewish kings ruled. This is where the Jewish Temples stood, where the Jewish cities were built. The Jews worked This Land long before Arab People left Arabian Peninsula on the jihadi conquest. They were exiled from This Land by armed force 2,000 years ago. But now they are back.
We never forget Our Land. In exile, every Jew prayed 3 times daily for return to Zion. We are commanded to live on the Land of Israel. We can not live outside of it. Land of Israel belongs to the Jewish People. Remember that.

[jad114]

You forgot to mention how Palin said that she shared Henry Kissinger's passion for diplomacy...this is scary. Did she mean his war diplomacy?

[newsjunkie5]

Great analysis Mr. Dajani!

Your article is fair and points out voids in both candidates' arguments.

I must say though...Palin had some unforgettable sound bytes...

the Castro Brothers...isn't their latest movie coming out next weekend?

Kissinger and his Passion for Diplomacy...of course she knows this after spending a whole 5 minutes talking with him.

Todd and I are just like you...everyday Americans.­..middle-c­lass Americans...???

I will give the McCain/Palin team credit by saying that they must have put in long hours with her because she was well rehearsed. When asked questions that she had rehearsed she was confident and strong, but whenever she needed to respond to a comment made by Biden, it all went to hell. Palin's lack of experience and knowledge came through. She never answered the questions or even spoke to the topic. She just skirted around the issues and focused on how great it is to be an American and live in this great land!

[justice2008]

This is the most honest analysis on the candidate's knowledge of the Middle East! And what about that love fest with Israel? It's sickening!

[newsjunkie5]

No kidding. I felt like puking when Palin kept repeating how Israel is our friend and how much she loves Israel! Gross!

This reminds me of Bush's ideology of "us" versus "them."

I am sick of our long-term monogamous relationship with Israel.

Let's give some other countries a chance...!

[leonardox1]

Did this make me puke or what? How long are going to keep kissing Israel's behind? I thought that the Republican's slogan is America first!