At the United Nations this morning, President Obama characteristically tried to have it both ways on the Arab-Israeli conflict while also defending his own record of support for peace. He made the now obligatory appeal for a Palestinian state while also speaking up for Israeli security. He particularly deserves credit for pointing out Israel remains under siege from terrorists, and Jewish children grow up knowing Arab children in surrounding nations are taught to hate them.
Much of Obama’s speech was familiar material and little of it was of great interest, especially his lengthy tribute to the world body as an institution and his defense of its generally awful record in responding to human rights abuses. But there was one point that should have been of great interest to the president’s supporters, especially those who have been ardent defenders of his stance on Israel. In the course of reciting his administration’s efforts to revive the moribund peace process, Obama claimed his May speech (in which he demanded the 1967 lines be the starting point for future negotiations) put forward a “new basis” for the talks. That’s funny, because at the time he claimed it was nothing new, and that has been a talking point for Jewish Democrats ever since. So who was telling the truth? The Obama of May 26 or the Obama of Sept. 20? The answer is the latter.
The president’s UN speech today was right on this point. Obama was not the first president ever to mention the 1967 lines, but he was the first to explicitly demand Israel concede in advance any adjustments to those borders could only come with the consent of the Palestinians. This was completely different from George W. Bush’s 2004 stand, when he said it was the Palestinians who must understand the ’67 lines could not be resurrected. By saying today the Palestinians had a right to know the extent of the territory of their future state, Obama was more or less guaranteeing there would be no real give and take on borders by a U.S./Palestinian dictat that Israel must accept.
This completely contradicts the spin put forward by the president’s Jewish defenders, who have asserted not only was the May 26 speech nothing new, but it did not fundamentally tilt the diplomatic playing field in the direction of the Palestinians.
It is true this administration has maintained the strategic alliance with Israel, and this president has said and occasionally done things that reaffirm the friendship between the two nations. However, as he again confirmed today, Obama has also done more to support the Palestinian position against Israel than any of his predecessors. It is a great irony the Palestinian leadership has not taken advantage of his support and has instead preferred to boycott peace talks. Doing so protects them from having to recognize the legitimacy of a Jewish state no matter where its borders are drawn. But that doesn’t change the fact Obama has undermined Israel’s negotiating position, and his stands are a complete departure from the policies of his two most recent predecessors. As his speech today illustrated, this fact cannot be wished away by his supporters.
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