There are conflicting reports about a meeting held yesterday between President Obama and some 25 figures from the American Jewish community, including many of his supporters, in advance of his trip to Israel later this month. The Times of Israel says that one of the participants claimed the president said he would present a comprehensive peace plan for the Middle East sometime in the next year. But JTA’s report based on a larger sample of participants dishing about the event contradicts that statement. That was backed up by a denial issued by a senior administration official who told the Times of Israel that there was no “framework” for peace mentioned at the meeting.
The consensus about the meeting is that, as one person who quoted the president to JTA said, there would be no “grandiose” plans for peace presented to the Israelis when he arrives for his long-awaited visit. Though the president will be holding out hope that the current “bleak” prospects for peace will improve, the notion that Obama would risk any of his scarce political capital by trying to impose terms of a peace plan on Israel that the Palestinians are not interested in is absurd. Though Obama will put himself on record as opposing Israeli settlements as well as Palestinian attempts to avoid negotiations via the United Nations, he appears to be only interested in keeping the situation calm. After four years of antagonism with the government of Benjamin Netanyahu, the president seems to have arrived at a similar conclusion as his Israeli counterpart. At least for now, he’s done trying to solve the conflict and only wants to manage it as well as possible.
That probably comes as a surprise as well as a shock to many of Obama’s most ardent Jewish supporters who would like him to ratchet up the pressure on Netanyahu, as well as to his greatest critics who harbor the suspicion that his goal is bring the Jewish state to its knees. It may be that were circumstances different, the president might well come closer to making those hopes and fears come true. But right now, Obama has higher priorities than pursuing his feud with Netanyahu.
That won’t preclude the president from trying to arrange a grand gesture, such as a summit at which Jordan’s King Abdullah and Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas will join Obama and Netanyahu for a photo op. But even those observers, like myself, who don’t trust Obama, need to give him credit for having paid some attention to what the Palestinians have failed to do over the last four years. The Palestinians have made it clear that they have no intention of signing a peace agreement that would recognize the legitimacy of a Jewish state no matter where its borders would be drawn. That means a solution to the conflict is impossible in the foreseeable future and that the only logical approach to it is one that seeks to manage it while preventing conflagrations.
As the reports from the meeting and other signs coming from Washington show, the president seems to understand that the confrontation with Iran over its nuclear threat has eclipsed the Palestinian issue as a priority. While Obama is trying to dampen any expectations that his visit to Jerusalem might restart the peace process, the one thing he may hope to accomplish there is to ensure that the Israelis refrain from any unilateral strike on Iran.
In order to do that, he has to show that the United States is committed to Israel’s security and can be trusted to do the right thing on any security-related issue. That’s a tall order given the president’s low popularity in Israel, but the trip could go a long way toward repairing the faith the average Israeli has in Washington’s good will. It may do just that provided, that is, the president doesn’t do or say anything that can be interpreted as revealing his disdain for the Jewish state.
As much as both the left and the right are seeking to figure out the specific motives for the trip, making a symbolic statement of Obama’s support for Israel that will give America the leeway to act on Iran at its own pace may be the only plausible answer.
There are good reasons to worry that the president’s reluctance to, as JTA says, do any “chest beating” about Iran may be a symptom of his lack of urgency about the issue or his reluctance to actually take action before it is too late. There’s little reason to believe diplomacy or sanctions can work after years of failure. But if Obama can finally convince Israelis that he should be trusted, its likely they will give him all the time he asks for. As much as there is still a wide gap between the positions Obama and Netanyahu may have on Iran, it may be that, at least for the moment, they are on the same page when it comes to the Palestinians.
"the notion that Obama would risk any of his scarce political capital by trying to impose terms of a peace plan on Israel that the Palestinians are not interested in is absurd." n nAbsurd perhaps, but many absurd things have ended up as policy in the Obama Admin. n nAnd why, Jonathan, must the 'palestinians' and their ridiculous claims be 'managed'? For how long must they be 'managed'? For how many deaths, and how many genocidal statements and actions? n nWhatever happened to defeating one's enemies?
Mr. Tobin needs to re-read his WWII history. Managing those that want to destroy you is not a winning strategy. Defeating them ideologically and militarily is the only way to bring a lasting peace. n nObama needs to read WWII history at least once. Obvioulsy, he is clueless. Just look at how he handles Iran. And, PA/PLO/Fatah/Abbas has him completely bamboozled. He actually thinks it is a "moderate" entity because he never reads/listens/watches the genocidal narrative it feeds to its own people in its own media, a very Chamberlainesque error.
Obama has already given PA the destroy Israel weapon that it wanted: he permitted PA to go to the UN and get status upgrade. With that PA will take Israel to the corrupt, hate-Israel International Criminal Court where PA will get the destroy Israel verdicts that it wants – just like it is getting UNESCO to declare ancient Jewish heritage sites as "Islamic". n nObama could have stopped PA from going to UN for upgrade status just like Reagan did: by threatening the end of all politcal and financial support. We know that despite words asking PA not to make the move, he was never serious about stopping PA because after PA got its upgrade he has refused to cut off funding, he has refused to close its DC office – nothing, not one sign that Obama is "upset" that PA went to the UN. n nObama is a left wing Israel destroyer. A stealthy one, but an Israel destroyer never the less.
"As much as there is still a wide gap between the positions Obama and Netanyahu may have on Iran, it may be that, at least for the moment, they are on the same page when it comes to the Palestinians." n nG-d forbid, Tobin.
"Obama’s most ardent Jewish supporters who would like him to ratchet up the pressure on Netanyahu, as well as to his greatest critics who harbor the suspicion that his goal is bring the Jewish state to its knees. " Well, these are "Obama's most ardent Jewish supporters." These are the Noam Chomskys of our community. These are the people who either remained silent when Hagel was made Defense Secretary or went so far as to applaud Obama for doing so. These are the Norbert Mezvinskis and other academic scum or the types Michael Barone and Jay Cost call the "gentry liberals" in safe suburban and wealthy city districts who have no worries about physical safety that plagued our parents, aunts, uncles and grandparents before mayors like Giuliani and Rendell blew away crime. n nTo use the Christian metaphor, these are the crosses our community has to bear.
Obama's most ardent "Jewish" supporters do not know the history, archeology, comparative religion, nor the jurisprudence that proves the land, from the river to the sea, belongs to the Jews. n nIsrael, with Jerusalem as its capital, became the Jewish state 1500 years BEFORE the advent of Islam. Never, EVER has their been an Islamic/Arab/"Palestinian" state where Israel + Judea Samaria (West Bank) is today. NEVER in history has any part of Jerusalem been the capital of any Arab/Isalmic/"Palestinain" state – NEVER. n nShould any member of Obama's most ardent "Jewish" supporters ever want to leave his/her state of willful blindness, here is a short (100) page book to read as a primer. There is an extensive bibliography so one can read more: "History Upside Down, The Roots of Palestinian Fascism and the Myth of Israeli Aggression" by David Meir-Levi. Pres. Obama should read it on the way to Israel as well. Fact based policy always has better results than fantasy based policy.
Obama's trip, if it's not cancelled at the last second by Obama seems to defy all logic and sense. Obama either believes he can alight from Air Force One and declare Himself the Prince of Peace and solve all problems or he's running out the clock on any material actions against Iran. A bit of both I suspect, from a man who's lived inside the bubble of his own arrogance for decades.
I agree, that Obama knows there is no meaningful "peace deal" possible right now between Israel and the Palestinians. But as for Iran's nuclear threat, that's another matter. There, Israel can be "useful" to the president, and he won't hesitate to sacrifice Israel's interests if he can bring Iran to forgo its nuclear ambitions. n nMy fantasy is that the president has already put a deal together, either with Iran's secret participation or entirely alone in the White House, and that the deal will present Israel with an offer they can't refuse: a "nuclear-free Middle East." Along the lines of a recent interview with Turkey's PM, Abdullah Gul, Israel will be "asked" to get rid of its nuclear arsenal. Since Israel will never do this, no matter how many "promises" Obama makes re: "having Israel's back," this will prove awkward for the Israelis. They will be branded a pariah state, for standing in the way of—–you name it! n nObama? No matter what Israel does, our illustrious president will have earned that Nobel Peace Prize. Those Norwegians knew their man, alright!
It’s foolish to think that the 25 figures of American Jewish community, including many of Obama’s Zionist supporters mentioned in The Times of Israel & JTA’s report are to educate President Obama about the genius mindset of Benjamin Netanyahu. Obama ain’t an idiot as Bibi, he knows that he’s gonna visit the biggest loser on planet earth who’s in the office for over sixty days and he’s unable for form a government. The Israelis elected Bibi to insult him and punish him as Knesset hen. Benjamin Netanyahu should hang himself for screwing-up the last Gaza stunt show. Bibi called draft of 85,000 reserves – only 15,000 stateless unemployable kleptomaniac settlers showed-up to go to gaza to kill Palestinian babies, elders, women and most importantly steal Gazan Creditcards to eTrade on eBay. Bibi alias Benzion Mileikowsky like any East European Urban Reject craves for Power & Property that he ain’t there. Bibi doesn’t know that he has no time, no friends, no support, no power, no authority he’s a doublethinker. President Obama will be in Tel Aviv next Friday for a Mugshot at the Kotel.