Obama's Mideast Meddling

It’s an issue that never goes away – a problem that never gets solved.

It is peace in the Middle East.

Once again it is front and center, largely because U.S. President Barack Obama seems to think he can force a settlement by putting pressure on Israel and sympathizing with Palestinians.

If so, he reckoned without the personality of Benjamin Netanyahu – the first and only Israeli PM who was born (in 1949) in Israel after it became an independent state.

Like him or loathe him, Netanyahu is as tough, blunt and forthright as any of his predecessors -- and more charismatic than most.

Dynamic and articulate, he is easy for Americans to like since he’s more comfortable in the English language than most Americans. He speaks with no detectable accent, unless it’s a Philadelphia one, where he once lived and went to school.

Obama disapproves of settlements on the West Bank, favors a return to Israel’s 1967 borders, urges more “peace talks,” and the recognition of a Palestinian state.

Netanyahu has met and disagreed with Obama. Last week he addressed a joint session of Congress and got the rock star treatment, with over 50 outbursts of applause and many standing ovations.

If anything put a damper on Obama’s enthusiasm for pressuring Israel to comply, Congress’ reaction to Netanyahu gave him pause.

While acknowledging that Israel would make compromises for peace and a Palestinian state – unspecified and undefined as those compromises might be—Netanyahu made it abundantly clear that there’d be no return to 1967 borders, no removal of settlers, no acceptance of Palestinian evacuees  and no negotiations with Palestinians that involved Hamas, which he equates with al-Qaeda. No shilly-shallying here.

Like the UN, Obama seems to think the Israeli occupation of the West bank is “illegal.” This in itself is odd. It was taken over by Israel after the 1967 war which Egypt provoked and Israel won.

Since when has it been “illegal” to capture land in a war? Yes, Israel might have been wise to negotiate “peace” in return for access to seized land after winning in 1967. But when the late Yasser Arafat reneged on getting 95% of the contentious area, all bets were off.

And Israel will never let Jerusalem become a divided city. Period.

As for Hamas, and its apparent reconciliation with Mahmoud Abbas’ Palestinian Authority, how can Israel possibly rely on anything it says? Hamas is Israel’s sworn enemy, as it was an enemy to the PA – and still is when the occasion warrants. Abbas knows this, but he’s under pressure too.

Israel is not my favorite country, but it has to be acknowledged that the only country in the Mideast that genuinely wants peace is . . . Israel.

If neighboring countries want peace, all they have to do is stop attacking and subverting Israel. Retaliation is not war-mongering.

Netanyahu says he will accept a Palestinian state (something of a concession), if Palestinians will accept the same for Israel? The endless dance macabre continues.

With Congress apparently enthralled with Netanyahu’s rhetoric and resolve, perhaps President Obama will reconsider previous remarks and admonitions. At the moment, he joins a long list of U.S. Presidents who’ve sought to broker peace in the Middle East, and failed.

Largely, Palestinian leaders don’t want peace; they want Israel destroyed.

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