Older and Weiser

I think Israel is sending clear signals to President Obama that his Middle East policy is not working for them. Whether or not the Jerusalem Post poll is accurate (I think many Israelis are fond of the president) Israel’s leadership continues to believe their nation is gravely threatened. While President Obama has not stood before the security fence and bellowed: “Mr. Netanyahu, tear down this wall!” the concern is—in my judgment—that the president’s diplomacy towards the Arab world comes at the expense of Israeli security.

How does Obama threaten Israel’s security? From what some Israelis tell me, security means the status quo. Most sane people don’t believe reconciliation is a logical possibility. The hatred and violence might never end and all Israel can do is take steps to minimize the damage. The situation is akin to bailing water from a sinking boat in the middle of the ocean. Yes, you can stay afloat, but that’s about it; for most Israelis, that’s enough. They have seen what happens when an innovator tries to turn water into wine—Bill Clinton’s aggressive push for a peace settlement was a pure failure because it presupposed a solution was even possible. The whole edifice of Clinton’s Mideast policy came crashing down on a technicality: the only “solution” for the Palestinians is an Israel without Jews.

Therefore, Israelis live inside a cage and try to go about their lives. Unfortunately, they can’t. A good number of politicians and military figures see Israel’s borders darkening. Men like Brigadier General (Ret.) Effi Eitam believe another war is inevitable. For them, Obama’s overtures to the Muslim world couldn’t come at a worse time. Instead of standing in Israel’s corner, many people see Obama as reticent, and therefore provocative to Israel’s enemies.

President Obama is either not getting the message, or he’s too focused on enlisting Arab support for a new peace process to notice. Or perhaps he doesn’t believe that Israel faces an existential threat from Iran. Or perhaps he thinks his perspective is too encompassing to have Israel loom large in his thinking. You could pack five Israels into Illinois! Whatever the case, I’m finding it hard to sort out President Obama’s priorities.

Filed under: Uncategorized by Robert Peach