PA Praises Obama -Khaled Abu Toameh
The Palestinian Authority welcomed as "encouraging" President Obama's decision not to [ever] move the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Obama invoked U.S. national security interests to notify Congress that he will not move the embassy to Jerusalem.
Obama's notification did not include a commitment to moving the embassy at some point in the future, unlike his predecessors, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush.
(Jerusalem Post)
A Symbol of Obama's Hostility to a United Jerusalem -Jonathan S. Tobin
President Obama's decision to speak of Jewish neighborhoods in Jerusalem as "settlements" that must be frozen and his insistence on using the 1967 lines as the starting point for future negotiations - as opposed to Bush’s frank acknowledgment that those neighborhoods and the surrounding settlement blocs will always be part of Israel - has put the status of Jerusalem back on the political front burner.
(Commentary)
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5 comments:
This is indeed another wrong-headed move. Much like all of Obama's other ideas about Israel, it is more unpleasant than anything else. Who cares if Obama won;t make a future commitment. When the time comes, the then President will do what is right. Obama is clearly trying to gain favor with some groups at the expense of others because nothing he is actually saying means much or will accomplish anything. Time will tell if his posturing will lead to anything positive, but if his election is too close---he may regret the constituents he is clearly angering---and perhaps losing---now.
He seems to be doing everything he can to piss off pro-Israel voters. Me included.
I'm also not so sure Obama's new move is as inconsequential as you state. Delivering this message to Abbas when he has just embraced Hamas, is dangerous...it encourages the PA's move toward extremism...rewards it, in fact.
The American view, the work of the President, has never affected the Israel/Palestinian conflict. It has affected Egypt, it has moderated Jordan (along with many realities that their leaders at the time understood) but nothing nay President has done has made a significant impact yet. Obama wants to try this, I don't think it is good nor will it accomplish anything, but Congress and American sentiment and intelligence needs will protect Israel while we see what Obama is trying to play out.
I hope you are correct.
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