For the better part of half a century, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee has fought for a singular goal: To rally United States government support for the policy goals of the Israeli government. On Sunday, President Obama appeared before AIPAC’s annual conference to argue that the interests of Israel and its government, led by …
israel
Bibi and Barack Meet: So Much for the Fireworks
Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu continued their icy relationship in front of the cameras Friday after what the President somewhat ruefully called “prolonged” talks, suggesting that Bibi had delivered one of his trademark multi-part lectures on the requirements of Israeli security. The two were correct and diplomatic, …
Obama Struggles to Keep Pace with the Middle East Mess
Listening to the commentary, you might think President Obama’s speech on Thursday was an important moment in Middle East history. It is a “hugely important speech,” said Wolf Blitzer on CNN in the run-up; Obama to …
In the ArenaUncategorized
Foxman on Petraeus?
Abe Foxman of the Anti-Defamation League has, according to Andrew Sullivan, indirectly accused General David Petraeus of “blaming the Jews for everything.” I’m not sure that Foxman had Petraeus, specifically, in mind–or maybe just the vast majority of humans who are concerned about Israel’s continuing colonization of Palestinian lands. …
Israel Embarrasses Vice President Biden, Sparks Rebuke From U.S.
This appears to be the diplomatic equivalent of an ambush. Vice President Biden, on a visit to Israel, spent the day talking up the close relationship between Israel and the United States.
“Progress occurs in the Middle East when everyone knows there is simply no space between the United States and Israel,” Biden said. “The United
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In the ArenaUncategorized
Latest Column–and More on the Middle East
On Gaza.
I’ve spent the past three days wandering about the West Bank, visiting new commercial developments and social programs, and speaking with Palestinian leaders, including President Mahmoud Abbas and Prime Minister Salam Fayyad. I’ve also spent some time in Israel, talking with prominent members of Benjamin Netanyahu’s …
In the ArenaUncategorized
Anti-Semitism, Again
It’s not much fun when your friends get into a deep, personal, cage-match sort of fight. In this case, the fight is between Andrew Sullivan and Leon Wieseltier–people I respect, love and admire. Leon has launched a nuclear attack on Sullivan’s writings about neoconservatives and Israel:
Criticism of Israeli policy, and sympathy for the
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In the ArenaUncategorized
Middle East Clarity
Over at the Commentary blog, Max Boot has made the Neocon-Likud position on peace talks fairly plain: the effort on the part of the Obama Administration to convince the Israelis to freeze all settlements has been “nonsense.” And while I agree that the Obama negotiators have been naive and incompetent in dealing with Likud intransigence, …
