This will create enormous stress lines in the American Jewish community, of which I`m a member. What you take away from the speech is that American and Israeli policy interests may overlap but are not completely coincident. As Benn acutely observes, the lasting lesson of 9-11 is that the so-called `war on terror` cannot be won purely with force, but requires diplomatic jiu-jitsu. The AIPAC argument that what Israel wants is ipso facto in American interests no longer holds water.
Many of us here have seen for a long time that the key to defusing Islamic fundamentalist violence and addressing Iran begins with defusing the Israeli-Palestinian stand-off. That requires a leap of faith amongst Israelis who have convinced themselves that the Arabs are their eternal enemies. Obama clearly believes that is key, and will frame his policy accordingly. It`s up to Israel to determine which side of the fence it`s on but if it guesses wrong, don`t expect the American Jewish community to follow. |
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