Obama the Second

A friend of Israel he is not. Only four more years to hold out.

... never helped to solve the Jewish Question ! Words can be very cheap some times. But there are so many addicted to them and do thing than complicate reality at high prices. Example : Selling cheap ends paying high prices. Isn't that what rocking chairs is all about !

Israel actually no longer needs the $3 billion aid. It is only 1% of our GDP and will be replaced by natural gas revenues in 2013. Bibi may pre-empt President Hussain by telling him that we no longer want to take his bribe money. Hussain can take the money and give it to his friends in GoldmanSachs.

"Israel needs a furious and determined American president. That is its last chance to save itself from the curse of the occupation. It will never do so of its own initiative". This is the best analysis! The King of Saudi Arabia had said, "If Israel would withdraw to 1967 borders the Muslim world will do business with her", if not, Dr. Henry Kissinger's prediction that in 10 years' time Israel will be no more will become true.

"A president who will translate his anger against Netanyahu into pressure on Israel to finally end the occupation." Obama said that there are no resantiments again Israel in his heart, second: Palestinian Authorities clearly say the two state solution is dead; they want all of Israel; also Obama will invest all his energy to solve economic problems before 31.12. he must else US will have horrible consequences and so all of the world; then he will start to talk to Iran; he has to stop the Iranian atom not because of Israel, because of US security. So the Israeli Palestinian conflict might come on his table next summer or later

The reason things are worse today than anytime since oslo is because last time round Hussain Obama made Muslim outreach his obsession since day 1 of his presidency. He went to Cairo and effectively said all arab propaganda that they have been spewing for decades was true. Every opportunity he got he would try and harm Israel or humiliate by walking out the room when in talks with Bibi at the White House have his picture taken feet on his desk which was intended as an insult to Bibi. At the same time as Obama was obsessively trying to make the muslims happy his attempts at peace talks failed and the reason for that was he was not willing to bump heads and tell both Bibi & Abbas you both talk, you both give and take if talks break down I will make sure the whole world knows who is responsible. Instead he demanded everything from Bibi nothing from Abbas. If Bibi made an offer and Abbas didn't like it Obama didn't say to Abbas Bibi made an offer you reciprocate all that happened is he would go back to Bibi and say Abbas doesn't like your offer give more. Even when Bibi offered an unconditional 10 month building freeze Obama didn't tell Abbas you give now when Abbas said it wasn't good enough Obama just told Bibi its not good enough. If Obama wants progress he cannot be the friend to the Muslim world he so desperately wants to be because you can't make the Muslims your friend and at the same time presure Abbas to make concessions because the Muslim interpretation of peace process is we make a list of demands Israel gives nothing more to talk about and that is why the arabs its been nearly 20 years since oslo and things are worse than ever despite the fact a palestinian state was supposed to have been created within 5 years originally. Problem Arafat just demanded he was unwilling to compromise and Abbas hasn't been much better, the man has only last week said conceding right of return is not an option. If there is no chance of peace without ROR then what chance does Obama have if Abbas insists on it and Israel refuses? The problem every president has had was they have been wanting to start the race and go all the way to the finish line on their watch ( ego ) when instead the more practical way of doing things is baby steps .. he gets a concession from Israel thats not so huge that its going to bring huge condemnation but its something and and in exchange he deands something from the palestinians not so huge its going to cause an uproar It takes much longer and the end game might not happen on that individual presidents watch but better chance of reaching it. Obama is going to have to remember he can't have things all his own way and also how history remembers him is what he does for America not what he did in the Middle East so he needs to dedicate 99% of his presidency to getting the economy on track and creating jobs which he promised to and failed to do in 2008. He won again in 2012 by a small margin but most people were dissapointed with him and even the majority of people who did go with him only did so because they saw him as preferable to Romney not because they liked him or had done a good job as president so he has to prove he can fix America not leave that for the next guy whilst he spends all his time on foreign policy.

I agree 100% with this opinion. Inhumane suppression of the Palestinian people and denying them statehood and a future is at the root of the world's and Israel's problems with terrorism, invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan, disputes between Christians, Muslims and Jews around the world and fear of an Iranian H-bomb and the economic woes they generate, and denial of the promise of the Arab Spring. Let Obama exert some pressure on Netanyahu. Israel will benefit more than any other country by treating the Palestinians as equals and making peace with them.

We are getting tired of Israel and your administrative behavior. Manage your own problems, including Iran. You have a powerful military, do what you must but leave us out. We are tired of your incessant quarrels and attempted manipulations.

How about for every missle Palestine sends into Isreal, the U.S. hold back one million dollars in Palestinian aide?

Do not trust Obama to do anything. He does not know how to work, he seeks fame and good times. Although he may have some distant concept of presidential behavior (such as maintaining allies) he has neither diplomatic ability nor the authority to follow through. The real power in the presidency is Joe Biden. And you cannot trust Biden with a nickel. Israel needs to look to Britain and avoid Clinton, Obama and Biden at all costs.

Finally we see light at the end of the tunnel. Go forth, Obama, and win!

Thank you for your very cerebral comments. The American people also hope our president can focus on the Palestinian/Israeli peace process. It is folly to ignore it! A stated reason for the assault on our country on 9/11 is "support for Israel." Our security is in peril because of our support for Israel and we cannot tolerate such!

The article is a painfully accurate and insightful analysis of the Israeli-Palestinian situation. The Israelis, and Netanyahu in particular need to be saved from themselves, or else what their foes predict will surely become reality with scientific predictability. One wonders what America would be like today if Lincoln and those like him did not find the courage to take on what at the time must have appeared to be an insurmountable task, taking on the scourge slavery in America. What South Africa, and many other parts of Africa would be like today, if apartheid was not confronted and defeated by the moral strength of people like Mandela, and the realization by those on the other side like de Klerk. It is well past the time to end the affliction of Israeli occupation, national harasment, outright inhuman and criminal treatment of human beings, and the “Jewish” apartheid against the Palestinian people. I say “Jewish” because it is a religious persecution as much as it is a national persecution against a people. Perhaps Barack Obama has the moral strength, and is lacking the hypocrisy that has afflicted all those before him, and the Israelis themselves, even their own Barak.

President Obama is a carefully considerate human being. He is not going to plunge us into the abyss but there was every chance the outspoken bullish Romney would have done. There comes a time when old enmities serve no other purpose than to kill innocents. Much of the world grows very tired of political right wing rhetoric which serves no purpose other than to de-stabilise a region. The vale of Armageddon is to close and there is too much disturbance close too. Mr Netinyahu has every chance of starting something he cant stop. He also has the chance to fulfill the dreams of a predecessor who was brutally murdered by his own. You might have significant powers at your fingertips but use them and the resultant holcaust might well overtake you. Phyric victories lead to an end game whose price is unthinkable.

israeli jews, the us jews essentially have no desire to support you as the won't even support their own country. i and many other like minded people in my town are down with your concerns, issues and future stability. our new/old president obviously has no desire to maintain a friendship along any lines. you need to stand in line because he has just as much contempt for his usa enemies, which includes me because he didn't receive my vote. please stop playing up to the usa and if you can manage to free some land for caring christians, i would imagine that i and millions of other usa residents would love to renounce our citizenship and call your country our own. regards, the former respected usa

The writer lacks an understanding of the old and wise saying, "never wish for something, for you may get what you wish for." Ending "the curse of the occupation" will bring the curse of a dagger in the soft belly of the nation in the form of a Hamas ruled internationally recognized entity with the might of Hezbollah mere kilometers from Tel Aviv allied with Iran. Ben Gurion Airport will be under short range missile fire as Sderot is today. The water table of the Judian hills will be under the control of a determined and hateful enemy dedicated to Israel's destruction. No border fence will stop the endless siege of the heartland - the lessons of Syrian artillery on the Golan and Hezbollah rockets in southern Lebanon will not be forgotten by the Palestinians. An uncomfortable occupation is far preferable to a foot on our throat. Wishing for an American President to push a risky and irreversible peace plan upon us is to wish for a curse.

If the Israelis decided to stop the occupation of Palestine it would be OK with everybody I know!

Two days ago you wanted nothing to do with president Obama or the US that was led under the leadership of Obama, your pick was Mitt and nothing else, now your kissing president Obama's proverbial backside and now suggesting that unless the president is "a furious and determined American president" then all is lost in Israel. You don't really think that do you, I always envisioned Israel as strong and fearless that would never back down from a fight, yet the verbiage in this article paints another picture. If Netanyahu does not have plan B he is one lousy leader considering he spat upon the sitting American President and put all his eggs in Mitts basket. If Israel needs help then your going about it all wrong, Netanyahu needs to step back and think prior to making his next move, I would think an apology would be a great place to start and then change the tonality, instead of demanding the US fix all your problems, suggest some middle ground and work from their. MrEthiopian Th3

yes, we all hope Barack Obama will find a backbone, for many issues...but I'm not holding my breath.

<<<<< MY OWN SPECULATION ABOUT OBAMA PLAN: >>>> (A) -- Lift all sanctions on Iran and establish full diplomatic U.S.-Iran relationships simultaneously with UN-monitored full stop of weapon-grade uranium enrichment and of all external hostile acts and incitement >>>> (B) -- Simultaneously advancing and securing Israeli-U.S.-Palestinian multinational plan that includes sharing of old-Jerusalem Temple Mount, agreed-upon land swaps, gradual return of agreed-upon numbers Arab refugees to specific locations West of the Jordan River and proper compensation to others, permanent, Sinai-like, U.S.-only armed forces on the Jordan River, full support of the entire plan by Israel and by key friendly Arab states, >>>> (C) -- establishment of Palestinian State less missiles, tanks and fighter aircraft but with strong police-like, armed forces with capital in Rammala and free access to some Government Offices located next and North to/of the Temple Mount.

I'm sorry, but I cannot agree that President Obama's re-election is the basis for a new understanding. Most Americans are only now beginning to understand Israeli actions toward the Palestinians post 1967. No amount of sweet coating of Bibi's interference in our election will change the new direction: Israel is more than ever before going to be on its own. Thanks, Bibi! My country will enjoy its new-found independent. Thomas H. Nelson, Welches, Oregon, USA

Israel will win only through human behavior by vacating occupied lands since 1967 war. US cannot continue firing Palestine over so called terror. Weak can only show anger against occupation while strong Israel must honor human dignity and UNO.

Please understand that the vast majority of Americans can't tell the difference between and don't even care about either Israel or Palestine. Both fall into the 'crazy tribes' category, and we mostly wish to not hear of you again. Fighting over sand strikes us as insane. We hope Obama deals with our real issues instead of attending to your silly situation. Best of luck. Shalom. (not that you want it...)