- Dec 29, 2008
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You've got to feel sorry for Abbas who only reluctantly broke off negotiations with Israel during Cast Lead out of fear of being branded a traitor if he didn't and was then misled by Obama's get tough with Israel demeanor into making unattainable demands as a precondition for resuming negotiations by Obama's assurances to him that he would extract major concessions from Israel or force the Netanyahu government from office. Like a lot of Congressional Dems, Abbas is probably sitting around his house now thinking, "Why did I ever listen to this schmuck?"
Netanyahu must have been smirking inside when he said these words, almost exactly the same statement of appreciation of Obama a Saudi prince recently made on the Charlie Rose show. The Israelis and the Saudis, both old hands at complex negotiations with super powers, have been holding diplomacy clinics for the enlightenment of the Obama administration. First, Obama talked tough about Israel, labeling all the settlements, including the Jewish neighborhoods in East Jerusalem, "illegitimate" and demanding a total freeze on construction in order to win the confidence of the Arabs, and then he told the Israelis that he would persuade the Arab states to make major moves towards normalizing relations with Israel.
The Israelis said, great, we'd love to see relations with the Arab states normalized, but a total construction freeze would be too unpopular with the Knesset and the public, so here's what we can do and perhaps you'll tell us how to sell such an unpopular idea to the Israeli people and government . . . you know, the way you're going to get your health insurance legislation and cap and trade bill passed?
The Saudis said, that's a terrific idea. We'd love to see an end to construction in the settlements (which to the Saudis means all of Israel) but major moves towards normalizing relations with Israel would be so unpopular here, we're not sure we can do much. Perhaps you could tell us how to sell such an unpopular idea to the Arab public . . . you know, the way you're going to get your health insurance legislation and cap and trade bill passed.
Like the Iranians, the Israelis and the Saudis understand that when a superpower demands something of you, if you can engage it in discussions without saying absolutely, no, for a long enough period of time, the energy behind the demand will begin to dissipate and the objective will become less clear. So now Obama's original promise to produce a final agreement between the PA and Israel that would create a Palestinian state within the context of a regional peace agreement that would normalize relations between the Arab states and Israel, all within two years has been reduced to suggesting new talks at a lower level than anyone has suggested in the last ten years. In other words, all Obama wants to do now is repair some of the damage he has caused.
'US wants to launch low-level peace talks' | Middle East
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Tell that to all the countries rolling in the money due to the rest of the world's oil addiction.
