Obama Speech Signals a U.S. Shift on Middle East

[WillowTree]

WASHINGTON — It was just a phrase at the end of President Obama’s news conference on Tuesday, but it was a stark reminder of a far-reaching shift in how the United States views the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and how aggressively it might push for a peace agreeme
Times Topics: Palestinians | IsraelWhen Mr. Obama declared that resolving the long-running Middle East dispute was a “vital national security interest of the United States,” he was highlighting a change that has resulted from a lengthy debate among his top officials over how best to balance support for Israel against other American interests.

This shift, described by administration officials who did not want to be quoted by name when discussing internal discussions, is driving the White House’s urgency to help broker a Middle East peace deal. It increases the likelihood that Mr. Obama, frustrated by the inability of the Israelis and the Palestinians to come to terms, will offer his own proposed parameters for an eventual Palestinian state.

Mr. Obama said conflicts like the one in the Middle East ended up “costing us significantly in terms of both blood and treasure” — drawing an explicit link between the Israeli-Palestinian strife and the safety of American soldiers as they battle Islamic extremism and terrorism in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere.



News Analysis - Obama Speech Signals a U.S. Shift on Middle East - NYTimes.com

 

[CrusaderFrank]

Obama greets fellow Muslims

Obama greets Bibi

See the difference?

 

[rightwinger]

These two nations do not want peace. Every time they are brought to the point of shaking hands on an agreement, they back away or do something to intentionally mess it up.

Good luck Obama....you are going to need it

 

[CrusaderFrank]

These two nations do not want peace. Every time they are brought to the point of shaking hands on an agreement, they back away or do something to intentionally mess it up.

Good luck Obama....you are going to need it

These "Palestinians" are bred to cause turmoil in Israel, their Arabs brothers made sure they stayed poor and ignorant and trained them to lash out at the Jews.

 

[Sherry]

These two nations do not want peace. Every time they are brought to the point of shaking hands on an agreement, they back away or do something to intentionally mess it up.

Good luck Obama....you are going to need it

He had to give it a shot just like those who came before him. If, and most likely when, it falls apart, it will be held up as another one of his failures.

 

[Dr Gregg]

good, enough blind support of Israel who doesn't help matters by retaliating with missile strikes that end up killing civilians and angers even more people, and adds support for the cause. What has that accomplished? A continuous cycle of violence.

 

[Old Rocks]

Obama greets fellow Muslims

Obama greets Bibi

See the difference?

Video: Gorgeous Flowers | The Daily Show | Comedy Central

 

[Avatar4321]

These two nations do not want peace. Every time they are brought to the point of shaking hands on an agreement, they back away or do something to intentionally mess it up.

Good luck Obama....you are going to need it

You mean one of these groups of people dont want peace, or rather thay want the peace that comes after you drown your enemy.

 

[uptownlivin90]

These two nations do not want peace. Every time they are brought to the point of shaking hands on an agreement, they back away or do something to intentionally mess it up.

Good luck Obama....you are going to need it

Right.

So like I said, there's no reason to bother wasting more resources trying to make the unruly children behave and play nice. Leave them be and let them fight it out amongst themselves. Maybe one group of 'em will grow the Hell up in the process.

 

[uptownlivin90]

These two nations do not want peace. Every time they are brought to the point of shaking hands on an agreement, they back away or do something to intentionally mess it up.

Good luck Obama....you are going to need it

These "Palestinians" are bred to cause turmoil in Israel, their Arabs brothers made sure they stayed poor and ignorant and trained them to lash out at the Jews.

The Palestinians were all goat herding farmers. They got pissed off because the Jews decided that the land the Palestinians were farming on was "their" land. When neither of them have any real claim to that "land". It's like watching two overweight children fighting over a cake that's not even theirs. A cake bought and funded by US tax dollars.

 

[uptownlivin90]

These two nations do not want peace. Every time they are brought to the point of shaking hands on an agreement, they back away or do something to intentionally mess it up.

Good luck Obama....you are going to need it

You mean one of these groups of people dont want peace, or rather thay want the peace that comes after you drown your enemy.

There's a good amount of that silliness on both sides. To sit here and pretend that Israelis would love to allow Arabs in "their land" is ridiculous. Both sides would love to wipe their land clean of the other. They don't like each other. Clinton couldn't change that. Bush couldn't change it. We only have two options pick a side or do nothing.

I'm all for doing nothing.

 

[mudwhistle]

WASHINGTON — It was just a phrase at the end of President Obama’s news conference on Tuesday, but it was a stark reminder of a far-reaching shift in how the United States views the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and how aggressively it might push for a peace agreeme
Times Topics: Palestinians | IsraelWhen Mr. Obama declared that resolving the long-running Middle East dispute was a “vital national security interest of the United States,” he was highlighting a change that has resulted from a lengthy debate among his top officials over how best to balance support for Israel against other American interests.

This shift, described by administration officials who did not want to be quoted by name when discussing internal discussions, is driving the White House’s urgency to help broker a Middle East peace deal. It increases the likelihood that Mr. Obama, frustrated by the inability of the Israelis and the Palestinians to come to terms, will offer his own proposed parameters for an eventual Palestinian state.

Mr. Obama said conflicts like the one in the Middle East ended up “costing us significantly in terms of both blood and treasure” — drawing an explicit link between the Israeli-Palestinian strife and the safety of American soldiers as they battle Islamic extremism and terrorism in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere.



News Analysis - Obama Speech Signals a U.S. Shift on Middle East - NYTimes.com

He's gonna fail like every President before him.

He can't bully them....he can't bribe them.....he can't fool them.

So he's fucked.

 

[Conspiracist]

I'm all for neutrality. We have shoved our noses in this situation long enough. Israel is a superpower, I say leave it be. We're broke and unstable enough atm.