Soccer Dad

They think he still cares

While Alan Dershowitz focuses on those American Jews who are critical of President Obama's forays into Middle East peacemaking, he fails to acknowledge a different group that's also unimpressed with his efforts so far: Israeli Jews. As Aluf Benn writes:

Obama did not try to communicate with the Israeli public and convince them that freezing settlements will be an important and positive step to contribute to peace and a better future. Obama addressed the Arabs and Muslims, but not the Israelis. His neglect increased concerns among Israelis that they do not have a friend in the White House. When the president is "Hussein," he is perceived as being pro-Arab and picking on Netanyahu. The administration's pathetic attempt to deny the existence of understandings with Israel on construction in the settlements only bolstered this impression. It was possible to blame Israel for violating its promises, or to say that the policy had changed and to explain why, but not to lie.

Smuel Rosner adds:

Bottom line: We have to assume one of two things.

1. The Obama administration doesn't understand Israeli politics, and doesn't recognize that its public policies - while possibly helpful with the Arab world - can hardly make Israelis feel secure and ready to cooperate with the President, no matter how often he says that his commitment to Israel's security is unshakable.

2. The Obama administration doesn't care about Israeli politics and Israeli public opinion, and is ready to sacrifice the good will of Israelis in exchange for (presumed) better relations with the Arab world.

My feeling is that it's the second, which probably explains PM Netanyahu's (reported) frustration with Rahm Emanuel and David Axelrod. (via memeorandum)

If President Obama cared, he wouldn't have alienated the moderate Left in Israel as Barry Rubin observes.

Many Israelis on the moderate left--which are the overwhelming majority of those in the "left" category--support a two-state solution with some border shifts. In this concept, which is what Labor party leader and then prime minister Ehud Barak took to Camp David in 2000, Israel would retain some small areas with high Jewish (settlement) populations like Maale Adumim and Gush Etzion.

This concept was called the idea of the "settlement blocs." Israel believed that the last two U.S. presidents accepted this idea and thus agreed that Israel could continue building in these specific places. The Obama administration says that never happened.

So many Israelis on the left not only doubt the prospect of peace and blame the Palestinians for the situation and also favor the settlement blocs approach and are also made very nervous about a U.S. government that forgets past pledges to Israel and doubt Obama's willingness to be tough in opposing Iranian nuclear weapons.

It's one thing - and it wasn't good - for a candidate to say that he opposes a particular political party, like when candidate Obama expressed his disagreement with the Likud party. However since becoming President he has taken positions and actions that put him at odds with the general Israeli electorate. It's safe to say that President Obama doesn't much care about Israeli politics - or Israelis.

Crossposted on Yourish.