Soccer Dad

If we throw israel under the bus, would you like us then?

Former Mayor Ed Koch on his buyer's remorse|:

Senator Obama received 78 percent of the votes of the Jewish community nationwide. The only group giving him a higher percentage was the African-American community. Many Jewish leaders, myself included, have concluded that President Obama has reneged on his support for the security of Israel - a major priority for most American Jews and many Christians - and is shifting American foreign policy to favor the Muslim, and in particular, the Palestinian cause. It should come as no surprise that in response to a poll taken by Quinnipiac University asking, "Do you approve or disapprove of the way Barack Obama is handling the situation between Israel and the Palestinians?" 67 percent of Jews disapproved and 28 percent approved. That same poll showed support by Democrats for Israel was 46 percent and among Republicans, 70 percent. Did this shock me and many others? You bet.

So in order to get closer to the Muslim world, President Obama has clearly distanced himself from Israel. But has it helped him?

Actually, not much.

Shmuel Rosner quotes Pew:

Like his job performance on Iraq and Afghanistan, ratings for Obama's handling of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict are extremely low in predominantly Muslim countries, as are his ratings on Iran. Nine-in-ten Lebanese express disapproval of the way Obama is dealing with the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians, as do 88% of Egyptians and 84% of Jordanians. Clear majorities in Turkey (66%) and Indonesia (56%) also disapprove of Obama's handling of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

When you're always seeking to please others, you'll please no one. This is how Gabriel Schoenfeld describes it:

Whatever the explanation for our peculiar behavior, one of its unhappy effects is that it squanders our enormous military and economic leverage. We are capable of projecting enormous power, yet we wind up projecting weakness.

If you're going to betray a friend, shouldn't there be at least some profit in doing so?

Crossposted on Yourish.