Obama's Foreign Policy Speech...

  I was able to watch President Obama's foreign Policy speech on C-Span today. It struck me as reasonable and hitting upon the things I expected him to. He acknowledged the "Arab Uprisings" in the region and promised support to those wanting more of a say in their own lives. He suggested leaders needed to listen to their people or move on. All good things. He also said the US would forgive one billion dollars owed to us by Egypt to help them spend more creating a new path to freedom. Personally, I have an issue with this, given the economic problems we have here.

 I heard him talk about the Israel/Palestine issue, especially noting that Palestine should not attempt to "symbolically" isolate Israel at the UN later this year, when Mahmoud Abbas, President of Palestine, may push for a UN vote on statehood, which from Obama's signals today, would be vetoed by the United States. Exactly what Israel would want from the US.

  There's a big to-do about what he said about 1967. Here's his exact quote: 


   "The borders of Israel and Palestine should be based on the 1967 lines with mutually agreed swaps, so that secure and recognized borders are established for both states." 


  Its not new or radical. In 2009, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said, "We believe that through good-faith negotiations the parties can mutually agree on an outcome which ends the conflict and reconciles the Palestinian goal of an independent and viable state based on the 1967 lines, with agreed swaps, and the Israeli goal of a Jewish state with secure and recognized borders that reflect subsequent developments and meet Israeli security requirements."


  Sound familiar? Like from this afternoon, maybe? 


   Its also the same basic idea former Presidents Clinton and Bush both supported during their administrations. Further, his strongly worded warning to Abbas that any arrangement with Hamas gives Israel legitimate questions, questions that need answers before any sympathetic arrangement with Palestine can be made, was not a sign of weakness. How does all this add up to "Obama sides with Palestinians" as the both Fox News and the Drudge Report posted in their headlines? Its nutty. 


  I paid a visit to the Anti-Defamation League's website tonight to see if they weighed in on the speech. They praised the speech.  An excerpt: 


 "We further commend his strong affirmation of the importance of the deep and unshakeable U.S.-Israel relationship, and his clear articulation of the moral and strategic connections between America andIsrael.  We support the President's vision of a negotiated Israeli-Palestinian settlement with strong security provisions for Israel, and a non-militarized Palestinian state.  We appreciate his direct rejection of a unilateral declaration of a Palestinian state and his understanding that the Hamas-Fatah agreement poses major problems for Israel."

"The Palestinians must heed the President's warnings about imprudent and self-defeating actions, including through campaigns to delegitimize Israel, plans to unilaterally declare statehood, and a unity agreement with a Hamas which remains committed to violence, rejection and anti-Semitism. This Administration has come a long way in two years in terms of understanding of the nuances involved in bringing about Israeli-Palestinian peace and a better understanding of the realities and challenges confronting Israel."

  Doesn't sound to me like they hate it. 


  I know Prime Minister Netanyahu released a statement saying he expects Obama to clarify the US support to keep the settlements as part of a peace deal with Palestine. Overall, Netanyahu is probably pleased with what Obama said. Basically adhering to the same basic understanding the last two administrations have each supported and a rejection of a statehood vote at the UN by President Abbas for Palestine. Netanyahu is a 
polished politician and he knows how the game goes.


 These settlements are not very popular around the world, even with many of our Allies. Last February, when the UN wanted to have a Security Counsel resolution criticizing Israel's settlement policy, the US (at President Obama's direction) vetoed the resolution. Another example of Obama aligning himself with Israel. 


  This is, much ado about nothing. On the other hand, it did get us all to stop talking about Newt, eh?


   

  Sources:

http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2011/05/19/the_roadblock_in_the_obama_doctrine

http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2011/05/obamas-shocking-speech-on-the-middle-east/239168/

http://littlegreenfootballs.com/article/38586_Instantaneous_Outrageous_Outrage-_Obama_Sides_with_Palestinians%21

http://www.adl.org/PresRele/IslME_62/6045_62.htm

http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2011/05/netanyahu-expects-obama-to-walk-back-speech/239183/

http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2011/05/19/the_roadblock_in_the_obama_doctrine