Barry Rubin US and Israel relations

OBAMA’S TURNAROUND ON ISRAEL IS NOT FROM FRIENDSHIP, BUT FROM REALPOLITIK…….

 

My point would be, that it’s never good to have a president to not like you from ideological reasons, and if he could change the reality on the ground, would really prove just how much he doesn’t like you. This is a wake up call for Israel, that such a person can achieve high office, and radically effect the party he leads, so much so, that their pro-Israel support hangs around 38%.

-What’s significant is not whether or not Obama loves Israel but that he sees support as being in U.S. interests. Reality forced him to move from a policy of distancing himself from Israel to one of embracing Israel.

obama genius

He Loves Me; He Loves Me Not: The Meaning of Obama’s Visit

By Barry Rubin

[…] During 2009, however, I was faced with an important question: Should I be flat-out honest as to what I thought regarding Obama’s policies or would that jeopardize the bilateral relationship. Would supporters of Obama react against Israel because of criticism of their beloved chief executive?

I decided to speak up, partly because the dangers were so great and also since the whole point of criticism is to persuade someone to change course. By 2011 it was already becoming clear that U.S.-Israel relations as such were not the problem, U.S. Middle East policy was.

Let me summarize in this way:

–Arab behavior was the main force showing Obama that he was wrong. That parallels what happened during the Cold War when anti-American actions by radical Arab regimes and their alliance with the USSR persuaded previously unfriendly U.S. policymakers that they benefited from an alignment with Israel.

–The fact that the American people recognized the rightness of Israel’s narrative could not be ignored by leaders, especially if bashing Israel brought no strategic advantage..

–What’s significant is not whether or not Obama loves Israel but that he sees support as being in U.S. interests. Reality forced him to move from a policy of distancing himself from Israel to one of embracing Israel.

–But Obama must learn now about the dangers of Islamism or his administration will continue to be a net minus for Israel. It would be better if Obama learned to love the Arabs, Iranians, and Turks fighting for moderation and real democracy in their countries, not the totalitarians in those places.

–By truly protecting U.S. interests, Obama would do more for Israel than by making any number of friendly speeches.

Read it all here.

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