Obama's Speech about Israeli Concessions

Submitted by Leonard Markowitz (United States), May 25, 2011 at 15:10

I, too, was rather disappointed in Obama's position with respect to reverting to the 1967 borders in Israel. It should be emphasized that foreign policy can often be espoused with a forked tongue. One for public broadcast consumption and one for actual private foreign policy. The president is, or has been convinced, that, in September, the UN assembly will vote in favor of the establishment of a Palestinian state. The US will veto that vote in the security council. Therefore, the US will be in a position to have shown that they have been somewhat even handed. On the one hand, encouraging Israel to be flexible enough to consider the 1967 border issue, while, on the other hand, vetoing the establishment of a Palestinian state as too premature at this point.

In addition, the US foresees the beginning of more and more isolation of Israel by Europe and the rest of the world, which can cost big problems, both for Israel and the US.

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