Concerned?

It’s fascinating to watch President Obama’s supporters in the media work hard to provide cover for his continual and ill-conceived pressure on Israel. This morning the AP (a clear Obama cheerleader) reports:

Middle East envoy Tony Blair says Barack Obama launched his peace initiative because he's concerned about what might happen to Israel if Palestinians unilaterally declare statehood.

Blair told an audience of business leaders gathered in central London on Thursday that Obama is "frankly worried about the position that Israel is in."

So, if we are to believe the AP, Barack Obama is so concerned about Israel that he’s asking them to (1) adopt indefensible borders with “swaps,” (2) negotiate with a group that cannot even state that Israel has a right to exist, (3) make no concrete demands of the “Palestinians” – none.

It’s also very troubling (but not surprising) to learn that the President reacts to Palestinian threats of unilateral statehood with appeasement. If the President is concerned that the Palestinians are wrong in their efforts to attain statehood via fiat, how about dealing directly with them?

For example, he could suggest that if the Palestinians proceed in this fiasco (which will likely succeed) that the United States will cut off all aid to them on the day their pseudo-state is declared. He could further note that when the new Palestinian “state” launches any attack across its border against Israel, it is an act of war and that Israel has every right to counterattack. He could state that he would encourage our allies and NGOs to observe and report human rights abuses (there will be many) inside the new Palestinian state and move toward sanctions once they begin. He could do all of that and much more, but instead, he asks Israel to act “boldly.”

Why not ask the Palestinians to act boldly?

A commenter at RealClearPolitics suggested a few bold moves that the President could suggest

• Full and unconditional diplomatic recognition of Israel.


• Full and unconditional recognition of Israel’s right to exist within secure borders.


• Full cessation of all acts of war against Israel, including but not limited to: full cessation of all economic boycotts and embargoes against Israel; full cessation of military action against Israel by independent states (Syria, Iran) AND their proxies: Hezbollah, Islamic Jihad, Hamas, Al-Aqsa Martyr’s Brigade, ET. AL. (that is, EVERY single proxy).

The fact that President Obama does none of this belies the suggestion that he only has Israel’s best interests at heart. In fact, it makes that notion completedly laughable—except it’s not the least bit amusing to the people of Israel.