President Obama met with 15 U.S. Jewish leaders on Monday to allay concerns over heavy-handed treatment of Israel and informed the leaders of these organizations that Israel would need "to engage in serious self-reflection".
Unbeknownst to Obama, the one thing not lacking among Israelis, who literally labor every day under an existential threat, is "self-reflection".
After his Cairo speech, how difficult would it have been for Obama, playing the role of honest broker, to address Israelis from Jerusalem? Although he would have courteous U.S. Jewish leaders believe that the current tension between the U.S. and Israel amounts to a "family" squabble, his shunning of Israel - a second foreign policy debacle following failure to bring unrest in Iran before the UN Security Council - was not lost on a savvy Israeli electorate. Trust has dissipated. The frigid reception awaiting Obama, Rahm and Axelrod in Israel, should the trio ever visit, will leave them nonplused.
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Obama will not go to Israel - he needs adoring crowds. Besides, his own family (black Americans) will not understand or appreciate it.
ReplyDeleteIsraeli electorate does not vote in America. Unfortunately, many American Jews still trust Obama. Government manipulates Jewish public opinion by actively supporting some groups (J Street) and trying to isolate others (Zionist Organization of America)
It is appalling how the less "supportive" organizations were excluded from the meeting. This brings to mind how, over 60 years ago, when Jews were being slaughtered throughout Europe, organizations that supported the "radical" concept of a Jewish state, were excluded from meetings at the White House.
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