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It took him four long years to do it, but this week Barack Obama finally took his first visit to Israel as president. While any presidential visit is welcome, this summit may go down as being notable more for what it did not accomplish than what it did.
In terms of the visit’s tangible results, the bar was set low. The upside of that: Any positive developments will be a welcome surprise.
During Obama’s first term, bilateral relations between the United States and Israel bristled with tension. Though strategic bonds remained strong, subtle U.S. policy shifts away from Israel, along with a strained relationship between Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, conveyed the impression of discord.
The three-day visit this week, with an itinerary packed with symbolism, if not substance, signaled a fresh start between the two leaders.
It started on the tarmac, when Obama posed with Israel Defense Forces personnel manning an Iron Dome battery. Behind the smiles, the optics sent an unmistakable signal that the United States stands solidly with Israel when it comes to defense.
The White House made clear in advance that Obama would bring with him no new Israeli-Palestinian peace initiative. While disappointing, it makes sense considering how far both sides have to go just to get back to zero.
Yet there may be behind-the-scenes maneuvering afoot, laying the groundwork for a peace push led by new Secretary of State John Kerry, who is accompanying Obama on his travels and who is scheduled to return to Israel on the night of Saturday, March 23, to follow up on the president’s earlier talks with Netanyahu.
One of the core messages of Obama’s visit is that of complete solidarity between Israel and the U.S. when it comes to the Iranian nuclear threat. Working in concert, the two nations have rallied the world on this issue. Bilateral talks in Jerusalem will only deepen the mutual commitment.
But perhaps the most important moment of the trip, at least for Jews who love Israel, came as soon as Obama stepped off the plane. Making up for past statements, in which he seemed to suggest that Israel was largely karmic restitution for the Holocaust, Obama went further, much further, in a stirring rationale for the country’s existence.
At Ben-Gurion Airport, Obama said: “More than 3,000 years ago, the Jewish people prayed here, tended the land here, prayed to God here. And after centuries of exile and persecution, unparalleled in the history of man, the founding of the Jewish State of Israel was a rebirth, a redemption unlike any in history.”
We could not have said it any better.
PS. As a sign of Obama’s beneficent influence in improving Israel’s relations with Turkey, following Obama’s visit to Israel, Turkey PM Erdogan has announce a trip to Gaza, in solidarity with Hamas. With “friends” like Obama, Israel doesn’t need enemies.
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03/25/2013 at 10:14 AM
“Bar set low”?! Under pressure from Obama, Israel makes all the concessions and gets nothing in return. And on top of that, media reports that Obama’s “charm offensive” worked, that Israelis now love him. There’s a touch of unreality, even insanity, in all this.
Israel, under pressure from Obama, bows and scrapes and apologizes to Turkish PM Tayyip Erdogan for the flotilla raid and promises to provide cash to the families of those hurt or killed in the raid. Israel also agrees to ease restrictions on Gaza. What does Israel get in return? Nothing. Erdogan has been systematically turning Turkey into a dictatorial Islamic state since 2003, including seizing control of its financial system, courts, media and legislature. Erdogan established ties with Saudi Arabia, including taking billions of dollars from the Saudis, who are subsidizing radical Wahabi Islam worldwide. Erdogan also established ties with Iran, Israel’s sworn enemy and a terrorist state. Erdogan has rewritten the Turkish constitution to keep himself in office in perpetuity by abolishing mandatory elections. He has gotten rid of all secular Turkish military officers, even though according to the original constitution the Turkish military was to play a pivotal role in keeping Turkey secular by limiting the power of politicians, including the Prime Minister. And to top it all off, Erdogan today announced that he will not even accept Israel’s apology until and when Israel fulfills all of its promises. Gee, I wonder who has the upper hand in this relationship?
Obama twisted Netanyahu’s arm to transfer millions of dollars in tax revenues to the Palestinian Authority. What did Israel get in return? Nothing. Abbas still insists that he will never recognize the right of Israel to exist and has not budged from his refusal to disarm and renounce violence and terrorism.
At a time when thousands of American federal workers are furloughed and the US military is facing drastic cuts, Obama has pledged $500 million to the Palestinian Authority. The only thing worse than this is his pledge to provide hundreds of millions of dollars to the Muslim Brotherhood of Egypt in the form of state-of-the-art F-16 fighter jets and 200 Abrams tanks, both of which could very well likely be used against Israel.
The bar was not “set low.” No, there is no bar. Israel loses while everyone in the media grins like idiots.
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