Israel Matzav

Condi's just too stubborn

A while back, I wondered about the origin of Condi Rice's obsession with the 'Palestinians.'

They may have described her as a spinster and as the 'dark lady,' made sickening racist comments against her, and drew cartoons of her pregnant with a monkey and as a black raven, but Condi Rice's obsession with the 'Palestinians' continues. According to a report in today's Washington Post, Condi is warning Israel that a 'peace process' with the Syrians is no substitute for a 'Palestinian' state reichlet. Not that the Syrians are really interested in making peace either....

I have to wonder how long Condi's admiration for Brent Scowcroft - her old boss at the National Security Council - will continue to overcome the lack of interest and appreciation that the 'Palestinians' have for her efforts.

If Andrew Sullivan is right, Condi may never overcome her obsession with the 'Palestinians':

As to her legendary steadfastness in the face of criticism, that steadfastness continues in the face of decisions that have been proven disastrous or whose asserted rationale has been proven untrue. Here, one recalls Emerson: "A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds." Interestingly, Rice has been "flexible" when her position made consistency, er, difficult and uncomfortable. As George Will also pointed out in 2004, in 2000 Rice questioned the use of U.S. military forces in peacekeeping operations, saying "Carrying out civil administration and police functions is simply going to degrade the American capability to do the things America has to do...we don't need the 82d Airborne escorting kids to kindergarten." Yet the vast majority of what our military is doing in Iraq is "nation-building" and "civil administration." This is but one example of her striking about-faces...such as her sea change since 1999 when called upon to tutor then-Governor Bush in foreign affairs, and she said "I would expect the United State to probably intervene less. I think there has been a somewhat promiscuous use of power in the Cold War era."

Unfortunately, supporting the 'Palestinians' is not likely to become uncomfortable in the foreseeable future, since they are the darlings of the Euroweenies and the panacea of all the problems of the Muslim world, so I don't expect an about-face on that one from Condi anytime soon. Instead, I expect we will see her stick with her "decision" to support a 'Palestinian' state "that has ... proven disastrous" (or will prove disastrous) for both the US and Israel and "whose asserted rationale" - that if only they had a state reichlet the Muslims would stop hating the West - "has been proven untrue."

Rice's 'foolish consistency' on this one is indeed the 'hobgoblin of little minds.'

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 9:57 PM