Why Obama can't just walk away from the 'peace process'
There's something very strange at work here.For months we've been told that most Americans - and certainly most American Jews - don't care much about Israel, that it's not an issue that's important to them, that it's not an issue that would change how they vote, etc. Now, after the current iteration of the 'peace process' has collapsed, we are told that two thirds of Americans consider Israel a 'top five' issue, and one quarter believe it's a top three issue. These numbers are then used to show that the Obama administration 'cannot' just walk away from the 'peace process.'
The findings "are really striking," the poll's coordinator, Shibley Telhami told POLITICO on Wednesday. "The American public thinks this is a big-time issue."Hmmm.
Telhami is the Anwar Sadat professor for peace and development at the University of Maryland and a nonresident fellow at Brookings.
With 71 percent of those polled supporting American diplomatic efforts to mediate the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, President Barack Obama can't just walk away from the issue, Telhami said.
The poll also showed striking partisan differences in attitudes toward the conflict, with 46 percent of Republicans wanting American diplomacy to lean toward Israel, compared to 11 percent of independents and 14 percent of Democrats.
Labels: Barack Obama, Brookings Institution, Middle East peace process, Shibley Telhami
posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 5:01 AM
2 Comments:
What crisis? The smart move for the White House is to keep it on the back burner until the parties decide to get serious. Its not worth wasting political capital on. Maybe they are getting it in Washington.
Obama's dream
is to be credited with the establishment of a Pseudostinian aka Palestinian sic state. That overrides all else for him.
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