Ironically, Mr. Obama has in his first six years in office steadfastly maintained Israel’s military edge over all the Arab states combined and backed Israel at the UN and other international forums. Yet recently he seemed to soften what had been his forceful opposition to Palestinian proposals to have the UN declare a deadline for Israeli withdrawal from East Jerusalem and the West Bank. In the end, the U.S. voted against the resolution on Tuesday, but one wonders whether the administration was sending a message by letting the matter dangle in doubt for several weeks.
One does not have to believe that Mr. Obama seeks to harm Israel to be concerned with the prospect of his imposing policies he believes to be in Israel’s best interests – and that, not coincidentally, he feels will burnish his diplomatic record.
We will just have to wait and see what a Republican-controlled Senate and House have to say about infringements on Israel’s right to determine its own future notwithstanding any legacy-driven intentions the president might have.