Obama’s speech to leaders of major Jewish organizations amounted to apologizing for pushing Israel too hard. Obama blamed the media for creating this “misconception” and ignoring the demands he made on the Arabs. Still, he denounced the “very, very close relations” between the United States and Israel “during the past eight years” as counterproductive.
The Arabs will see Obama’s words as a betrayal. They have gotten the impression that he has sided with them, and that unlike previous presidents, he is prepared to take on Israel. Any demands on Arabs, however reasonable, will now be seen as evidence of Obama’s inability to push Israel to make concessions.
There is a possibility that things will turn in Israel’s favor as Palestinians come to loggerheads with Obama over the peace process and the other Arabs become frustrated with his inaction in the face of the Iranian threat.
