Hillarysworld

Members Login
Username 
 
Password 
    Remember Me  
Hillarysworld -> All things Hillary -> Why Are Arabs Unhappy with Hillary? Blame Obama (Commentary 11/02/09)
Post Info
TOPIC: Why Are Arabs Unhappy with Hillary? Blame Obama (Commentary 11/02/09)
Jen the Michigander


SuperModerator

Status: Offline
Posts: 1788
Date:
Why Are Arabs Unhappy with Hillary? Blame Obama (Commentary 11/02/09)
Permalink  
 

There are a lot of articles about Hillary in Israel and I can't post them all. But based on the title alone, I thought y'all would be interested in this one:

http://www.commentarymagazine.com/blogs/index.php/tobin/151671

If Hillary Clinton is unhappy about the abuse she is taking from the Arab world over her equivocal attitude toward Israel, then she should blame President Obama and those of his foreign-policy advisers who urged him to make picking a fight with the Jewish state over settlements one of their top priorities once they took office. Clinton is taking flack for her comment that Israel’s offer to “restrain” the building of housing in Jewish settlements in the West Bank was “unprecedented.”

She’s right, in that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has gone a long way toward trying to mollify the Obama administration on this issue. But having spent much of the past year hounding Netanyahu over settlements in a futile attempt to undermine the Israeli’s hold on power (in fact, Netanyahu’s popularity has grown as a result of his refusal to bow to Obama, while the Israeli public has lost all faith in the U.S. president’s goodwill), the Americans have raised Arab expectations to the point where any Israeli gesture on the issue is considered insignificant. Even more, when the United States reacts to such Israeli gestures with anything but complete contempt, it is interpreted by the Arabs as American acquiescence with the entire settlement enterprise. The Arab world was wrongly encouraged by months of Washington skirmishing with Jerusalem to think that the administration intended to completely ditch the U.S.-Israel alliance. Anything less than a break with Israel winds up being seen as a betrayal of those unrealistic hopes that were engendered by Obama’s ill-advised strategy.

So what does Clinton say in her defense in response to Arab criticisms? All she can do is repeat past rhetoric that attacks Israel on settlements, which does nothing to ameliorate Arab hard feelings. Allowing more “daylight” between Israel and the United States has turned out to be dead end from which the administration cannot extract itself.

The bottom line of Obama’s and Clinton’s first 10 months in office is worsened relations with both Israel and the Arab world, with peace just as far off as it was under Bush. All of which should leave us wondering just how much worse off another year of Obama’s foreign-policy incompetence will leave the Middle East.

__________________

4145952823_2e0edce16f.jpg

Nobody puts THIS baby in the corner!
Alex


Diamond

Status: Offline
Posts: 1191
Date:
Permalink  
 

It's a classic "rock and a hard place" situation.  I have no idea what the answer to the quandary is.  Pretty plain on why the Arabs are blaming Hillary - she's out in front!

__________________

Barack/Barry:  If you're NOT LEGIT, then you MUST QUIT!!
freespirit


Moderator

Status: Offline
Posts: 1695
Date:
Permalink  
 

I've read several of these articles. The wh screwed up, and now they're blaming it on Hillary. Wow - no surprise there. If anyone can handle this mess, it's Hill, but what a huge challenge! So much is not within her power to control. Any SOS would obviously expect to have to deal with the variables presented by the two governments involved in the process. But, she should be able to count on some consistency and support from her own government.

__________________
It was we, the people; not we, the white male citizens; nor yet we, the male citizens; but we, the whole people, who formed the Union.... Men, their rights and nothing more; women, their rights and nothing less.  ~Susan B. Anthony
Page 1 of 1  sorted by
 
Quick Reply

Please log in to post quick replies.
Hillarysworld -> All things Hillary -> Why Are Arabs Unhappy with Hillary? Blame Obama (Commentary 11/02/09)
Tweet this page Post to Digg Post to Del.icio.us


Create your own FREE Forum
Report Abuse 		Powered by ActiveBoard