Op-Ed: Obama’s Empty State of the Union Address & Israel

Delivering what many view as an empty state of the union address, one that included promises voiced in previous years by US President Barak Obama, many fear the White House will now significantly turn up the heat on Israel to make concessions to the PA (Palestinian Authority). The White House spoke of a number of executive orders in a vain effort to signal it will succeed in implementing policy on the president�s agenda, leading many to fear the administration will divert citizens� agenda to its foreign policy agenda, namely Israel.

It is clearly evident to all the Obama administration is not faring well among American voters, and the ailing US economy and the president�s inability to extricate his administration from chronic problems will result in a shift of focus � to direct world attention to the Mideast.

Secretary of State John Kerry is expected to present his position paper, the Obama vision that will bring peace to the Middle East. Many far more talented and with a more comprehensive understanding of the issues failed where Kerry naively believes he will succeed.

Perhaps Defense Minister Moshe Ya�alon said it best when he called Kerry �Messianic and Obsessive�, adding the US simply lacks an understanding of Israel�s security concerns as well as the entire region and its realities. While Ya�alon was compelled to apologize for his harsh statements, that apology in no way attests to the integrity and accuracy of his words.

Kerry�s master plan is expected to call for establishing the State of Palestine, and it will be based on the so-called two-state solution, which includes an Israeli withdrawal to the pre-1967 boundaries. In essence, the White House has nothing new to offer, no master plan but simply to pressure Jerusalem until leaders agree to suicidal concessions.

It is unlikely that Kerry will succeed because the coalition government will break apart before any such agreement can be signed. Nevertheless, a troubled US president whose popularity continues to decline in the polls is expected and likely to turn up the heat on the current Israeli administration in an effort to salvage his second term with a comprehensive Mideast peace agreement between Israel and the PA (Palestinian Authority).

Jonathan Schwartz – Jerusalem.

NOTE: The views expressed here are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent or reflect the views of YWN.