The Israelis Understand Obama

by KEITH KOFFLER on MARCH 16, 2013, 11:08 AM

The Israelis get President Obama.

They understand that his basic worldview is in league with those who view Israeli as an oppressor. And they know it means something that he has failed to visit the nation until this month, mistreated their prime minister, made the 1967 borders the starting point of negotiations with the Palestinians, and dumped Egypt’s Mubarak while opening the door to Islamists, with whom he now thinks he can work.

Jewish voters in the United States don’t get it, but the Israelis do.

A new poll of Israelis finds that just ten percent have a favorable view of Obama,according to Politico. Ten percent.
From the piece:

Some 32 percent said they don’t like him but respect him, 19 percent view him unfavorably and 17 percent have a highly unfavorable opinion of him.
Meanwhile, 38 percent believe he is hostile to Israel, 14 percent believe he is indifferent and only a third think he is supportive.
Obama visits Israel next week. He won’t stop at the Western Wall – security concerns, supposedly – will inspect an antimissile defense system, though not one in the field, as Israelis has suggested, and won’t address the Knesset.

Instead, in typical Obama style, he’ll give the major address of the trip at a convention center, hoping to speak more “directly” to the Israeli people.

I know why he’s really avoiding the Knesset – it’s a rambunctious place where he might get heckled. We think of ourselves as the free-wheeling types, but when it comes to protocol in Washington, we’re way more stuck up and polite, even than the British.

“You lie” would be standard operating procedure in many places.

I’m sure the idea of trying to go around the leadership and speak directly to Israelis will help immensely with Obama’s crummy relationship with Netanyahu.

And he’ll be on the ground for less than 48 hours, and he supposedly will come with few if any ideas for generating peace.
This trip looks dangerously like a photo op. No wonder Israelis are suspicious of him.

http://www.whitehousedossier.com/2013/03/16/israelis-understand-obama/