As Christopher Hitchens wrote this week, “It’s somehow absurd and trivial to use the word Israel and the expression 60th birthday in the same sentence or the same breath. (What is this, some candle-bedecked ceremony in Miami?).” Nevertheless, behold the message on Obama’s web site:
http://www.barackobama.com/2008/05/09/at_60_israel_has_much_to_celeb_1.php
It’d be generous to say that Obama’s record on the Mid East has been contradictory. In 2007 he declared that “no one suffers more than the Palestinians.” Then, facing pressure from pro Israel supporters, he completely reversed this statement. Indeed, as a state senator, Obama was initially considered pro Palestinian – but then decided to change his position as his career advanced. Such distinguished political courage is rare in our times.
Just last year Obama said that he would unconditionally meet with the leaders of Iran, Cuba and Venezuela – countries that the US government has accused of everything from communism to terrorism – in the first year of his presidency. But to Obama, the elected leaders of the Palestinian authority are an entirely different story – Barack says he doesn’t want America or Israel to negotiate with these “terrorists.” A recent Israeli poll showed that 64% are in favor of diplomatic talks with the Palestinian leadership. In other words, Obama rejects the views of the Israeli public, rejects peace talks, and instead chooses to “appease” the right wing, which has accused him of being soft on terrorism.
Obama has highlighted his hypocrisy by saying that his commitment to diplomacy was misunderstood and that he will not, as pledged, engage in unconditional diplomacy with the leaders of Iran and Cuba. Just last week, Obama echoed Bush and called Iran a “threat” that must be confronted. And just this week he traveled to Miami and addressed a crowd of Cuban Americans, telling them that he won’t negotiate with the new leader of Cuba unless the Cuban leadership agrees to allow Cuban exiles to sit in during the meetings. Being at least somewhat intelligent, Obama must certainly know that Raoul Castro would never agree to such an unacceptable precondition. So, in other words, Obama has no plans of ever negotiating with Cuba – at all. Amazing, isn’t it?
Obama’s record of flip flopping on important political issues is quite disturbing. A creature of political expediency, Obama’s compromises and backtracks on his positions whenever he is criticized (Take Reverend Wright, for example). This is quite typical of the Democrats. After all, it was Clinton-Gore who expanded the War on Drugs, cut government spending, ended welfare assistance for the poor, and bombed Iraq for eight years straight. Obama’s behavior is unsurprising. Hope. Change. And, of course……
Honesty
