Israeli Settlements

Israel’s problem is that, confronted by a terrifying situation, its political leaders and opinion-makers have for decades mostly followed the dictates of their gibbering guts rather than the promptings of their rational minds. Fear-mongering is good politics, but when it leads to treating the Palestinians in needlessly humiliating fashion, blatantly disregarding the UN and other international bodies, and looking to all the world (except its diehard defenders and apologists) like a neighborhood bully, it’s lousy diplomacy. And for Israel that could be fatal, given that time is not on its side. Bush was like an alcoholic’s drinking buddy (”Hey, I’m with you all the way. You want another shot? Go for it!” Obama is Israel’s best friend, not its drinking buddy, and probably its last hope.