Foreign Policy Gaffes That Are True

Here we go again. The mighty Wurlitzer spins into action in response to Barack Obama referring to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as a 'constant sore'. Here's the full quote:

JG: Do you think that Israel is a drag on America’s reputation overseas?

BO: No, no, no. But what I think is that this constant wound, that this constant sore, does infect all of our foreign policy. The lack of a resolution to this problem provides an excuse for anti-American militant jihadists to engage in inexcusable actions, and so we have a national-security interest in solving this, and I also believe that Israel has a security interest in solving this because I believe that the status quo is unsustainable.

As you can see, Obama is clearly referring to the lack of resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and not Israel itself. But this distinction is lost of various GOP operatives. Thus it's time for some of that Obama straight-talking, American-deserves-the-truth-and-not-more-spin jujitsu from the Obama camp. Ambinder says "the GOP responses loses a few intellectual honesty points. But you can bet that Obama will be asked to elaborate".

But of course, in the main Obama is correct. Sure, repression in Burma isn't due to Israeli maximalism, but I'm sure the Democratic party can line up dozens of foreign policy professionals across the political spectrum to point out that, yes, a resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict would sap support for terrorist groups, would free the rulers of other Arab nations to side with the US more often, would tangibly reduce the security threat to Israel, etc. etc. It wouldn't solve all our problems, but it would make a very big difference. As with Obama's original gaffe, that talking to the leaders of Iran and Cuba would not lead to the end of the world as we know it, after a few days people will realize that the man has a point.

Comments

[Brodysattva]

But this distinction is lost of various GOP operatives.

Maybe not so much "lost" [on] them as they're just going to be willfully dishonest about it. They're not idiots, they're liars.

[Neil the Ethical Werewolf]

I hope Obama's up to the task of saying reasonable things on all these issues, lining up the good MJ Rosenberg types of the world behind him, and then winning an election to show everybody in America, especially the media, that being reasonable isn't foreign policy doom.

That's probably the grandest ambition I have for him.

[Sir Charles]

Brody,

I don't thnk they are mutually exclusive -- their idiocy and mendaciousness contain multitudes.