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Obama, Israelis, and Palestinians: More Words, Less Action
(Atlantic) David Makovsky and David Pollock - In addressing the seemingly endless Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the second Obama administration enjoys the ironic advantage of exceedingly low expectations. The entire issue will probably have lower priority as compared with Obama's first term. Other, more urgent Mideast crises in Syria, Iran, Egypt and elsewhere, and the president's own perception of a pressing need for more "nation-building at home," make Palestinians and Israelis pale by comparison. Objecting to new Israeli construction in the West Bank is at best only half a strategy. To promote Israeli-Palestinian peace, the U.S. needs to pay at least as much attention to hate speech as to housing starts. The writers are fellows at The Washington Institute for Near East Policy.