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Why the Palestinians' Diplomatic Intifada Will Fail
(Politico) Aaron David Miller - The Arabs remain Israel's best talking points. Much of the region is melting down right now. Regarding the U.S.-Israel relationship, I know there's a view out there that Barack Obama is just waiting to stick it to Benjamin Netanyahu. And that now that the president isn't running for anything anymore, he has a chance to be tough. But back on planet Earth, there are any number of factors that will prevent such toughening. The more the Palestinians press to isolate Israel, the harder the Administration will work to prevent it. This month the Republicans will take over both Houses of Congress and will likely move to support Israel by sanctioning the PA and introducing more sanctions on Iran. And let's be clear. The president's real priority isn't the peace process; it's to determine whether he can reach a deal with Iran on the nuclear issue. He'll have a hard enough time selling that one to Congress and the Israelis (along with the Saudis) without opening himself up to charges that he's jamming the Israelis when it comes to not standing up to the Palestinians' diplomatic intifada. The writer is vice president for new initiatives at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars.