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Did Netanyahu Pass the Obama Test?

[Jerusalem Post] Hilary Leila Krieger - In the wake of Prime Minister Netanyahu's address on Sunday, the Obama administration has publicly been emphasizing the positive nature of the message. The focus on the positive is being seen as an effort to move past public disagreements with Israel and find a constructive approach that might include compromise on some points. "The Netanyahu government took a big step forward yesterday in acknowledging for the first time the need for a two-state solution," said White House spokesman Robert Gibbs on Monday. "I think the president...is pleased thus far with the progress that's being made." Members of Congress also welcomed Netanyahu's remarks. Robert Wexler (D-Fla.), one of the Jewish congressmen closest to President Obama, said: "There has not been a meeting of the minds between the U.S. and Israel on settlements, but I'm confident that there will be." David Makovsky of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy said: "This is a way of taking the edge off the tension between the U.S. and Israel." Aaron David Miller, a former State Department Middle East official, said: "They have made a virtue of necessity here, because I'm not sure they wanted to get into a fight with Israel."
2009-06-16 06:00:00
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