The New Turn In Washington or, The Haunting of FDR

...the message [Obama] was delivering to his own State Department, to his own diplomats who will be carrying out his policies, was plain: The goal of American foreign policy in the Middle East is now the creation of a Palestinian state. Very little will be expected of the Palestinians in the creation of the Palestinians in the creation of that state; Hamas should renounce terror and recognize Israel, but a failure to do so will not kill the deal. Violence should be foresworn, but even that is of secondary importance to the state itself.

A great deal is, however, expected of Israel. Settlements are to be frozen, including their "natural growth." Israel must bolster the Palestinian economy, provide Palestinians with jobs, and make things better in Gaza. Israel is to give; the Palestinians are to receive. Israel's giving is to be accompanied by a promise of reduced violence. Palestinian receiving will be accompanied by Israel's surrender of more territory beyond the entirety of Gaza and the near-entirety of the West Bank already in Palestinian hands.

Israel, the president asserts, will be better off if all this happens. Trust him. He's Israel's friend. A better friend than anyone else, remember, because he's willing to be honest about Israel's need to sacrifice itself on the altar of nothing more than a promise, and maybe not even that.

And so the turn against Israel that so many predicted during the 2008 campaign is coming to pass-with a smile, and a nod, and an invocation of a word that actually means something very different from friendship. It might even mean its opposite.

John Podhoretz

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Will Obama be our generation's FDR in Jewish matters and concerns?

Is my judgment too harsh?

Read on:

Report: U.S. to block Iran sanctions at G8 summit

The United States is opposed to enacting a new set of financial sanctions against Iran that are due to be discussed in the G8 summit next week, diplomatic officials in New York reported Friday.

...According to the Italian prime minister, "the general leaning [among G8 leaders] is toward sanctions."

However, diplomatic sources in New York reported that American officials are working behind the scenes to prevent new sanctions from being imposed against Iran.

U.S. officials claimed that a tough stance toward Iran could backfire, bringing about an opposite outcome to that desired by those who support such measures.