Despite Media Condemnation Bibi Gets Big Boost
Mollie Hemingway, Ed. ·
May 27, 2011 at 5:32pm
On May 25, the New York Times wrote "Israelis See Netanyahu Trip as Diplomatic Failure." By the next day, that claim was thoroughly discredited by the Washington Post: "Israeli poll shows support for Netanyahu surging after testy US visit."
Today, Charles Krauthammer explains what Obama did to Israel:
Note how Obama has undermined Israel’s negotiating position. He is demanding that Israel go into peace talks having already forfeited its claim to the territory won in the ’67 war — its only bargaining chip. Remember: That ’67 line runs right through Jerusalem. Thus the starting point of negotiations would be that the Western Wall and even Jerusalem’s Jewish Quarter are Palestinian — alien territory for which Israel must now bargain.
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Comments:
May '10
Re: Despite Media Condemnation Bibi Gets Big Boost
I love the sources the NYT cited. Technically the headline was correct. There were some who saw Bibi's trip as a failure, some of them Israelis. That's some Clintonian wordsmithery.
Given Obama's attitude, it was as successful as it could've been. He forced Congress to take a very public bipartisan stand against the President, and got a nice boost in the polls. Though Israel is still on its own until 2012, don't see how he could've changed that, and might have secured the cutoff of funds to the PA.
Hunker down, Israel. We'll be back eventually.
Mar '11
Re: Despite Media Condemnation Bibi Gets Big Boost
Yes, we had this discussion on Ricochet, and Claire didn't see what was different in what Mr Obama did - Dr K explains it much better than I was struggling to do.
And yesterday, Stanley Kurtz explained why Mr Obama is doing what he is doing to Israel.
The only mystery remains why Mr Obama retains most of the Jewish vote - but Norman Podhoretz has already explained that.
Feb '11
Re: Despite Media Condemnation Bibi Gets Big Boost
Why do we call him BiBi? I've heard Rush and Hannity call him that.
Dec '10
Re: Despite Media Condemnation Bibi Gets Big Boost
The Obama Administration and Hillary in particular are not so good at this negotiating thing, much less the arbitration thing. In their view, borders and security are a gimme, noncontroversial -- so the deal boils down to the Palestinians giving up the right of return into Israel proper for a piece of Jerusalem. Easy peasy!
That they see a multidimensional negotiation between parties who arguably don't have any overlap between their minimum demands indicates that their worldview is simplistic to the point of childishness.
Dec '10
Re: Despite Media Condemnation Bibi Gets Big Boost
It's the Hebrew diminutive of Binyamin. His older brother was Yonatan, known as Yoni -- he commanded and was the only Israeli soldier killed in the raid on Entebbe.
Aug '10
Re: Despite Media Condemnation Bibi Gets Big Boost
That's almost as bad as "Dewey Defeats Truman". The NYT should hang its head in shame. If it had a head. If it had any shame.
Jan '11
Re: Despite Media Condemnation Bibi Gets Big Boost
Did you read the comments following the article? As always, a bit frightening.
Mar '11
Re: Despite Media Condemnation Bibi Gets Big Boost
Pravda on the Hudson indeed.
Jun '10
Re: Despite Media Condemnation Bibi Gets Big Boost
Have they polled Americans? I liked BiBi before. I love him now.
Nov '10
Re: Despite Media Condemnation Bibi Gets Big Boost
I know it's been linked already, but this 30-year-old clip of Bibi more or less sealed the deal for me on him. He's the real thing.
http://ricochet.com/main-feed/Unbelievable-30-year-old-video-of-Bibi-Netanyahu
On a related topic, is it just me, or has Hillary been unnaturally silent throughout this affair? After all, this is her job, isn't it? If one were given to speculation, could it mean that she's got her finger in the wind, and toying with challenging the incumbent? If so, weighing in on the issue might be very unhelpful, whereas seeing where the chips fall before acting may be the prudent thing to do.
Edited on May 27, 2011 at 9:05pmRe: Despite Media Condemnation Bibi Gets Big Boost
You beat me to it.