Obama stating that the solution of the Israeli/Palestinian conflict will be based on the 1967 border is very old news. Olmert and Abbas disagreed, Olmert wanted 6% of the 1967 West Bank while Abbas was willing to give up 2%. Either figures are just about the 1967 order. Barak, Arafat and Clinton argues around the same parameters. Why didn't they agree on 4%? because one of both parties weren't ready for peace.
So why did Obama get into trouble by stating the obvious? First, his language was offensive to some Jews and and even Arabs didn't jump in joy. Obama and his team just don't measure up. How else do you explain stating the obvious and yet running into the wall?
The reason that Olmert and Abbas didn't agree is identical to the reason Bill Clinton did close it up in 2000. The Palestinians are not ready. That is acceptable as long as some progress is made.
Obama talks about the Arab spring. What spring? Syria, Libya, Bahrain and Yemen go no where. Tunis doesn't matter. Egypt shows ominous signs of regression. The leading candidate for president, Amer Moussa, is an old pre-Sadat Arab demagogue. The Muslim Brotherhood increases its power daily; if they come to power, forget democracy. All the talk about their moderation was applied to Bashir Assad. He is a real moderate. Where the hell is the spring here.
Still Obama, his team and all the pundit are simply ignorant, don't read the news or don't understand it. The latest Syrian instigated run on the Israeli order that took place in the Golan heights, Lebanon and Gaza (all Iranian occupied land) was called a sign of the Ara spring. Stating such thing is beyond ignorance, it's downright moronic. It's not the first time such beauty is uttered. When the Turkish flotilla tried to get to Gaza despite a long diplomatic effort by Israel to prevent it was a pure Turkish provocation attempting to carry favor with the Iranians. We heard the same reaction. Outside the US, a German friend said right away: it's a Turkish provocation. A British friend quoted Virgil: beware of the Turks.
Obama, his team and the media also don't understand the Fatah/Hamas reconciliation. First and foremost, it's a must for peace. There is no ignoring Hamas in the peace process. Yet, one must let the reconciliation proceed naturally; in other words, wait 6-12 months and restart major peace talk when it's clearer where both sides stand. Meanwhile, let the Palestinian declare a state. What is the problem with that? Both the US and Israel should support the effort: welcome to the UN (where they have been anyway for 30 years).
It seems that when it's dark in the Middle East, in the US everyone talks about daylight and when it's day...
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