Who Is Obama Bullying Today? ISRAEL

Yesterday, it was Defense Secretary Robert Gates visiting Israel to twist arms and convince the Jewish State to leave herself vulnerable to nuclear attack from Iran. 

Today's visitor is former Senator Michell, the man who investigated steroid use in baseball and a minor player in the northern Ireland dispute who got all of the credit. The President Sent Mitchell to for a little Israeli arm-twisting about Jerusalem and the settlements.

Following their meeting, Mitchell told reporters that a "comprehensive peace in the Middle East would include peace between Israel and the Palestinians, as well as peace between Israel and Lebanon, and Syria and Israel."

In addition, he continued, the peace plan would include "full normalization between Israel and all of its neighbors in the region."

"That is our objective," Mitchell said, "and to that we have committed ourselves fully."

In his remarks, Netanyahu said that, "we're making progress towards achieving an understanding that would enable us to continue and achieve a peace deal between Israel and its Palestinian neighbors."

Meanwhile, London-based newspaper Al-Hayat reported that Mitchell has indicated that negotiations for a final settlement deal between Israel and the Palestinians will continue for no more than one and a half years.

According to the report, which cited "reliable" sources, the American administration is currently working for an agreement on the borders of a future Palestinian state. Once that agreement is reached, efforts would be made to find a compromise on settlement construction.

What Mitchel and the President are not discussing is the Palestinians are not involved in the discussions, because they refuse to negotiate. Now that would be something for Obama to use the Presidential pressure about. However, pressuring an Arab nation goes against the President's policy which regards Israeli blood as cheap. As Ralph Peters said in his column today, the new policy is really about a loss of presidential nerve:

Our president is good at sending signals -- not least, when he sends the wrong ones. When he spent several days in Saudi Arabia and Egypt, lavishing praise on Islam and slyly comparing Palestinian misfortunes with the Holocaust, he sent one signal.

When he sent Secretary Gates to calm down those troublesome Israelis, he sent another.

This administration must stop living in a fantasy world in which monstrous fanatics will do what we want because we're suddenly nice to them. You don't deter butchers who believe they're on a mission from their god by complimenting them on their rich history.

The only hope -- albeit a slim one -- for peace in the Middle East is to make it clear that our support for Israel is steadfast and unwavering, that Israel will endure and its enemies must accept its existence.

The current rift between the Israeli government and the Obama administration isn't about expanding settlements in the West Bank. It's about declining courage in the West

Later in the week,Obama is sending  U.S. National Security Advisor James Jones and White House Iranian affairs expert Dennis Ross will meet with Netanyahu. The White House said the two would “discuss the broad range of issues in our relationships with Israel and the Palestinian Authority [building] on discussions special envoy Mitchell and Secretary Gates will have a few days earlier.” In other words, twist more Arms.

Ross is being sent into the mix because he is seen by the Israeli Government as a fair mediator, Jones is being sent to be the sledge hammer. When working for Condoleezza Rice,  Jones prepared a report on Israel's policies in the territories that  even the extremely liberal Ha'aretz described as "extremely critical…scathing…makes Israel look very bad."


This week the four Horsemen of the Obamaclypse are visiting Israel to strong-arm the Jewish state into making poor decisions about her security. For Having to stand up for her survival not once, but four times the same week, Israel is who Obama is Bullying today.