Israel, Palestine, Obama and Lincoln

While the world is watching the unfolding events in Syria and Libya, another set of events has engaged Israel and Palestine.

Israel has been bombed, for the first time since 2004, from Gaza , and rockets have been launched from Gaza into Israel.

Israel was quick to respond with bombing raids into Gaza.

There is nothing startling about these events, if it were not for the fact that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is going to speak before the American Congress in May, and Palestine is continuing to pursue its goal of being recognized unilaterally by the UN General Assembly in September.

When the Israeli PM speaks in May, he will undoubtedly try to stake out a position that is both tolerable for Israel and acceptable to President Obama. This won’t be easy. Obama is determined to blame Israel for the Israel-Palestine problem because Israel will not give up the territory taken in the 1967 war before serious negotiations begin with Palestine. This is a logical position - to keep one’s bargaining chips as negotiating tools. But, Obama wants Israel to abandon its 1967 territory now, explaining that from his point of view this is the real stumbling block to an Israel-Palestine peace.

Nothing could be further from the truth. The real stumbling block is that Palestinian President Abbas does not want to negotiate and never will unless forced to the table by Obama or his successor.

As for Palestine being recognized by the UN General Assembly, that just might be the best thing that could happen to Israel. It would keep its 1967 buffer zone, and it could then encourage Palestinians to develop their country without having to be the “bad guy” in the never-ending Palestinian bickering about peace negotiations.

As for President Obama, as usual, he has got it all wrong once again. Israel is not the problem. Palestine and its terrorist Hamas partners in Gaza are the problem.  It reminds me of one of President Lincoln’s favorite jokes :

"How many legs does a dog have if you call the tail a leg? Four. Calling a tail a leg doesn't make it a leg."