Marred by two rocket attacks 50 miles away and his huge armored limo, flown in from Washington, breaking down, PRESIDENT OBAMA met Israel for the first time, March 20. Obama met with Israeli leaders and college students, offering platitudes and promises for Middle East peace to the Israelis. As has been true during the first four years of his administration, there has been no headway in the middle east, perhaps worse, with worsening relations with Egypt and other Middle Eastern neighbors to Israel.
Obama was also flustered by a protestor and a journalist who slipped in a couple unplanned tough questions which Obama quickly dismissed with a laugh and no answer . In fact , Obama didn't show much encouragement for peace, saying that Israeli's planned expansion into the Gaza area would not help the peace process and even said '. Earlier in the day Obama urged the Palestinians to resume peace talks. And that was about it for Obama in the Middle East on this self-proclaimed 'listening tour' of the Middle East.
Obama was also flustered by a protestor and a journalist who slipped in a couple unplanned tough questions which Obama quickly dismissed with a laugh and no answer . In fact , Obama didn't show much encouragement for peace, saying that Israeli's planned expansion into the Gaza area would not help the peace process and even said '. Earlier in the day Obama urged the Palestinians to resume peace talks. And that was about it for Obama in the Middle East on this self-proclaimed 'listening tour' of the Middle East.
James Robbin - USA TODAY 3-21-13:
President Obama's first journey to Israel as president comes amid earth-shattering change in Middle East, much of it for the worse. The Arab Spring, which once raised hopes of freedom and dignity, has diverged onto the dark path of Islamist authoritarian rule. In Syria, tens of thousands of people have died in a bitter civil war that might have recently seen its first use of chemical weapons. And Iran continues its march toward nuclear weapons capability, heedless of international condemnation. Obama's effort to seek peace between Palestinians and Israelis is in tatters.
That's why the White House has been lowering expectations for Obama's trip to Israel all this week. He will announce no new peace plan, grand design or major foreign policy initiative. His advisers are calling the trip a "listening tour." That is what you call a state visit when you have little to say.
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