Last time Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was at the White House, he did not receive a warm reception to say the least. Today, however, Netanyahu is back in Washington and President Obama has a great opportunity to mend troubled relations between the longtime allies.
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The press is encouraging a photo to be taken of the two leaders together, but I also would like to encourage the President to take a public stand in defense of Israel and their right to defend themselves. It is my sincere hope Obama does not pressure Netanyahu to cede eastern land to Palestine in today’s meeting. Likewise, I do not want to see a push for an apology for the May 31 flotilla incident that took a deadly turn. Rather, Israel has a right to settle on its own land and to defend itself from those looking to do harm. Going forward, Israel must be supported by the United States for the long-term safety and security of both nations.
President Obama, second chances do not come along often; please take advantage of this opportunity and restore relations with our longtime friend and ally.
Update:
President Obama certainly did his best this morning to make it appear like the relationship between his Administration and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has always been on solid ground. In fact, he went as far as to say that his commitment to Israel is "unwavering". Personally, I think "unwavering" is a bit strong. After all, it was President Obama who said in an address to the United Nations in September of 2009 that "America does not accept the legitimacy of continued Israeli settlements."
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This is in line with what Fox News reported in April of this year about America's role on the U.N. Security Council regarding Israel:
"The Obama administration is reportedly signaling another major shift in policy towards one of its staunchest allies, Israel, and this shift could change the way it votes at the Security Council. The change would mean an end to the US' use of its veto power in the United Nations Security Council when certain anti-Israel resolutions are introduced for a vote.
"Reports surfaced a couple of weeks ago, that a senior US diplomat met with Qatar's foreign minister in Paris. They discussed the possibility that the US was giving serious consideration to not using its veto if a vote on Israeli settlements was to come up. It has been the policy of successive administrations to veto virtually all anti-Israel resolutions at the Security Council."
That doesn't sound like an "unwavering" commitment to me.
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