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The Nation’s Robert Dreyfus contends in a November 6, 2009 column in The Dreyfus Report that “The announcement by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas that he will not run for reelection is the exclamation point on the utter collapse of the Obama administration's Middle East policy.” He adds:
Launched to great expectations -- the appointment of George Mitchell, Obama's Cairo declaration that the plight of the Palestinians is intolerable -- it is now in complete disarray.
Mr. Dreyfus said, “It is, without doubt, the first major defeat for Obama's hope-and-change foreign policy.”
Does this mean that Mr. Obama is responsible for what Mr. Abbas does politically? I don’t think so. Besides, it’s good to see an Arab leader who doesn’t think he should be President for life.
Secondly, if President Obama and President Abbas really want a lasting, Israeli-Palestinian peace solution they will have to use coercive power against the U.S. Congress, which runs interference in the United States for Israel. Mr. Abbas and other Palestinian leaders don’t have coercive power that could influence congress. Consequently, they will not be able to make headway where it counts.
As for Mr. Obama, his domestic agenda currently has precedence over his Middle East agenda. In the long run, however, I think his Middle East policy will be more successful than any other U.S. President. Why? his activist citizens political organization can run interference for him when the pressure to maintain the status quo mounts.
If you want to read Mr. Dreyfus’ entire article, please see “Obama Fails in Middle East.”
