Why The Attempt To Delegitimize Israel Is Gaining Steam Under Obama

Jennifer Rubin suggests that efforts to use international organizations to delegitimize Israel have been gaining steam during Obama's tenure as president--for 3 reasons:

First, he’s raised the profile of international organizations, conferred on them new prestige, elevated gangs of thugs like the UN Human Rights Council, and made clear that international consensus is near and dear to him, a priority above many other foreign policy goals. This has emboldened Israel’s foes, who now enjoy more respect and more visibility. Because Obama has put such a high price on consensus in these bodies and on internationalizing decisions, he is handing a veto to the more aggressively anti-Israel members.


Second, the U.S. has done nothing to discourage or rebut the delegitimizing. We’ve sat mutely when the UN Human Rights Council has condemned Israel. We haven’t denounced or even chastised the Israel-bashers. When Jeane Kirkpatrick or John Bolton held their posts, you would at least see the Israel-haters’ arguments demolished and their representatives put in their place. No such defense is offered these days by Susan Rice.

And finally, Obama outside the confines of these bodies, has signaled that it’s fine to slap Israel around. When the American government condemns Israel, others are sure to follow. He’s announced his intention to put daylight between the U.S. and the Jewish state, which tells the Israel-haters they have a green light to take their own swings.

Rubin suggests that the US should take steps to reverse this trend by doing the opposite of what it has been doing thus far in each of the examples she gives above.

Of course, for the Obama administration to do that would require it to realize the disasterous results of its current policy.

It would also assume the Obama administration cares.

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