Obama won’t be throwing Israel under the bus, part I

Here’s where I stick my neck out and look either brilliant or moronic, but I don’t think that Obama is going to sell out Israel. Here’s another reason why:

United States President Barack Obama has said he cannot tell Israel not to fear Iran’s nuclear ambitions, in comments published Saturday ahead of a meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

“I understand very clearly that Israel considers Iran an existential threat, and given some of the statements that have been made by President Ahmadinejad, you can understand why,” Obama told Newsweek. The magazine will publish the full interview on May 25.

“Their calculation of costs and benefits are going to be more acute,” he added. “They’re right there in range and I don’t think it’s my place to determine for the Israelis what their security needs are.”

Is Obama going to push Bibi for a Palestinian state? Yes. But so did George W. Bush who, you may remember, was the first U.S. president to promise a Palestinian state in so many words. Is Obama surrounded by anti-Israel lefties? Not nearly as much as people think he is, or at least, they don’t have the influence that people fear they do. But yes, it’s going to be a hard slog.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu landed in Washington Sunday afternoon a day prior to a meeting with US President Barack Obama. The atmosphere among the prime minister’s associates was tense on the trans-Atlantic flight.

Although they expect a warm reception, senior Israeli officials have no doubt that the United States intends to press them hard on the topic of Israeli-Palestinian negotiations in general and on the issue of settlements, specifically.

Which is about par for the course. The Bush administration did the same. So did the Clinton and Bush 1 administrations. And now that we have the Heinz Ketchup (57-State) Solution being offered, expect even more pressure on Israel. And none, of course, on the Palestinians. Who are, as usual, accusing Israel of not wanting peace.

I won’t be up late tonight worrying about what will happen tomorrow. Obama has stepped back on many of the policies that he criticized George Bush for. I think he’ll stay the course with Israel as well.