Watching Hill on the Hill, I'm impressed. She's signalling a brave new mood, and sounding some of the right notes. The usual defense of Israel's right to defend itself, but no red meat for the carnivores. Talks about "smart power." And maybe most important, sees the Palestinian issue as one that is feeding extremism. A peace deal is "critical not only to the parties involved but to" undermining "the forces of alienation and violent extremism around the world." Talks about achieving a "just and lasting peace" as a way of heading off Al Qaeda, the Taliban, and Iran and Syria, too.
It was for this kind of statement that Obama was blasted during the campaign by the neocons and McCain himself. Hillary made several references to justice for Palestinians and their economic well being. It's something. I do think this is an important signal that Israel/Palestine is going to be a high priority for Obama. It's damaging American interests, and threatening to put a dirty bomb in our subways.
Hillary also invoked Thomas Jefferson. That a nation's interests must "concide with their moral duties." This has never been the case for us in Israel/Palestine. We have ALWAYS been on one side. We cannot maintain this imbalance in the new world. Our moral hypocrisy is too great. Hillary says the problems in Middle East peacemaking are "intractable." Yes, they are intractable. And the amazing part of it is that very little of that intractability is over there. It's right here. In Hillary's base, and Obama's big givers. The problem is here. Will they take it on? Godspeed if they do.
