Advice from Washington expert to Middle East regime that denies Arab rights: Whatever you do, don’t make concessions to people seeking democracy. It will only encourage them.
Who? Leslie Gelb, granted a platform at the Daily Beast, to opine on the Palestinian protests, and describe Israel as a “true democracy.”
If Obama breaks any appreciable new ground in his speech, it will be to shower pails full of sympathy on Arab demonstrators for freedom and democracy. This time, he will make perfectly clear that his heart is with the Arab people. But his subsequent actions will remain case by case and circumspect….
Jerusalem has to make sure that Arab democrats are not distracted by Israel and stay focused on their own countries. Israelis don’t want them to turn their populist wrath on Israel.
