Barack Obama gave two major policy speeches about the Middle East in quick succession, on May 19 and May 22; and while he discussed a number of Middle East topics, the Arab–Israeli-conflict portion received the lion’s share of attention. Analysts and politicians who care about the Middle East’s only democratic country (yes, I use that formulation now that Turkey is under AKP control) have excoriated Obama and see Israel in great jeopardy. For example, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich called the speech “a disaster” and said that Obama, in effect, asked Israel “to commit suicide.”
I see things more positively for Israel.
