OBAMA AND AMATEURISM – AT 9:21 A.M. ET:  Joel Mowbray, one of the best diplomatic reporters around, examines President Obama's amateurish approach to Middle East peace, and explains why it's headed for the junk heap of history:

Should Mr. Obama embark on the quixotic quest of Middle East "peace," there will be no oxygen left in the national discussion to focus on threats far more insidious to U.S. national security, such as the resurgent Taliban in Afghanistan, teetering democracy in Iraq, an ascendant al Qaeda in Yemen and, most significant, the Iranian mullahs' nuclear ambitions.

The argument in favor of putting all hands on deck for striking an Israeli-Palestinian deal is that it would be the first domino that would rally the Arab states to prevent Iran from obtaining nukes and somehow pacify our enemies elsewhere by persuading them that they misjudged America.

This is absurd. Arab dictators already want to stop Iran, as they fear the political dominance the mullahs would achieve across the region should they acquire nukes. As for Islamic extremists battling our soldiers, it's patently naive to think a peace deal would persuade them to lay down their arms.

Then why is Obama pursuing this pipe dream?  Left-wing ideology.

And...

Mr. Obama's Middle East domino theory is also flawed because peace is not possible in the short term. As close as experts now say a deal was during the Clinton administration, the only end result from those negotiations was Palestinian terrorism.

That's something the in-the-tank media would like to forget.  Every time peace appears to be near, Islamic terrorism has actually increased.  What the Obamans can't accept is that our enemies are opposed to a peace agreement, not for it.

Simply put, ordinary Palestinians are not ready to accept peaceful coexistence with a Jewish state of Israel. Various polls over the years have shown clear majority support for rocket attacks and suicide bombings, and those who disagree publicly do so on strategic - not moral - grounds.

Is a society where no one speaks out against the depravity of brainwashing its children to become mass murderers ready to embrace peace?

The answer should be obvious...if one cares about the facts.  If one cares only about ideology, the answer becomes blurred.

And Obama's Mideast policy is one big blur.

April 19, 2010