Home          Archives           Jerusalem Center Homepage       View the current issue           Jerusalem Center Videos           
Back

Charisma Won't Win Over Israelis


[Globe and Mail-Canada] Shira Herzog - Along the way to a new American peace plan due next month, U.S. President Barack Obama lost the hearts of many Israelis. If Israeli mistrust of Obama isn't addressed, the U.S. peacemaking effort will founder. Aaron David Miller, a fellow of the Woodrow Wilson Center, describes Obama as "tone-deaf" to Israeli sensibilities on an emotional level. The President is convinced he supports Israel and believes this should suffice for Israelis to take risks. Obama's charisma notwithstanding, he has failed to reassure Israelis that he understands and cares - something that with all their differences, his predecessors, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, successfully conveyed. To regain what he's lost, Mr. Obama will have to balance the toughness he's already demonstrated with a hefty dose of sensitivity and reassurance.
2009-08-28 08:00:00
Full Article

Subscribe to
Daily Alert

Name:  
Email:  

Subscribe to Jerusalem Issue Briefs

Name:  
Email: