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Last update - 12:25 14/08/2009
Obama's America is not delivering the goods
By Gideon Levy, Haaretz Correspondent

With great sorrow and deep consternation, we hereby declare the death of the latest hope. Perhaps rumors of its death are greatly exaggerated, to paraphrase the famous quote by Mark Twain, but the fears are being validated day after day. Barack Obama's America is not delivering the goods. Sharing a glass of beer with a racist cop and a pat on the back of Hugo Chavez are not what we hoped for; wholesale negotiations on freezing settlement construction are also not what we expected. Just over six months after the most promising president of all began his term, perhaps hope has a last breath left, but it is on its deathbed.

He came into office amid much hoopla. The Cairo speech ignited half the globe. Making settlements the top priority gave rise to the hope that, finally, a statesman is sitting in the White House who understands that the root of all evil is the occupation, and that the root of the occupation's evil is the settlements. From Cairo, it seemed possible to take off. The sky was the limit.

Then the administration fell into the trap set by Israel and is showing no signs of recovery.
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A settlement freeze, something that should have been understood by a prime minister who speaks with such bluster about two states - a peripheral matter that Israel committed to in the road map - has suddenly turned into a central issue. Special envoy George Mitchell is wasting his time and prestige with petty haggling. A half-year freeze or a full year? What about the 2,500 apartment units already under construction? And what about natural growth? And kindergartens?

Perhaps they will reach a compromise and agree on nine months, not including natural growth though allowing completion of apartments already under construction. A grand accomplishment.

Jerusalem has imposed its will on Washington. Once again we are at the starting point - dealing with trifles from which it is impossible to make the big leap over the great divide.

We expected more from Obama. Menachem Begin promised less, and he made peace within the same amount of time after he took office. When the main issue is dismantling the settlements, the pulsating momentum that came with Obama is petering out. Instead, we are paddling in shallow water. Mitchell Schmitchel. What's in it for peace? Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will once again meet him in London at the end of the month. A "magic formula" for a settlement freeze may be found there, but the momentum is gone.

Not in Israel, though. Here people quickly sensed that there is nothing to fear from Obama, and the fetters were taken off. Defense Minister Ehud Barak was quick to declare that there is no Palestinian partner, even after the Fatah conference elected the most moderate leadership that has ever been assembled in Palestine. Afterward, in a blatant act of provocation, he brought a Torah scroll into the heart of the Muslim Quarter in the Old City of Jerusalem, in full view of television cameras, just so America can see who's boss around here.

Deputy Prime Minister Eli Yishai and Knesset Speaker Reuven Rivlin, another two politicians who smell American weakness, were quick to declare during a visit to Ma'aleh Adumim that Israel will not freeze any construction. To hell with Obama. The settlers continue to move into more homes in East Jerusalem, Netanyahu is silent and Israelis sense that the "danger" has passed. Israel is once again permitted to do as it pleases. The landlord has once again gone insane. Except that the landlord has gone insane because the real landlord is showing signs of weakness, signs of folding, signs of losing interest in events in the region that most endangers world peace.

Nothing remains from the speeches in Cairo and Bar-Ilan University. Obama is silent, and Yishai speaks. Even "Israel's friends" in Washington, friends of the occupation, are once again rearing their heads.

One source familiar with Obama's inner circle likened him this week to a man who inflates a number of balloons every day in the hope that one of them will rise. He will reach his goal. The source compared him to Shimon Peres, an analogy that should insult Obama. The trial balloons the U.S. president sends our way have yet to take off. One can, of course, wait for the next balloon, the Obama peace plan, but time is running out. And Israel is not sitting idly by.

The minute Jerusalem detected a lack of American determination, it returned to its evil ways and excuses. "There is no partner," "Abu Mazen is weak," "Hamas is strong." And there are demands to recognize a Jewish state and for the right to fly over Saudi Arabia - anything in order to do nothing.

An America that will not pressure Israel is an America that will not bring peace. True, one cannot expect the U.S. president to want to make peace more than the Palestinians and Israelis, but he is the world's responsible adult, its great hope. Those of us who are here, Mr. President, are sinking in the wretched mud, in "injury time."
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  1.   GIDEON, YOU`RE RIGHT... 03:43  |  Ed 14/08/09
  2.   Gideon Levy wants whatever will harm Israel 03:43  |  Steve Randolph 14/08/09
  3.   Fear not Gideon, President Obama didn`t come this far... 03:55  |  BBSNews 14/08/09
  4.   Gideon Levy`s article 04:00  |  Nate 14/08/09
  5.   Tired 04:02  |  Aish 14/08/09
  6.   Mr. Levy, I hope you`re wrong but I fear you`re right 04:02  |  Rachel Rabin 14/08/09
  7.   Israel has other partners in the world 04:08  |  Anonymous 14/08/09
  8.   Obama, the Nonpareil 04:15  |  george 14/08/09
  9.   People do care 04:19  |  Anonymous 14/08/09
  10.   Not a racist cop 04:23  |  T. Traub 14/08/09
  11.   bizarre claim: "the root of all evil is the occupation" 05:51  |  Chris 14/08/09
  12.   gidon levy`s article calling upon Ubama to preassure Israel 05:56  |  samuel gurewicz 14/08/09
  13.   Gideon Levy should move to America and leave Israel alone 06:12  |  sw 14/08/09
  14.   The only thing that can help the Palestinians is an alliance with 06:20  |  Marc Leb 14/08/09
  15.   GIDEON LEVY 06:22  |  HOWARD SPERBER 14/08/09
  16.   Obama is trudging through the mud of America Politics 06:25  |  Marc Leb 14/08/09
  17.   At the end of the day.... 06:27  |  Haaretz Fan 14/08/09
  18.   To # 10 T. Traub 06:35  |  anonymous 14/08/09
  19.   Obama made a fatal mistake 06:39  |  Mark Lincoln 14/08/09
  20.   #10 Doesn`t matter what type of Government a nation has 06:40  |  Marc Leb 14/08/09
  21.   Quote from Gideon 06:43  |  Edifice 14/08/09
  22.   Why does Obama have to deliver any goods? 06:46  |  i-care 14/08/09
  23.   BBS and the bla bla bla 06:56  |  arik 14/08/09
  24.   "Obama`s America"?? No, problem is America`s Obama.. 06:56  |  Dr. L. Brnd 14/08/09
  25.   Israel`s "J" Street Fantasizes 07:47  |  sergey 14/08/09
  26.   Obama`s internationsl weakness has domestic roots. 07:48  |  Solow 14/08/09
  27.   Obama`s fatal mistakes 08:05  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 14/08/09
  28.   Israel needs to stand firm and look out for its own interests... 08:09  |  B. Gold 14/08/09
  29.   Gideon correct! Bravo! Freeze is flim flam - DEMAND SANCTIONS!! 08:40  |  Ivar 14/08/09
  30.   Don`t lose hope Gideon. It`s too early to judge. 08:56  |  Natallie Durson 14/08/09
  31.   Obama is not enough 08:59  |  dani.a 14/08/09
  32.   Gideon,a talented enervator 09:06  |  drdanielito 14/08/09
  33.   to Mark in Texas: Obama`s mistake 09:12  |  GA 14/08/09
  34.   All Obama Has Done Is PRESSURE Israel ! 09:17  |  Hesh 14/08/09
  35.   AN America that does not guarrantee not to cave into Millions of 09:18  |  PETER SM 14/08/09
  36.   Gideon, sadly I admit... you`ve said it all... 09:33  |  Esther 14/08/09
  37.   Edifice#21...the salient point is that.... 09:46  |  Esther 14/08/09
  38.   There is a reason why Obama has been silent latey 09:58  |  Yesh Prabhu 14/08/09
  39.   Ya, Mark #19... it is enough to view FOX TV for ten mins... 10:02  |  Esther 14/08/09
  40.   Gideon Levy increasingly irrelevant 10:20  |  Gerry 14/08/09
  41.   Obama is spread thin and waning 10:23  |  Steve the Pals. 14/08/09
  42.   #27 the reason why yesh is posting tommyrot 10:27  |  vhardman 14/08/09
  43.   #19 mark and no end to the lincoln tunnel 10:33  |  v hardman 14/08/09
  44.   Obama`s doing what he can 11:07  |  Colin Wright 14/08/09
  45.   What Next 11:48  |  Df 14/08/09
  46.   Nattalie 12:07  |  john Spear 14/08/09
  47.   THIN LINE 12:35  |  UDI 14/08/09
  48.   cairo 13:01  |  oz 14/08/09
  49.   True! There is no partner, Abu Mazen is weak,Hamas is strong. 13:10  |  Roger 14/08/09
  50.   Obama.... the savior of Israeli consciousness 13:12  |  allang 14/08/09
  51.   too early? 13:12  |  oz 14/08/09
  52.   If. . . 13:56  |  Richard 14/08/09
  53.   Deja Vu 14:01  |  Joshua 14/08/09
  54.   Strange Mr. Levy 14:49  |  Gene 14/08/09
  55.   Cipora Julianna Kohn 15:11  |  flora 14/08/09
  56.   Natallie Durson 15:13  |  flora 14/08/09
  57.   Richard 15:15  |  flora 14/08/09
  58.   Answer to #34 15:20  |  flora 14/08/09
  59.   Steve Randolph 15:24  |  flora 14/08/09
  60.   to control the conflict, not to solve it 15:33  |  Miki 14/08/09
  61.   Mark Lincoln WHA? 15:35  |  petra 14/08/09
  62.   Let`s Judge Him After His Upcoming Address To Israel 15:40  |  Yaakov Sullivan 14/08/09
  63.   Joshua BS 15:41  |  petra 14/08/09
  64.   Petra - but it is YOU who sound ignorant 17:24  |  Sam 14/08/09
  65.   Israel,stand up and be accountable 17:24  |  Dave heidenfeld 14/08/09
  66.   Obama- The views of a settler on the W.Bank 17:38  |  Rachel 14/08/09
  67.   Its simple 17:39  |  Danite 14/08/09
  68.   Netanyahu "won" but it is not bussiness as usual 17:40  |  Kristen Davis 14/08/09
  69.   700 days 17:42  |  Spokanite 14/08/09
  70.   First time to disagree with Gideon 18:06  |  Neil 14/08/09
  71.   Israel Wearing Down Obama 18:16  |  Vladek 14/08/09
  72.   Palestinian Jew-hatred 18:58  |  Paul 14/08/09
  73.   #30 - Natallie Durson 19:06  |  MichaelF 14/08/09
  74.   Obama is becoming a little irrelevant in ME politics 19:10  |  Hanna J. Crossite 14/08/09
  75.   America first 19:17  |  Max Cohen 14/08/09
  76.   The occupation is the root of all evil? 19:21  |  Max Cohen 14/08/09
  77.   Gideon Levy on Obama 19:30  |  Berel 14/08/09
  78.   #58 Petra 19:33  |  janet 14/08/09
  79.   #50 Flora re Cipora Kohn 19:36  |  janet 14/08/09
  80.   Gideon - Surely You Know That East Jerusalem is Not A Settlement 20:07  |  Eli 14/08/09
  81.   At least he didn`t knuckle under on the medal of Freedom 20:44  |  Bitin Dawg 14/08/09
  82.   Eli, East Jerusalem`s "annexation" is illegal... 21:04  |  BBSNews 14/08/09
  83.   Berel, it will be both... 21:07  |  BBSNews 14/08/09
  84.   Gideon Levy, Obama and democracy 21:19  |  i-care 14/08/09
  85.   #61 22:32  |  Df 14/08/09
  86.   To BBSNEWS - Explain What Makes it Illegal Than 22:57  |  Eli 14/08/09
  87.   American Hope is our children - not obama 23:00  |  Lucy 14/08/09
  88.   Levy`s formula for delivering the goods 23:40  |  Brod 14/08/09
  89.   The Levy who shouldn`t be 23:48  |  Slappy 14/08/09
  90.   To George, Obama non-pareil. 00:48  |  sandra chitayat 15/08/09
  91.   America is Not Obama`s 00:58  |  Zeek 15/08/09
  92.   P.S. to i-care, #22. 01:01  |  sandra chitayat 15/08/09
  93.   Three things: 01:42  |  Ben 15/08/09
  94.   Eli: A wingnut is simply anyone that .... 02:19  |  Jasper 15/08/09
  95.   #65..Eli..Re:BBs News 02:22  |  Malone 15/08/09
  96.   gideon mentions some sad truths; but it`s a bit early to judge 02:32  |  eric 15/08/09
  97.   #75..Jasper Re: my post#75Re:wingnuts 03:35  |  Malone 15/08/09
  98.   Obama may be distancing himself from an intractable problem 04:55  |  Wally 15/08/09
  99.   Obama is not going to tick off congress now 05:01  |  Wally 15/08/09
  100.   Too Early to Make Those Conclusions 05:12  |  Bill 15/08/09
  101.   American television rarely mentions Israel 06:18  |  Peter Williams 15/08/09
  102.   #.94.Wally. 08:14  |  Stephen. 15/08/09
  103.   EREQAT Disagrees.!He says no hurry.Why doesnt Levy quote this???? 12:49  |  PETER SM 15/08/09
  104.   Eli ---allow me to answer that question 13:18  |  Labhras 15/08/09
  105.   Obama`s America is not delivering the goods 15:03  |  wagner 15/08/09
  106.   #40 Gideon levite 15:40  |  Yehoshua bin Noon 15/08/09
  107.   "a racist cop", how the hell do you know. Maybe Gates racist 16:01  |  Steve -nyc 15/08/09
  108.   Israel`s defense is up to Israel 16:22  |  interested spectator 15/08/09
  109.   Too Early to Make Those Conclusions? 16:30  |  Mark Lincoln 15/08/09
  110.   Obama is delivering the goods - just not to Israel 17:13  |  Olivier Fritzgerald 15/08/09
  111.   A Two Front War 18:12  |  Les Lyshkov 15/08/09
  112.   #94, #97 Christian Zionists DO understand 18:33  |  Gary 15/08/09
  113.   Thank you Mr levy 18:42  |  Raj 15/08/09
  114.   The settlements are 18:47  |  Tony 15/08/09
  115.   Obama has damaged Peace Pros by encouraging false hopes to Arabs 20:19  |  Alan-SA 15/08/09
  116.   Netanyahu destroyed credibility of US, his irreplacable ally 21:10  |  Clarissa Nortonshire 15/08/09
  117.   Gary, will it be fairies or mermaids or jojo the two headed dog? 21:26  |  BBSNews 15/08/09
  118.   Agree with Levy Obama is gone by 2012 22:19  |  Ron 15/08/09
  119.   Jeff , Obama is an opportunist. He will change with the polls 22:23  |  Ron 15/08/09
  120.   Natalir Obama must act and make a stronger speach 22:33  |  Ron 15/08/09
  121.   steve randolph 2 05:00  |  potobac 16/08/09
  122.   zionists never get it! borrow a brain? 05:24  |  john Spear 16/08/09
  123.   prediction of Obama`s demise highly premature 06:11  |  john Spear 16/08/09
  124.   A Prophecy Come True 06:14  |  Shimon Cleopas 16/08/09
  125.   Alan-SA 06:51  |  john Spear 16/08/09
  126.   Gideon`s Kazoo 05:20  |  Thundercloud65 17/08/09
  127.   @Ron 11:30  |  GFoot 17/08/09
  128.   obama 13:22  |  paul 17/08/09
  129.   Your article on President Obama 14:55  |  JP de Lutz 17/08/09
  130.   Obama and mid-east peace 18:15  |  Darkstar 17/08/09
  131.   Obama Voter here, you are wrong! 18:56  |  Greg 17/08/09
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