It appears as if the Apologist-in-Chief is continuing his efforts at alienating our closest friend and ally – and the only truly and completely representative democracy – in the Middle East. In the official Presidential memo detailing our policy approach to Israel, there was a clause that was always inserted by Bush, to the effect that the USA continues to commit itself to moving our embassy to Jerusalem. Well, in Obama’s first release of this document, the clause isn’t there.
Late on Friday The Washington Times’ Christian Bourge obtained a copy of Presidential Determination 2009-19, latest in a series of pro forma memos to the Secretary of State entitled “Suspension of Limitations Under the Jerusalem Embassy Act.” This determination is a legally required waiver under said act to continue to delay the May 31, 1999 deadline for moving the U.S. Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
Nearly identical memos like this have been issued every six months for the last decade. Standard procedure, no big deal, right? Well in the Bush years the memo contained the sentence,
“My Administration remains committed to beginning the process of moving our embassy to Jerusalem.”
The Obama team has edited that passage out. This explains the Friday evening release. Congress should revisit the Jerusalem Embassy Act and remove the loophole that has allowed this charade to continue for ten years. Meanwhile the president should explain exactly what his policy is on this issue, and why he is not committed to beginning the process of moving the embassy.
In the world of Washington DC, releasing news late on the Friday afternoon is the political equivalent of trying to bury a body in the cornfield. News is released at that time because the players know it will be found out eventually, and so they have some plausibility in saying that
“hey, we didn’t hide anything,” but all the same, it’s buried because, well, who pays attention to world events on Friday night?
Looks like Obama is trying to appease his new friends, the Palestinians.
