The post-‘Arab Spring’ Middle East is certainly overflowing with problems that threaten the stability of the region.
There is one thing common to the problems in Egypt, Syria and the rest of the states on the neighborhood – these problems have nothing to do with Israel.
Whether or not Israel builds another porch in Jerusalem or for that matter entire new communities beyond the Green Line has no impact on the resolution of these problems.
By the same token, the attitudes taken by the Arab “actors” in the region– be they the contending leaderships or the “street” – towards the United States are driven by how America relates to the new and developing situations in these countries rather than by either Israel’s activities within its own sphere or how the U.S. responds to those Israeli activities.
Simply put, the United States has nothing to gain by throwing Israel under the bus.
With the presidential elections coming up, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu has the opportunity to try and get the Obama Administration to concede this fundamental point.
Sure, in the months coming up to the November elections Mr. Obama may hold back. But it would be a terrible mistake not to exploit this “election year window of opportunity” to try and put the concept in place to influence America’s post-election policies.