Susan Estrich
Rasmussen Reports
4/2/2011
J Street, the pro-peace, pro-Israel lobbying group, is circulating a petition calling on President Obama to go to Israel in the very near future. In my view, they are absolutely right. Such a trip is absolutely essential for two reasons.
The first is to reassure Israel of America’s support in difficult times. Fairly or not, many Israelis do not trust Obama in the same way they did his two predecessors, Presidents George W. Bush and Bill Clinton.
I criticized Bush for many things during his two terms (although, for the record, I never joined the crowd that “hated” him). But his support for Israel was unwavering, and while it didn’t bring peace, it did provide real reassurance to Israelis, including the many who work and pray for a fair and equitable peace for themselves and their children…
…At this point, nothing short of a presidential visit will provide such reassurance. I have no problem with the president’s trips to other countries that do not need reassurance of our friendship and do not raise, for us or for them, such difficult issues. But Israelis need to know that they remain our most trusted and valued ally in the Middle East. Because they are…
The entire commentary is at Rasmussen Reports.
