“It was a wonderful speech, carefully prepared, well-balanced, between interests of different listeners,” intones the author of the 1979 Iranian hostage crisis, praising Obama’s Cairo address beyond all warrant in an interview with Reuters, and particularly approving his willingness “to move toward a harmonious relationship with Iran as possible.” But the ex-president, whose animus toward Israel is famous-and unabashed-reserves his fullest approbation for the intensifying pressure on the leader of the Jewish state, calling the administration’s demand for a settlement freeze “profoundly important.” “I don’t see any possibility of having peace between Israel and the Palestinians if Israel continues to expand its settlements,” Carter declares. Of Palestinian Jew-hatred and terrorism he utters not a word. Not one word. “Netanyahu now has a decision to make,” he says. “‘Am I going to publicly defy the President of the United States? Not only in private conversations in the Oval Office but to the world audience, or am I going to maintain the relationship that is extremely important to Israeli people of harmony between the Prime Minister and the President?'” And here, at least, as in so little else, this icy-grinned Georgia cracker is absolutely right. The Obami are exerting every ounce of force they can muster against Bibi, which only the strength of Samson-with maybe an intervention from God-will help him withstand.
