Ahead of his trip to the Middle East, President Obama is making clear that he won’t budge an inch from his demand that the Israelis freeze all settlement construction, on both sides of the fence, and even in Jerusalem proper — what Obama once called the undivided capital of Israel when he was still campaigning for president. On the other side of the ledger, Obama declared today that the Iranians have the right to nuclear power, that they have until the end of the year to show they’re serious about negotiating, and that the regime’s diplomats are invited to American Fourth of July celebrations at embassies around the world. While Obama tries to charm the Iranians, he has nothing but demands and threats for Israel. His administration, nearly six months in and with no apparent strategy for dealing with a recalcitrant Iran, is already kicking around creative ways to embarrass and humiliate the Netanyahu government should it disobey orders from Washington. It’s a situation that could be difficult for some Democrats to explain to their constituents. As Ben Smith discovers, some of the Democrats who vouched for Obama on Israel during the campaign, and viciously attacked those who questioned his commitment to the Jewish state, are beginning to squirm a little themselves. Take Robert Wexler, who once said Sarah Palin was linked to a Nazi sympathizer in a bid to boost Obama among Florida Jews: