Krauthammer: "...he knows he has nothing to fear from the West, because it's not led by anybody. It used to be led by the United States."
A few months ago, on these pages, I wrote an op-ed entitled: “Obama, Learn From Putin's Fierce Independence”, and today, it is Prime Minister Netanyahu who should learn from Russia’s President Vladimir Putin’s fierce independence.
President Obama has huffed and puffed, warning that "there will be costs" if Russia intervenes militarily in the Ukraine. Despite this, news reports now reveal that Russian parliament unanimously voted to grant President Putin permission to mobilize the country's military in Ukraine.
Putin says the move is needed to protect Russia, and Russians have already taken over airports, and more. You don't have to like him to realize that Russian President Vladimir Putin does what he feels is best for his country. Putin repeatedly shows that his behavior will be governed solely by what he feels is in Russia’s best interest.
Meanwhile, pre-invasion, political commentator Charles Krauthammer remarked "[The president] said, any violation of Ukrainian territory is destabilizing, and that's not in Russia's interest, He is instructing Putin on what's in Russia's interest?" Krauthammer continued "I can assure you, Putin has calculated his own interests, and he's calculated that detaching Crimea from Ukraine and making it, essentially, a colony of Russia, is in Russia's interest -- because he knows he has nothing to fear from the West, because it's not led by anybody. It used to be led by the United States."
Similar to Obama knowing what’s best for Russia, a few days before this year’s Israeli elections, President Barack Obama was quoted as saying “Israel doesn’t know what its own best interests are,” and commented that with “each new settlement announcement Netanyahu is moving his country down a path toward near-total isolation.”
Obama "knows what is best" for Russia, and for Israel, if one listens to him. Yet, he doesn’t defend his friends or take action against his enemies. Given Obama’s dismal track record on foreign policy, from repeated pathetic interactions with Russia, to Syria where Assad still reigns, to the Obama orchestrated chaos in Egypt, to the Iran issue which continues to be a danger, it is clear that the Obama/Kerry duo has zero credibility.
President Obama is simply weak. This week, media reports indicated that Obama would personally get involved with Middle East peace talks. Obama will likely seek to pressure Israel so he can show Israel's concessions as a foreign policy victory – when he has lost so disastrously everywhere else.
America has never been less well-respected worldwide,and never been weaker in the eyes of the world – so expect Obama to come bullying Israel again.
Netanyahu and the people of Israel must simply stand up and say “Obama: Hands off Israel.” Israel's decisions must be governed by what is best for the Jewish State. There’s no easier time for them to tell him so – tell America to solve the problems in Ukraine, Egypt, Iran and elsewhere – and then worry about little ol’ Israel.
Ronn Torossian is a proud American Jew.