A bit more research this evening (specifically, a report by McClatchy's Dion Nissenbaum) has me reconsidering my earlier comments about the braveness of Hillary Clinton's stance on house demolitions by Israel. Nissenbaum reports that a day before her comments Hillary had an opportunity to raise the issue with the mayor of Jerusalem. If she mentioned it to him, his people aren't letting on.
In fact, says Nissenbaum, the impression among many Palestinians is that Obama-Clinton is delivering more or less the same non-results with regard to West Bank settlements that they saw with Bush-Rice - so much so, in fact, that some Palestinians are calling her "Condi Clinton."
Time will tell. And perhaps Hillary is holding back a bit until she's sure of the composition of the new Israel government. It's extremely unlikely that Tzipi Livni and Kadima will join Netanyahu's government; and while there's been some negotiating between Netanyahu and Ehud Barak (the former supposed moderate from the Labor party who was prime minister in the last years of Bill Clinton's presidency), it's not likely that Barak will join either. Still, that's not been finalized, and Obama and Clinton might be entertaining faint hopes that Livni and/or Barak will throw in with Netanyahu, which might permit him to form a more centrist government, perhaps even without the racist Avigdor Lieberman, who supposedly emerged from the recent elections as the "kingmaker."
In fact, says Nissenbaum, the impression among many Palestinians is that Obama-Clinton is delivering more or less the same non-results with regard to West Bank settlements that they saw with Bush-Rice - so much so, in fact, that some Palestinians are calling her "Condi Clinton."
Time will tell. And perhaps Hillary is holding back a bit until she's sure of the composition of the new Israel government. It's extremely unlikely that Tzipi Livni and Kadima will join Netanyahu's government; and while there's been some negotiating between Netanyahu and Ehud Barak (the former supposed moderate from the Labor party who was prime minister in the last years of Bill Clinton's presidency), it's not likely that Barak will join either. Still, that's not been finalized, and Obama and Clinton might be entertaining faint hopes that Livni and/or Barak will throw in with Netanyahu, which might permit him to form a more centrist government, perhaps even without the racist Avigdor Lieberman, who supposedly emerged from the recent elections as the "kingmaker."
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