Obama, Israel, and Palestine

With Amb. John Bolton, Harold Rhode, Ryan Mauro, Bill Gertz

During the U.S. President’s tour of the Middle East, many have been surprised at how his rhetorical performance has hit the right notes.  The surprise is due to prior absence of policy and strategy to back up strong words for Iran and kind words for Israel.  Former U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. JOHN BOLTON of the American Enterprise Institute discusses the consequential realities that remain for heads of state after the televised events.

Gatestone Institute Senior Fellow and former Department of Defense Middle East expert, HAROLD RHODE, walks through the complexities in Israel as well as those playing out in Syria and the broader Middle East in relationship to Turkey, Russia, Saudi Arabia, and to U.S. policy.

Global threat expert RYAN MAURO of the Clarion Project uncovers another failure of vetting by the State Department this time in respect to the newly appointed Prime Minister of the Syrian opposition.  He also reports on the activities of Hezbollah in Syria and their long term strategic objectives, EU hesitation to designate Hezbollah as a terrorist organization, and the formation of religious enforcement militias in Egypt.

Washington Free Beacon Editor, BILL GERTZ, reports on the administration’s down playing of Russian strategic nuclear bombers increasing flights near the U.S. and it’s allies unchallenged.  The administration has simultaneously completely canceled the SM3 Interceptor missile defense capability in Europe which is also a concession to Russian wishes.  This took place last week as the headlines reported a seeming reversal in the administrations actions to diminish American missile defense while claiming strategic enhancement.  The strategic enhancement was perhaps meant to be interpreted as better relations with Russia.  Such an interpretation would be shown nullified by these aggressive nuclear bomber flights unprecedented since the end of the Cold War.