NO HOPE FOR CHANGE

Barack Obama's silence on Gaza is no surprise, but it is a major disappointment for anyone still hoping that he could be an objective arbiter in the Mideast peace process. Over the past 48 hours, 300 Palestinians have lost their lives under Israeli (and US made) bombs. The world has made its reaction clear, but all we know from Obama is that he's "monitoring" the situation.

The US media is overly forgiving and dismissive of his refusal to say anything substantive. This is partially due to the holiday season and Obama being on vacation. However, it should be noted that he released an official statement on Christmas day mourning the passing of Rabbi Arnold Jacob Wolf. The situation in Gaza is far more serious. So let's be real - the whole 'holiday' excuse is meaningless.

Appearing on the Sunday morning talk shows, Obama's senior advisor, David Axelrod reiterated his boss's previous comment (or lack thereof) and his undying commitment to the state of Israel. He also dutifully reminded us that there is only one president at a time - the convenient refrain we hear whenever the Obama team refuses to answer pertinent questions.

Barack Obama has consistently released statements on major world events. Lesser occurrences have also gotten him to speak out, especially when they have anything to do with Israeli interests; for example, he immediately denounced Mahmoud Ahmadenijad's speech at the UN General Assembly a few months ago. His silence now is totally inexcusable... unless one accepts that Obama does not care about the Palestinians. At least we know he cares about Israelis, Americans, Indians and Pakistanis.

What the Israelis are doing now to Gaza is completely inexcusable (the same is true for the devastating blockade that has lasted far too long). I couldn't help but laugh during a local FOX news report that described the fear in Israel - they showed a guy running somewhere while talking on his cell phone with a big smile on his face. Meanwhile, images coming out of Gaza are truly horrific. Surely Obama watches the news (maybe even on Al Jazeera).

He will eventually speak and say something like this:

The recent events in Gaza are tragic and the loss of civilian life is regrettable. However, the Israelis have a right to live in security. This could have been avoided. The fine folks I met in Sderot should not have to worry about rockets raining down on them. Enough is enough! Hamas needs to cede control of Gaza to the Palestinian Authority (under Israeli supervision). They need to renounce violence and recognize Israel's right to exist. Until they do that, the Israelis have every right to stay on the defensive. The US needs to stand behind our stalwart ally.

My expectations of Obama have always been low, especially when it came to the Middle East, however, I've always maintained high hopes. With every day that passes though, reality settles in and I find myself hopeless. The people in Gaza have been virtually hopeless for decades - the truth hurts. Over the next few days their lives will continue to be be shattered along with most of their surroundings. The prospects of Arab-Israeli peace look bleak as ever and our incoming president doesn't seem like he will help at all. We'll have to wait and see what happens after January 20th, but there doesn't seem to be any hope for change as far as US policy on Israel is concerned.

To his credit, I believe that Obama is crushed by what is happening in Gaza; I think he understands the plight of the Palestinians. Unfortunately, he refuses to admit that to the people who elected him... maybe even to himself. The result is a cognitive dissonance I've written about before. He is unsure of himself because he feels compelled to act contrary to his convictions. There are two possible outcomes - his 'true' beliefs will shine through, or he will be corrupted by the beast of politics. Regrettably, it seems the latter is true. Who knows? Perhaps he was corrupted long ago.