Tuesday June 3, 2014

I've Been Thinking:

The PA/Hamas unity government was sworn in yesterday. And almost immediately afterward, US State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki recognized the new government.

I am told that the Israeli cabinet and diplomats were caught off guard.

The United States might have rushed to embrace the new Palestinian government, but there will be serious blowback in DC - especially from powers on the hill.

Why was Israel surprised?

Months ago I predicted that if the agreement went through, the United States would accept it. And by Saturday it was clear that the new Palestinian prime minister was already officially invited to Washington to meet with Obama in the White House.

Israel has always had a misapprehension of the White House's desires and priorities. To think that the administration would not back a unity government was a big misjudgment. And to think that embracing a Palestinian unity government is an attack against Israel is even a bigger mistake.

The White House is wrong. It is illegal in the United States to recognize Hamas. But to think that they would not have done so was sheer folly.

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