Obama just commanded Israel to facilitate a 1967-borders-state for the Palestinians including Hamas – without an end-of-conflict situation for Israel.

If His Royal Solicitude, King Abdullah, really wanted to lead the Arab world towards peace with Israel, he could find a way or two to express his “moderation” more clearly and make things happen. But no. The sang-froid Saudis always seem to hew to a self-serving p.r. minimum.

Had Benjamin Netanyahu taken 12 cabinet posts, fired 11 diplomats, legislated a haredi army exemption, and annexed the West Bank with a government of only 30 seats – the country would have been on fire! Yet the leftist of government of the year 2000 did wildly outrageous things similar to this, and the media was silent. A worthwhile reminder for the year 2009.