My must read of the day is "Obama Rated Poorly on Mideast Conflict," in ABC News:
Barack Obama falls short of majority approval for his handling of two of the world’s prime hotspots in a new ABC News/Washington Post poll, with an especially weak rating for his work on the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians.
Just 39 percent of Americans approve of Obama’s handling of the situation in Israel and the Gaza Strip, while more than half, 52 percent, disapprove. The president does better for his response to the downed Malaysian Airlines jetliner in Ukraine; 46 percent approve – but virtually as many, 43 percent, disapprove.
The most shocking thing about this poll is that 39 percent of Americans approve of "Obama's handling of the situation in Israel and the Gaza Strip."
Who are these people? Have they seen ten minutes of the news?
Whether you think Israel is rightfully defending itself or you think they're overstepping—this administration's policies and diplomatic efforts are disastrous on all accounts. They've failed to broker a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas while alienating both sides (and almost everyone in the region for that matter)—many in Israel and the United States felt the recent Kerry-led ceasefire talks benefited Hamas, while those who see Israel as the aggressor would likely contend the administration has wrongly defended Israel's actions.
One thing seems quite clear; nothing about Obama's actions amount to a "handling of the situation."