President Obama came out with a lot of bold statements and what many are calling “swagger” in his State of the Union Address on Tuesday. He emphasized many things from growing the middle class to making college much more affordable; both of which were met with applause. It’s important to note however, the focus of this speech was more on domestic policy than that of foreign policy. When the issue of foreign policy did come up, Obama brushed over it. He made the same rudimentary statement that he always makes in regards to Iran by saying "We can't let Iran have a nuclear program, we must protect our allies, blah blah blah." What the president failed to acknowledge or give any time to in his speech was the Israel- Palestine issue, specifically their heightened conflict this past summer. For a president who started his speech with great emphasis on preventing future future acts of terrorism “…from a school in Pakistan to the streets of Paris,” it seems a bit cowardly of him to not mention the roughly 2,100 Palestinians that were killed in 2014.
"My first duty as Commander-in-Chief is to defend the United States of America. In doing so, the question is not whether America leads in the world, but how. When we make rash decisions, reacting to the headlines instead of using our heads; when the first response to a challenge is to send in our military -- then we risk getting drawn into unnecessary conflicts, and neglect the broader strategy we need for a safer, more prosperous world. That's what our enemies want us to do.I believe in a smarter kind of American leadership. We lead best when we combine military power with strong diplomacy; when we leverage our power with coalition building; when we don't let our fears blind us to the opportunities that this new century presents. That's exactly what we're doing right now -- and around the globe, it is making a difference."
Obama's failure to acknowledge the death toll that accumulated in the summer of 2014 by the hand's of America's trusted ally Israel says a lot about the direction of this country. By not commenting on the issue, Obama is really saying that yes, we are for stopping terrorism and any progress Muslim terrorist groups are able to make but no, we are not for recognizing the large death toll of Palestinians- almost half of which were children.
Don’t get me wrong, Obama has done a lot of great things for this country and is continuing to do so but I guess I’m a bit biased as to the agenda that he sets forward because of my background as a Middle Eastern living in the United States. As a country that prides itself on being the best of the best in every field, it baffles me as to why Obama not only refuses to take a stance against the atrocities that have been done to the Palestinian people by its allies but also continues to give so much of its people’s tax money to Israel per year. Ally or no ally, the State of the Union address is meant to shift people’s attentions to the more important things that are occurring in our country and/or pertaining to our country. With that being said, not only are the American people being left in the dark by Mr. President about how invested we are in Israel, but also the numerous human rights violations that have occurred during his term alone by our great ally. If we’re being completely honest about the whole matter, the issue of Israel probably isn't in his hands but if he wants to make bold claims in regards to vetoing much of what he doesn't find to be his liking and making snarky remarks to not running a campaign because he’s already done it and won, the least he can do is acknowledge the Palestinian people when he gets to foreign policy.
As for Iran, well…as long as Israel is an ally, there is absolutely nothing Iran can do except for probably surrender on its knees. Overall, Obama has been great for domestic policy, but when it comes to standing up for human rights or even acknowledging them , in this case, his swagger seems to be almost nonexistent.
"My first duty as Commander-in-Chief is to defend the United States of America. In doing so, the question is not whether America leads in the world, but how. When we make rash decisions, reacting to the headlines instead of using our heads; when the first response to a challenge is to send in our military -- then we risk getting drawn into unnecessary conflicts, and neglect the broader strategy we need for a safer, more prosperous world. That's what our enemies want us to do.I believe in a smarter kind of American leadership. We lead best when we combine military power with strong diplomacy; when we leverage our power with coalition building; when we don't let our fears blind us to the opportunities that this new century presents. That's exactly what we're doing right now -- and around the globe, it is making a difference."
Obama's failure to acknowledge the death toll that accumulated in the summer of 2014 by the hand's of America's trusted ally Israel says a lot about the direction of this country. By not commenting on the issue, Obama is really saying that yes, we are for stopping terrorism and any progress Muslim terrorist groups are able to make but no, we are not for recognizing the large death toll of Palestinians- almost half of which were children.
Don’t get me wrong, Obama has done a lot of great things for this country and is continuing to do so but I guess I’m a bit biased as to the agenda that he sets forward because of my background as a Middle Eastern living in the United States. As a country that prides itself on being the best of the best in every field, it baffles me as to why Obama not only refuses to take a stance against the atrocities that have been done to the Palestinian people by its allies but also continues to give so much of its people’s tax money to Israel per year. Ally or no ally, the State of the Union address is meant to shift people’s attentions to the more important things that are occurring in our country and/or pertaining to our country. With that being said, not only are the American people being left in the dark by Mr. President about how invested we are in Israel, but also the numerous human rights violations that have occurred during his term alone by our great ally. If we’re being completely honest about the whole matter, the issue of Israel probably isn't in his hands but if he wants to make bold claims in regards to vetoing much of what he doesn't find to be his liking and making snarky remarks to not running a campaign because he’s already done it and won, the least he can do is acknowledge the Palestinian people when he gets to foreign policy.
As for Iran, well…as long as Israel is an ally, there is absolutely nothing Iran can do except for probably surrender on its knees. Overall, Obama has been great for domestic policy, but when it comes to standing up for human rights or even acknowledging them , in this case, his swagger seems to be almost nonexistent.