But amid all the voices that have spoken, one stands out among them for its silence. For these past 48 hours, Barack Obama has not issued a single word in response to the catastrophe. At the time of writing, he has still not issued a statement of support, or even so much as calls for restraint. One may come soon (and, by the time you read this, may already have arrived), but this vast stretch of silence has already become deafening.
On the face of it, it seems that there’s no possible explanation for this. It may be tempting to think that the former president is conflicted and “working through” his feelings, or that he’s coordinating a statement with his team. But this would miss the point entirely. …
The Iran deal, in whose name the administration twisted itself into a moral pretzel, was forced into policy not because Obama has any great passion for the mullahs in Tehran, but because it was predicated on a wholesale restructuring of the Middle East.
In this view, an ascendant Iran would be a counter-balance to Israel. It would force Israel’s hand in dealing the Palestinian situation in the way that Obama and his foreign policy circle believed was the only way.
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