Obama, Israel and the '1967 Borders with swaps' speech

[CogitoErgoSometimes]

I'll be honest, what I know about the history of the Israeli/Palestine situation you could write in the back of a stamp in longhand. However, Israel has struck me for a long time as rather intransigent, bellicose and reliant on the tacit support of the US to retain their tenuous hold on the status quo. Given that they appear to furious at the recent '1967 borders with swaps' speech by Obama, has anything materially changed? What would be his strategic aims in saying what he said? Is it a sign that the US is not going to stick up for Israel 'right or wrong'?

Obamas lecture to Israels leader will have fallen on deaf ears, the Israelis will never go back to the 1967 borders. America has many jewish people living there, and particular in the media. I don't think Obama will upset them for long.

I know less than you, CES, but I was thinking about this too.

I hope Obama will earn his Nobel Peace Prize by brokering peace between Israel and Palestine. It seems to me that what he's doing is trying to show the Israelis that they can't rely on US support unless they are prepared to make concessions. And I expect he's trying to show the Palestinians and the rest of the Arab world that this is a new approach from the US, at the same time that Al Quaeda's power is being undermined in the Middle East and parts of North Africa. It would seem like a good time to act decisively to win support for democracy and to remove some of the support from international terrorists (as so many of them are incensed by the situation in Palestine). In fact I think it is one of the main unifying causes for the militant islamists.

I don't think he will swing it (Israel going back to 1967 borders), but a gesture like this will go a long way - as long as Israel offers something. As far as the Jewish pressure groups are concerned, even they must realise that something has to be done.

No blinding insights from me, I'm afraid. It would be good to get someone else's take on this.