Amir Mizroch writes in the Jerusalem Post:
Everybody is saying no to the American president these days. And it's not just that they're saying no, it's also the way they're saying it.
The Saudis twice said 'no' to his request for normalization gestures towards Israel ... Who says no to the American president twice? What must they think of Obama in the desert kingdom?
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The North Koreans said 'no' to repeated attempts at talks, by test-launching long-range missiles in April; Russia and China keep on saying 'no' to tougher sanctions on Iran; the Iranians keep saying 'no' to offers of talks by saying they're willing to talk about everything except a halt to uranium enrichment.
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas is saying 'no' by refusing to meet with Binyamin Netanyahu until Israel freezes all settlement construction; the Israelis said 'no' by refusing to agree to a settlement freeze, or even a settlement moratorium until and unless the Arabs ante up their normalization gestures. Which brings us back to the original Saudi 'no'.
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Everyone has worked it out by now: The great secret is out- America's economy has made Obama a weak president, and he will likely remain weak throughout his first term... for the next three years, expect to see a world that says 'no' to Obama. No meaningful and dramatic diplomatic initiative can come out of the White House in the next three years, as long as Obama remains weak.
...Iran could turn up the heat on US and coalition forces in Iraq and Afghanistan, which will stymie Obama's plan to win and withdraw. In Iraq and Afghanistan, Iran has the US president by the kishkes, in a manner of speaking.
And so do the Taliban.
So, when a president with so many problems comes asking for a favor, everyone finds it easier to just say no...
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