Hillary Flip Flops in the Middle East

I am reminded of when Hillary Clinton ran for Senator of New York and was going around telling all the voters that she was a die-hard Yankee fan, quite contrary to her previous die-hard commitment to the Cubs when she was just the First Lady from Illinois. Now it seems she is pulling the same stunt on her shuttle diplomacy around the Middle East.

"To Jerusalem"

During her current trip, she stopped in Israel, where, on Saturday, she praised the Israeli's latest offer on the subject of the settlements. This did not sit well with her Arab counterparts, who criticized it as a step back from the Obama Administration's earlier statement against settlements-a principal obstacle to resumption of peace talks.

"Now off to Morocco"

On Monday, Clinton was asked about the issue by reporters when she arrived in Morocco. She read a prepared statement.

"Successive American administrations of both parties have opposed Israel's settlement policy," she said. "That is absolutely a fact, and the Obama administration's position on settlements is clear, unequivocal and it has not changed. As the president has said on many occasions, the United States does not accept the legitimacy of continued Israeli settlements."

"Honest honey, it didn't mean a thing! It was just 'positive reinforcement'"


She stated that "while Israel was moving in the right direction in its offer to restrict but not stop the settlements, its offer "fell far short" of U.S. expectations. The statement in Jerusalem was all just about "positive reinforcement", said Clinton. who also called on the Israelis to do more to improve "movement and access" for Palestinians and on Israeli security arrangements.

Is she referring to that "apartheid wall" that has kept suicide bombings to a low level since it was erected?

"This offer (to curb settlements) falls far short of what we would characterize as our position or what our preference would be," Mrs Clinton added. "But if it is acted upon, it will be an unprecedented restriction on settlements and would have a significant and meaningful effect on restraining their growth."

Palestinian Foreign Minister Riad Malki said Monday, "we have heard her say something completely different from that statement in line with previous statements, so we are happy that such a position was highlighted and brought back to the right line and right now we will see how things will go."

Translation: "Now we can get back 'on the right line'"- toward driving the Jews into the sea."

So which is it, Mrs Clinton? Do you say one thing while you are in Jerusalem, and say another when you are in Morocco? (Do you say one thing when you are in Chicago, and say another when you are in New York?)

What kind of diplomacy is this? I'll answer that question. It is the kind of diplomacy that means that once again, we will see a president and a secretary of state flailing away and trying in vain to make history by bringing peace to the Middle East. And who in the Middle East can believe what Mrs Clinton says to begin with? We in America have been watching this vain-glorious woman lie and manipulate her way up the ladder for a couple of decades now. In the end, she will just walk away and leave everybody upset.

She's quite good at that.