The Siege of Gaza: Obama’s First Test (Today's Zaman, TURKEY)

While some had predicted that Barack Obama would be "tested" early in his administration by America's enemy Osama, Obama's first major foreign policy "test" has instead come from America's ally, Israel.

Israel's war in Gaza has been calculated and deliberately planned to occur at this time. The Israeli government has taken advantage of a world in which many are distracted by the global economic crisis and the celebration of Christmas and the new year. Equally important, the bombing of Gaza has been executed on George W. Bush's "watch" so that Israel can count on a Bush administration whose failure to act as an honest broker was seen most starkly in the silence and support of the US during the Israeli war in Lebanon. The Israelis struck during the US presidential transition and before Obama, who could prove less sympathetic, takes office.

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