Obama's Islam Speech: Bad, But It Could Have Been Worse

Hey, he only compared Israel to South African apartheid and American slavery, the word "terrorism" or "Hezbollah", or "Hamas" were not mentioned even once, he fully supported Iran's "peaceful" nuclear program, but it could have been worse.

As the endless Obama-Islam suck-up tour continues, let us not dwell on the negative too much. There is so much of it when it comes to Obama's approach to the Middle East, his understating (or lack of understanding), and his complete ignorance of human history is stunning. Schlussel point that out accurately in her criticism. I prefer to dwell on the positive in this case since my original expectations were so low. So here are the few quotes from his speech that deserve praise:

Finally, the Arab States must recognize that the Arab Peace Initiative was an important beginning, but not the end of their responsibilities. The Arab-Israeli conflict should no longer be used to distract the people of Arab nations from other problems. Instead, it must be a cause for action to help the Palestinian people develop the institutions that will sustain their state; to recognize Israel’s legitimacy; and to choose progress over a self-defeating focus on the past.

America’s strong bonds with Israel are well known. This bond is unbreakable. It is based upon cultural and historical ties, and the recognition that the aspiration for a Jewish homeland is rooted in a tragic history that cannot be denied.
Around the world, the Jewish people were persecuted for centuries, and anti-Semitism, in Europe culminated in an unprecedented Holocaust. Tomorrow, I will visit Buchenwald, which was part of a network of camps where Jews were enslaved, tortured, shot and gassed to death by the Third Reich. Six million Jews were killed – more than the entire Jewish population of Israel today. Denying that fact is baseless, ignorant, and hateful. Threatening Israel with destruction – or repeating vile stereotypes about Jews – is deeply wrong, and only serves to evoke in the minds of Israelis this most painful of memories while preventing the peace that the people of this region deserve.

That's about it. This is what I hang my hat on while looking for a positive in a 6,000 word ocean of nonsense and misrepresentations. But hey, I'll take what I can get.