Is Israel An Appeaser Now?

Somebody should ask George W. Bush and John McCain about this:

Israel and Syria Say They Are Holding Peace Talks in Turkey

JERUSALEM — Israel and Syria announced Wednesday that they were engaged in negotiations for a comprehensive peace treaty through Turkish mediators, the first time in eight years that such talks have taken place.

Once upon a time (meaning before Bush took office), it would have been the United States acting as the mediator. Just another example of how our standing in the world has diminished, even in the eyes of the Israelis, thanks to Bush's terrible policies.

In 2003, John McCain would have supported such peace efforts:

When Bush‘s Secretary of State Colin Powell met with Syrian President Bashar Assad in 2003, McCain said Assad was sponsoring and harboring terrorists and sending Syrians to fight Americans in Iraq. And McCain said, quote, “It‘s very appropriate that Colin Powell is going to Syria.” And when Newt Gingrich criticized the U.S. engaging in diplomacy with a terrorist supporting dictator, McCain implied that Newt Gingrich need therapy.

Now it is McCain who needs therapy. Let's see what the two candidates said about Syria, and decide for yourself which path Israel appears to be taking:

"To achieve lasting peace, sooner or later, one way or another, Hizbullah must be disarmed and its patron in Damascus confronted," according to US Presidential hopeful John McCain, who wrote to The Jerusalem Post as part of the latest installment to the 'Road to the White House' blog on JPost.com, which addressed the issue of how the US should deal with Syria.

Another presidential hopeful - Barack Obama - on the other hand, was of the opinion that a path of confrontation would not be constructive. Despite the fact that "so far, the Syrian regime has given all the wrong answers," the Illinois Senator said he "would engage Syria in direct bilateral talks while insisting on our core demands."

According to Obama, "The Democrat hopeful accused the Bush administration of issuing "empty threats" against Assad. "[The Administration] has eschewed bilateral talks on the full range of issues and failed to present a convincing roadmap to a different kind of relationship."

Looks to me like Israel agrees with Obama's approach.