May 23, 2016

• Dennis Ross: White House Took “Conscious Decision to Try to Distance Itself from Israel” – Michael Wilner
  Barack Obama is one of five presidents in modern history who has made a “conscious decision to try to distance from Israel,” his former aide, Dennis Ross, said on Sunday, citing former presidents Eisenhower, Nixon, Carter and H.W. Bush. Ross, a veteran diplomat, said the White House worked under the assumption that “Israel is more of a problem than it is a partner.”
  Ross summed up the premise of the Obama administration’s policy on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict: “If you distance yourself from Israel, you’ll gain with the Arabs.” He then concluded, “Every administration that has tried to distance itself from Israel has gained nothing.”  (Jerusalem Post)