Despite the fact President-Elect Trump got Egypt to withdraw its UN Security Council resolution condemning settlement expansion, President Obama was able to get several other countries including Venezuela (yes that basket case is on the Security Council) to reintroduce the resolution. This gave the Obama Administration the opportunity to abstain allowing the resolution to pass unaminously. It was President Obama's final middle finger to Israel.
Of course, Obama will argue the settlements are an obstacle to peace. Well, there hasn't been a Jew living in Gaza in over a decade. Did this bring Israel peace & quiet? Not for a moment.
If every settlement were dismantled tomorrow does anyone honestly think the UN Resolutions against Israel would stop? Absolutely not. Obama and the Palestinians consider all of Israel to be "occupied territory" up to and including the Western Wall. How often have the Palestinians said the Jews have no ties to Jerusalem. Thanks to Obama this anti-Semitic dogma has been enshrined in international law.
Notwithstanding Obama's efforts to extricate America from Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya & Syria, he never missed an opportunity to poke his finger at Israel, especially after he was unsuccessful in ousting Benjamin Netanyahu from office. No doubt Bibi is counting the days (28 to be exact) until Obama's reign of error ends.
But Obama's legacy might not be so easily reversed. Even if Trump supports settlement expansion & moves the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem there is still the Iran Nuclear Deal. Despite his rhetoric against the deal, look for it to stay in place. Aside from Iran, the country that has gained the most from it is Russia & Vladimir Putin won't be so eager to see the agreement consigned to the ash heap of history. When Vladimir Putin says jump, Donald Trump says how high.
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