Brett Stephens is not reassured by President Obama's assurances that he "has Israel's back."
Here is a president who fought tooth-and-nail against the very sanctions on Iran for which he now seeks to reap political credit. He inherited from the Bush administration the security assistance to Israel he now advertises as proof of his "unprecedented" commitment to the Jewish state. His defense secretary has repeatedly cast doubt on the efficacy of a U.S. military option against Iran even as the president insists it remains "on the table." His top national security advisers keep warning Israel not to attack Iran even as he claims not to "presume to tell [Israeli leaders] what is best for them."I was surprised when I heard the audio clip of his proclamation of support (from the rear) should Israel decide to lead where America fails to. It wasn't that he would claim it, but rather that he would do so in such a common, colloquial, and idiomatic way.
