US Opinion and Commentary

“VOA will present the policies of the United States clearly and effectively, and will also present responsible discussion and opinion on these policies.” — VOA Charter

Showing Archived Posts

Israel Between Obama and Trump

Posted December 29th, 2016 at 3:20 pm (UTC-4)
Comments are closed

Acknowledging that United States policy will likely change on January 20, Secretary of State John Kerry nonetheless delivered an emphatic defense of the Obama administration’s decision to abstain from a vote on a United Nations Security Council resolution condemning Israel’s settlement policy.

In a speech Wednesday at the State Department, Kerry said the U.S. declined to exercise its veto because it “cannot, in good conscience, do nothing, and say nothing, when we see the hope of peace slipping away,” referring to Israel’s expansion of West Bank settlements and their impact on a “two-state solution.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called Kerry’s speech “disappointing” and said “Israel looks forward to working with president-elect (Donald) Trump” to repeal the resolution.

Trump and Netanyahu traded tweets of support ahead of Kerry’s speech, leaving little doubt that a new chapter in U.S. relations with Israel and the Middle East is about to be written.

No Easy Fix for the Middle East

Posted June 8th, 2015 at 2:19 pm (UTC-4)
Comments are closed

The Islamic State. Iraq. Syria. The words speak for themselves: the Middle East is unraveling. US policy has been faulted – from conservatives and liberals alike – for allowing the chaos – and failing to secure a deal between Israel and the Palestinians. But there’s another narrative gaining steam, one that says Obama isn’t to blame. There’s no easy fix.

The Right Way to Bring Peace to the Middle East

Posted June 8th, 2015 at 10:46 am (UTC-4)
Comments are closed

It is time now to guide the parties to thinking about alternatives—and to do so without hurting each other. Outsiders—most of all the United States—have neither the imagination nor the will to do this themselves.

Tags: , , Posted in Uncategorized