The average Israeli -- unlike globe-trotting liberal journalists -- is provincial and blissfully unaware of how wrong-headed his government is. That's why Barack Obama needs to work his persuasive charm on the Israeli public in order to put pressure on the Netanyahu government to accede to the Obama administration's demands as regards the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
That's according to Time's Joe Klein, who of course argued thus in a longer-winded and softer-sounding manner in his July 28 blog post (emphasis mine):
It's taken me decades to realize this. Most Israelis--especially those who live in Tel Aviv and environs--not only don't see settler types, they also don't see many Arabs. They live their lives, do their work, have fun at the beach. By contrast, when journos like me parachute in, we usually go to Jerusalem, where the government and a significant Arab population lives, and usually (in my case, at least,) combine it with a visit to the West Bank or Gaza. Most journalists based in Israel live in Jerusalem and spend lots of time in both communities. They are aware of the proliferation of settlements and they have experienced the outrageous conditions in the Palestinian territories.
If you believe Obama's policy is the right one, as I do, the latest public opinion surveys from Israel are disappointing--but not insurmountable. Obama needs to explain his policy to the Israeli public.... But progress will only be made if Israelis understand that a settlement freeze (and, ultimately, a retrenchment) and the peace process that follows are in their long-term best interests. The President needs to address that, especially since Benjamin Netanyahu won't.
