President Barack Obama comments in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington, Thursday, June 25, 2009, on the importance of the passing of the energy bill. (AP)

“It is my deeply held belief,” Barack Obama told the United Nations General Assembly, that “in the year 2009 — more than at any point in human history — the interests of nations and peoples are shared.” That is of course the year Obama became president, and he wasn’t shy about referring in his second paragraph to “the expectations that accompany my presidency around the world,” though he assured us they “are not about me.”

Before Obama’s speech, I wrote that he seems “stuck in a time warp in which the United States is the bad guy.” Not any more, he seemed to say in his U.N. speech. He has ordered the closing of Guantanamo. He has prohibited the use of torture. He is “responsibly ending” the war in Iraq (no triumphalist talk of victory). He is promising substantial reductions in U.S. nuclear weapons. He has invested $80 billion in clean energy. The United States has joined the United Nations’ Human Rights Council.

All of which is a way of saying that nasty George W. Bush is no longer around with all his self-righteous swagger, and that with (as Obama did not fail to note) the first African-American installed in the White House, America is now on the same page with the rest of the world.

From:

Here’s a list of 8 headlines, all from the last 48 hours, but from different media outlets. There’s reassurance, there’s pressure, there’s cooperation, there’s confrontation. In many of the cases, the same words lead the contradictory headlines. In many cases, the ideology of the news editor is no less important than Obama’s words.

Here’s a taste of the many faces of Obama’s Israel policy:

Obama for compromise on MidEast peace

Obama reassures Arabs, nudges Israel on peace

Obama tells Muslims: Don’t vilify Israel

Obama team readying for confrontation with Netanyahu

Israel not behind all Mideast problems: Obama

Palestinians, Israel hail Obama remarks

Israel fears US pressure to continue Annapolis process

Israel pledges to work with US for Mideast peace

‘Israel does not take orders from Obama’

Now, here’s what we know and here’s what we don’t know:

1. A Two State Solution is US’ policy. No surprise here. If an Israeli politician was hoping for anything else (I don’t believe such politician exists), he has no sense of reality.

2. Obama doesn’t think Israel should be blamed for all ME troubles. He does think, though, that Israel is at fault on some issues, like settlements.

3. Some confrontation is to be expected. It’s good for Obama (to show the Arabs that he’s not in Israel’s pocket), and will also give Netanyahu an opportunity to make a stand.

4. Obama is right in some cases. Example: Israel has promised to evacuate illegal outposts. If this becomes an issue – Netanyahu doesn’t have a case.

5. Netanyahu is right: Israeli moves on settlements will still not bring about peace.

6. The most fascinating part of it: Just like his predecessors, Obama is already personally involved with the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Those wanting him to succeed should constantly remind him that it ended in misery for both Clinton and Bush (here’s my prediction: he will still want to get personally involved. This conflict never fails to work its magic on American statesmen).