Shmuel Rosner touches base with the Dershowitz-Phillips debate, designating himself as mediator. Conclusions? Typically, both are right and both are wrong. My opinion is that Rosner is sympathetic to Dershowitz, however, while keeping Melanie Phillips at a respectful arm’s length. Here is his conclusion:

Here’s George W. Bush, from January the 10th, 2008, on the same topic: “It should happen and could happen by the end of the year”. Was Bush also the kind of leader that Phillips would call “lethal for both Israel and the free world”?

Compare to my own:

Israel pulled out of Gaza when George W. Bush was in the White House and Ariel Sharon in the Knesset. Would this today not be labeled “suicidal” by Melanie Phillips?

So Rosner and I are on the same page, which is good news as far as I’m concerned.

Yaakov Lozowick takes a stab, as well. I like Lozowick because he has the deft touch of making criticism sound breezy, even if he’s sticking a finger in your eye. He writes words that make a point without stooping to name-calling. Obama’s more vocal critics could learn a thing or two from him.

I’m of the camp willing to cut the Obama administration some slack on their diplomacy of winning hearts by respectful gestures. I doubt it will work, and I hope that once it doesn’t they’ll recognize the significance of the failure, but I don’t see the harm in trying. Learning through experience is the best way there is. At the end of the day, however, the purpose of the new diplomacy is to have results. By alienating the large segment of Israeli society who are his natural allies, Obama is needlessly reducing the chances of his own success.

So pull up a seat. It’s going to be a long summer. And if you get bored with this debate, try this one.