Sublime

As always, the work required a balance between putting out geopolitical fires as they arose and devising a proactive agenda that year focused on, among other things, human rights, climate change, and strengthening ties with our allies.

They resounded in the administration’s respect for the “international community,” a grouping that included North Korea, Pakistan, and Sudan, and which many Israelis considered an oxymoron.

America would reconcile with Islam, reach out to Middle Eastern adversaries, and rigorously pursue a two-state solution.

To an unrivaled extent, Obama identified American interests with the Palestinians.