Ari Shavit is a respected Israeli journalist who writes for Ha'aretz and who until now was quite reasonable and thanks to whom I could actually read Ha'aretz without getting a heart attack. In other words, he is not Gideon Levi or Amira Hass for whose articles I need psychological preparation to survive the density of absurdity in them.

But yesterday I came across this piece of his in which Shavit writes:

"If Israel intends to attack Iran, it must carry out the following diplomatic operations during the year preceding such an offensive: position itself anew in the international arena as an enlightened, peace-seeking democracy; tighten its alliances with the United States and the West; forge partnerships of interests with China, Russia and India; make a massive effort to salvage Israel's deteriorating relationship with Turkey; warm up the cool relations with Egypt, Jordan and the United Arab Emirates; work to reach a peace agreement with Syria and embark on a new direction with the Palestinians; quiet down the immediate surroundings as much as it can; and form as broad a coalition as possible for the moment of truth."

So Israel must according to Shavit make a massive effort to salvage Israel's deteriorating relationship with Turkey? What can Israel do to change this obviously strategic decision made by Erdogan's jihadi mindset? What can Shimon Peres do apart from converting to Islam that will make Erdogan stop calling him a killer? How can Israel influence Erdogan's view of Hamas which according to him is not a terrorist organization? What other direction with the Palestinians is he suggesting? Haven't we tried them all?

The problem with Shavit is that he obviously does not understand the religious basis of Edogan's antagonism or the Palaestinans'. The only thing that would satisfy him as a jihadi or them, would be that Israel succumbs to Islamic rule. But many Israeli journalists lack this crucial dimension in their reporting. In fact, it is not only Israeli journalists.

This lack of understanding is endemic and is prevalent with the current Obama administration as well . Barry Rubin, director of Global Research in International Affairs Center, writes in his article "Obama Meets Abbas: And Shows He Understands Neither Hamas Nor Israel, Neither the Middle East Nor Islamism:"

He and his advisors have no comprehension of what makes Hamas and its leaders tick. So he wants a prosperous Gaza Strip under Hamas leadership? Money will be pouring in, jobs will be created. Of course, only until Hamas decides to start the next war. What does he envision is going to happen under his strategy? That the lean and hungry leaders of Hamas will sell out to the infidels and open a chain of fast-food restaurants?

Nor does he have the slightest clue about Palestinian politics. Just as he misstates Israeli thinking, Obama has no conception that Fatah is full of radicals and is in competition with Hamas to prove itself more militant. He keeps repeating the idea that the Palestinians are suffering so much that they are eager for a deal, the same error made--with more justification to be sure--by the Clinton Administration in 2000.

Who's really making the Middle East unsustainable? Barack Obama is with a policy of weaken your friends and help your enemies get stronger.

He concludes with:

And what happens when Hamas attacks Israel again? I can see the media coverage now, complaining that Israel is damaging all those beautiful U.S.-financed buildings, which are being used as rocket-launching sites and bunkers by Hamas.

Can't the U.S. government figure this stuff out for itself? The president is not the head of a foundation providing grants to community organizers. So the money will be taken by Hamas and other Islamists as "blood money" to pay compensation for the blockade or as tribute from a frightened America. It will win no friends and do no good strategically or politically.

Here's the bottom line:

The president of the United States has just announced that his country must give in to the defiance of a dictatorship with about 1.2 million people. He is going to subsidize a genocidal-intentioned, antisemitic, terrorist regime allied to Iran and he is eager to stabilize its rule.

From journalism to government we have the same problem. Westerners refuse to go to the sources and read for themselves what makes Hamas, Erdogan or Ahmadinejad tick .