Pence’s Speech: What Was in It, What Was Not

The Fellowship  |  January 22, 2018

American Vice President Mike Pence’s speech at the Knesset is being called “historic” by some, as it came after the U.S. recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. But, writes The Jerusalem Post’s Herb Keinon, the speech was remarkable as it included no “but” clause, but instead simply showed unconditional friendship:

What was most striking about Vice President Mike Pence’s paean to Israel in the Knesset on Monday was that the other shoe never dropped.

Former US president Barack Obama, his vice president Joe Biden, and their secretaries of state Hillary Clinton and John Kerry all gave numerous high profile speeches in Israel and about Israel during their years in office.

Like Pence, they all, each in their own way, praised the Jewish people for its resilience and Israel for making the desert bloom.

But listening to them, you always knew there would be a “but” clause. You always expected that somewhere in the middle of the speech, starting with a line about the importance of “good friends” being open with one another and telling each other the truth, the honey would turn to vinegar.

You always knew, with the previous administration, that at some point in the rhetoric, that other shoe would drop, and that a lecture would begin about how the current situation was unsustainable, how Israel could not be both Jewish and democratic and how the settlements were a huge obstacle to peace.

What made Pence’s speech remarkable was simply that there was no “but” clause…