“Say something”—that’s what Cynthia Mckinney, former U.S. Congresswoman and Green Party candidate, urged Obama on CNN. Many others are begging Obama to speak openly about the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
Throughout his presidential campaign, and especially during his powerful acceptance speech, the world viewed President-elect Obama as the bearer of hope and change—as a man with a voice. It’s difficult to understand why such a powerful speaker hasn’t put his oratorical skills to good use amidst the turmoil in the Middle East. He says that, for the time being, he wants to refrain from discussing foreign issues—but this hasn’t stopped him before. Why now?
Since we’ve yet to observe the full range of Obama’s leadership characteristics, it’s easy to assume the worst—to interpret his silence as apathy. Obama was considered the “strong silent type” during the early days of his law practice. He called himself a better writer than speaker, and let others do the talking in court. Will he regret not taking an immediate stand on Gaza? Probably not.
Though Obama stated that he’d like to “learn from [his predecessors’] successes,” he might have already learned from their mistakes. Before his inauguration, Bill Clinton mentioned that he would be willing to admit Haitian refugees to the United States. Haitians interpreted his statement as a verbal “go.” Clinton retracted it shortly after. We must not forget that Obama is a politician: anything he says will go on the record. Most people want a president who stands by his word.
Obama’s spokespeople have put it simply—“there is only one president at a time.” With much of the international community literally counting down the days until Bush’s departure, the statement comes as an unnecessary reminder. Though he condemned Sderot-aimed rocket fire last summer, Obama is keeping his distance from a stringently pro-Israel administration that blames the Palestinian militant group, Hamas, for the Israeli assaults; he’s also avoiding the risky move of expressing a contrary view. But Obama is not a silent bystander; he’s simply refraining from meddling before his turn. “The silence is not a consequence of a lack of concern,” Obama stated in a press conference. “In fact, it’s not silence. I’ve explained very clearly exactly what institutional constraints I’m under when it comes to this issue.”
The conflict definitely hits close to home for many. Over 800 Palestinians have been killed and about 3,500 wounded since the fighting began. The UN Security Council voted 14 out of 15 for Resolution 1860, with United States Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice abstaining on behalf of the U.S. The Gaza conflict is obviously much larger than one man, and it will take the time and effort of many nations to negotiate a sustainable ceasefire.
President-elect Barack Obama will have the next four years to deal with the crisis in the Middle East, among many other pressing issues. He can only keep tight-lipped for so long. In less than two weeks he will be sworn in and officially named the new President of the United States. He’ll have no excuse—and when he talks, everyone will be listening.
