Mr Change's foreign policy is becoming more evident as we go along, but while it's public persona is to appear to be much more inclusive of all the World's citizens, the eventual outcome for many will be just as extreme as the George W Bush administration's time in power. This latest crisis in the Middle East - concerning the decision of Israel to build more illegal settlements on Palestinian land - is in direct conflict with the Obama administration's policy of suspending the building of any new settlements, but Israel still chooses to carry out this terribly divisive act, and is even giving it as much media attention as possible. This can only mean one thing, that we will be subjected to this ridiculous cat and mouse, good guy v's bad guy dramatisation, by Obama and the Israeli administration, but in real human terms nothing much will change. Obama needs to be seen to be doing something, but just like the release of al-Megrahi (by those in power in the UK), it really should be in his power to make sure that this additional occupation doesn't happen, if that's what he really wants. It looks like Obama will be just as choosey, as Bush was, concerning who he decides to unleash the full might of US foreign policy on, especially considering that this is a much more illegal move by Israel - both morally and according to actual international law - than anything the Palestinians have done in the past year, and yet it is them who have all sorts of international sanctions and blockade's continually forced upon their entire population.

THE NEW SETTLEMENTS

The rumours were doing the rounds last week that Israel would order the building of new settlements, or additional houses on current questionable settlements, and those rumours were confirmed today by the approval of 455 new homes to be built in the West Bank, by Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak in a telephone interview with Tel Aviv University’s Institute for National Security Studies. Last week the Arab League said that this move would end the peace process, and the repercussions are bound to be enormous. The signal that this sends to the Arab's of Palestine, and to the people of the greater Middle East, will be the usual message which they are already quite tired of. To me this is the worst possible thing that could happen at the worst possible time, as everybody seemed to become a little more engaged in the peace process since Obama came into power, and many hoped that a sense of fairness would begin to slip into action, but now the message conveyed to non-Israeli-Jews living in the Middle East will be, that there will be no sense of fair play. It really is that simple. Unless this move can be reversed I believe we are in for another dangerous decade in the Middle East, and particularly for the millions of Palestinian families in Gaza and the West Bank.

THE RESPONSE FROM THE WHITE HOUSE

As those reports surfaced last week, Obama was forced to make a public statement about the then impending decision. This is the complete press release which Barack Obama released through the White House Press Office, and although it is an unusual move for the US to be so critical of Israel, and to do so in the form of a press release, this does not go anywhere near far enough, and most of the words are offering cloaked support to Israel in reality... "Statement by the Press Secretary on Israeli Settlements - THE WHITE HOUSE - Office of the Press Secretary, For Immediate Release, September 4, 2009... We regret the reports of Israel's plans to approve additional settlement construction. Continued settlement activity is inconsistent with Israel's commitment under the Roadmap. As the President has said before, the United States does not accept the legitimacy of continued settlement expansion and we urge that it stop. We are working to create a climate in which negotiations can take place, and such actions make it harder to create such a climate. We do appreciate Israel's stated intent to place limits on settlement activity and will continue to discuss this with the Israelis as these limitations are defined. The U.S. commitment to Israel’s security is and will remain unshakeable. We believe it can best be achieved through comprehensive peace in the region, including a two-state solution with a Palestinian state living side by side in peace with Israel. That is the ultimate goal to which the President is deeply and personally committed. Our objective remains to resume meaningful negotiations as soon as possible in pursuit of this goal. We are working with all parties – Israelis, Palestinians, and Arab states -- on the steps they must take to achieve that objective".

READING BETWEEN THE LINES

Due to the severity of the situation, that particular press release is way too short and sweet, and if I were Israeli I would not be too worried because reading between the lines it contains absolutely no pressure from the US. For example, compare those words to the White House reaction to other such extreme provocative actions by different Middle East states, like Iran's nuclear ambitions, or even the quite petty celebrations in Libya at the al-Megrahi homecoming. I say quite petty, because while it is a tragic moment for the thousands of people who were related to the hundreds of victims who they believe were killed by al-Megrahi, but who's guilt is in serious doubt at this point, it somehow doesn't compare to thousands of people encroaching on other people's lands, thus creating tension for millions, not to mention the suicide bombs which will be ordered on this Israeli move alone. As far as I'm concerned, this settlers question ranks up there with the instability brought about by the nuclear programs of both Iran (alleged and not fully developed) & Israel (illegal by international law and fully capable for many years), the only such programs in the Middle East. This also ranks up there with the December 2008 Gaza Invasion, in terms of it's expected long-term consequences, and while last weeks miniscule intervention by Obama may just be part of a morally fair long-game by him, this seems unlikely to me, even at this early stage of his eight probable years in the White House. The charisma is there, and some of the words too, but the actions are lacking, as per usual.