I do not agree that Obama’s indecisiveness and wrong-headed policy on the Middle East stems from that factor; I suspect it has more to do with the influence on him of former friends like Rashid Khalidi and the milieu of both left-wing Chicago and radical black nationalism that he was part of for many years.

That’s a tempting suspicion, though it’s been said that Obama’s exposure to left wing Jews like Rahm Emmanuel, Abner Mikva and J-Street types has shaped his views on the Mideast more than his contact with radicals like Ayers, Wright and Khalidi.

Obama is an orthodox left winger. Nothing he has done since he has been president has surprised me. His worldview and the narratives he has internalized are those of the cultural, political and religious left wing. To be sure, he’s a politician and somewhat concerned with electoral politics, but he seems intent on radically reshaping American policy in most areas, including our relationship with Israel.