WaPo's Ignatius Predicts Obama to Take on Israel's Netanyahu in 2nd Term

January 1st, 2012 3:41 PM

Appearing as a panel member on the syndicated Chris Matthews Show on Sunday, Washington Post columnist David Ignatius predicted that President Obama would be more aggressive in taking on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a second term, as he cited the  belief by Obama's people that the President "has had success" in Middle East policy so far. (Video below)

Ignatius seemed to go along with the idea that President Obama has a "strong foreign policy record" as he ended up asking rhetorically:

Who would have said that an anti-war President, candidate, four years ago, could run on a strong foreign policy record?

After host Matthews asked of President Obama has a change of being reelected "by a landslide," Ignatius observed that President Bush seemed to move away from Vice President Cheney's foreign policy views during his second term, and made his prediction about how President Obama may treat Israel in the future:


DAVID IGNATIUS, WASHINGTON POST: Well, after 2004, George W. Bush changed course in significant ways, away from Cheney, away from the very confrontational policies. What I hear from the White House is looking towards a second term on foreign policy, which I cover, as an opportunity to do the broad things that would establish an Obama agenda. He came into office passionate about the Middle East, about the Palestinian issue. I'd see him taking another really strong crack at that.

CHRIS MATTHEWS: Go head to head with Netanyahu again?

IGNATIUS: Yeah, and I think, this White House thinks-

KELLEY O'DONNELL, NBC NEWS: That he's had success there.

IGNATIUS: -that he's had success, that that's an area - who would have said that an anti-war President, candidate, four years ago, could run on a strong foreign policy record?