But a year and a half after his inauguration, Obama’s “outstretched hand” to Iran has turned into a fist, and his attempts to encourage Israeli-Palestinian negotiations seem stuck. Domestic issues are likely to preoccupy Obama and his team at least up until the mid-term elections this November, thus precluding active diplomacy during the critical months ahead.
奥巴马政府的中东政策曾经拥有良好的开端。 但在完成就职演说一年半后，奥巴马“伸出的双手”已经握成了拳头，而他鼓励以巴谈判的目标似乎也陷于停滞。 至少在今年11月中期选举举行前，国内事务很有可能会吸引奥巴马及其团队的关注，这样在今后关键的几个月之中将会妨碍出台积极的外交政策。