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With a divisive United Nations debate over Palestinian statehood looming, GOP presidential frontrunner Rick Perry is blaming rising tensions in the Middle East on President Obama, saying the

Democrat's Israel policy is "naive, misguided," and dangerous. Perry argued on Tuesday that Obama's insistence on using Israel's pre-1967 borders as a starting

point for negotiations on a two-state solution amounts to "appeasement," and the Texas governor vowed to strongly defend Israel if he's elected. Would Perry do a better job

than Obama in the Middle East? PERRY MIGHT SUCCEED WHERE OBAMA HAS FAILED: "The Obama Administration has been notable for exerting pressure on Israel," says Aaron Goldstein at _The

American Spectator_. But Israel isn't the problem. There can be no peace deal, or even serious negotiations, until the Palestinians formally recognize Israel's right to exist

behind secure borders. While it's questionable whether a President Perry could win such a concession from the Palestinians, at least he "would put the pressure where it

belongs." "Perry: Palestinians must recognize Israel as a Jewish state" SUBSCRIBE TO THE WEEK Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from

multiple perspectives. SUBSCRIBE & SAVE SIGN UP FOR THE WEEK'S FREE NEWSLETTERS From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered

directly to your inbox. From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox. ACTUALLY, PERRY'S RADICAL VIEWS

WON'T HELP ISRAEL: Rick Perry doesn't speak for all Israelis, says Chemi Shalev at Israel's _Haaretz_. By dismissing negotiations based on the 1967 borders and supporting

"an unprecedented carte blanche for Israel to build in the settlements as much as it pleases," he's simply parroting the views of "staunch Israeli right-wingers."

Injecting the issue into the presidential campaign in this way will only hurt the "already fraying unity of the American Jewish community, and that won't do Israel any good.

"Texas Gov. Rick Perry: Like a Likudnik" EITHER WAY, PERRY IS UNFAIRLY PAINTING OBAMA AS ANTI-ISRAEL: Perry is twisting Obama's record on Israel, says Ben Adler at_ The

Nation_. The Texas governor says that the president "has 'failed to insist' that the Palestinians recognize Israel's right to exist and that it cannot declare statehood

unilaterally" — neither claim is true. Perry's just trying to reinforce the "right-wing fantasy" that Obama is anti-Israel, when in reality he's as strong an ally as

George W. Bush ever was. "Rick Perry plays to right-wing fantasy that Obama opposes Israel"