Steve, that NY Times article is definitely the most even-handed piece you've ever sent me. It explains why the blockade doesn't really work, why Hamas keeps getting stronger despite the blockade, and why Israel needs to rethink its policy on this.
Encouraging a non-Hamas reliant economy is crucial to peace and "life" in Gaza... and Israel has not done that. Instead, their policies just continue to make them an easy target for more hatred and condemnation.
And contrary to your Israeli-centric opinion, Obama is not selling Israel down the river... he's merely trying to bring some balance to a debate that has completely favored the jewish state in America... to a sometimes ridiculous extent.
You certainly won't agree with this position and probably think me naive for even posting it, but Andrew Sullivan, my favorite conservative columnist (way better than Krauthammer) has a two-part opinion article called "Israel Derangement Syndrome" and I want you to read it. It's the perfect rebuttal to Krauthammer's article that this thread started with: http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/the_daily_d...