Biden makes things worse in Israel

Joe Biden just finished off a diplomatic trip to Israel that almost destroyed America's goodwill there.

U.S.-Israeli relations have hit a 35-year low over a contentious east Jerusalem building project that threatens to derail peacemaking efforts with the Palestinians, Israel's envoy to Washington was quoted as saying Monday.

Ambassador Michael Oren's remarks clashed with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's assurances that the political turmoil resulting from the settlement announcement, which the Obama administration slammed as "an insult," was under control.

"Israel's ties with the United States are in their worst crisis since 1975 ... a crisis of historic proportions," the Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper quoted Oren as saying to Israeli diplomats in a phone briefing over the weekend.

The row started when the Israelis announced plans to build 1,600 new apartments in East Jerusalem, an area contested by Palestinians who consider it religiously sacred. Biden was in Israel when the announcement was made and immediately condemned the decision. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu apologized for the timing but pledged that the plan for the apartments would proceed as planned. Privately, it seems, many Israelis were outraged by Biden's meddling.

Obama came in to office with ambitious plans for the Middle East and wanted to usher in a new age of peace. Instead only a year into office, he's completely botched the most important diplomatic initiative anywhere in the world. Obama's approval rating in Israel currently stands at 7% and will likely only fall after this.