The President noted that the United Nations is seemingly preoccupied with one issue more than any other - that of Israel's very existence, and that far too many in the General Assembly see this as the sole issue. He proceeded to speak to fact that the Jewish people have historic ties to Israel and the land and that the Palestinians have had their national aspirations put on hold for far too long.
What he couldn't (and didn't) say was that Israel lacks a partner in peace, particularly after the string of statements by the Palestinian leaders who represent the Palestinian people have made in the run up to the General Assembly, or that other Arab regimes have used the Palestinians as a pawn for their own power and control.
The President's speech covered much more than that though. It was a laundry list of achievements from the past year dealing with the Arab Spring and the overthrow of regimes across the Middle East and North Africa, primarily because of how Arab leaders have suppressed political, social, and economic development all to maintain control.
"Something is happening in our world. The way things have been is not the way they will be," Obama said. "The humiliating grip of corruption and tyranny is being pried open. Technology is putting power in the hands of the people."He further discussed the ongoing brutality by the Syrian regime of Bashar Assad and Libya's Mumar Khadafi's refusal to go away.
Obama also spoke of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan that he inherited and are winding down. "We are poised to end these wars from a position of strength," he said.
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