Try as he might this late in the game, President Obama's Israel policy should go down in history as a failure.

Although some of the worst accusations against him claim that the president's failure is intentional, because he hates Israel itself, the weight of the evidence suggests a less sensational problem. In keeping with a broader pattern, the White House has expected Israel to accept its judgments on the largest matters, such as Iran, and then has become frustrated when Israel reacts poorly to its judgments on smaller ones, such as the status of settlements.

That is why the administration has gotten so little political mileage out of its fresh military aid package with Israel, offering nearly $40 billion over the next 10 years. Obama pledged it would make "a significant contribution to Israel's security in what remains a dangerous neighborhood," helping protect it "from all manner of threats."

REPRINTED FROM THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER