FORBES: "...the US president shows a worrisome insensitivity to the concerns of Israel & the Jewish people..."

FORBES, here

"... At a time when large sections of the people of Israel feel increasingly that their basic interests have been betrayed by Obama, the re-election of Ahmadinejad, who had in the past vowed to work against the existence of Israel, would add to Israeli fears of an existential threat to the Jewish State and strengthen its determination to act against Iran before it acquires a military nuclear capability.

If, in fact, the large number of votes that Ahmadinejad reportedly obtained were genuine and not rigged, the rallying of so many voters behind him could be attributed only partially to their support for his pro-poor economic policies. Another major reason ought to have been their endorsement of his hard-line policy towards Israel and the U.S. and his determination to press ahead with Iran's nuclear program. It is a strong nationalistic vote meant to support the foreign and nuclear policies hitherto followed by Ahmadinejad.

The U.S. would have hoped for the victory of the reformists. These hopes have been belied, and the U.S. would have to make do with Ahmadinejad. Iran is not North Korea. North Korea has only the nuclear and missile cards against the U.S. Iran has many--its oil, the support enjoyed by it in the Islamic world, its perceived indispensability for peace and stability in Iraq and a similar role that it could play in Afghanistan. With so many cards in its hands, Obama will find Iran a tough nut to crack..."