The “optics,” as they say, could be better. Overnight, more died in Gaza as Israel continued its air strikes. In response, Hamas has launched fewer rockets – but some have hit southern Israeli towns.
More than 90 Palestinians and three Israelis have died since Wednesday – and as we mentioned earlier they include nine members of a Gaza family apparently killed by mistake. President Obama is on the other side of the world, spreading his message about the power of democracy in Myanmar. It shines a light on the increasing emphasis the White House is placing on this part of the world.
And for some it is stretching the limits of the president’s approach to foreign policy during his first term, what the White House calls the “light footprint” strategy.
David Sanger is chief Washington correspondent for our partner The New York Times.