President Obama's been exercising a scorched earth policy as he retreats to the public sector.  Not just the U.N. vote, but he also banned oil exploration in the Atlantic and Alaskan waters. U.S. President Barack Obama on Tuesday banned new oil and gas drilling in federal waters in the Atlantic and Arctic Oceans, in a push to leave his stamp on the environment before Republican Donald Trump takes office next month.  - Fortune It is the recent U.N. vote abstention – which has hurt Israel – that has produced the most shock.  Unlike Obama's federal shenanigans, which can be undone when Trump comes into power, the damage in the U.N. may be irreversible.  Russia and China would surely veto any recision of the resolution. On Thursday, after Trump and Netanyahu persuaded the Egyptians to shelve their proposal, and had won what turned out to only be a temporary victory, many, including myself, assumed that the crisis was averted....(Read Full Post)