Annual shortlist of political forgiveness
Asking for forgiveness isn’t a forte for politicians, but in what has become an annual tradition, I compiled the below list of newsmakers (Jewish and non-Jewish alike) who should seek forgiveness from their constituents, allies, or rivals.
The Conservative Party’s Boris Johnson looked like the perfect man to solve the Brexit crisis. Coming into office, he promised to perform some magic that would finally allow Britain to extricate itself from the European Union, either as part of an agreement or unilaterally. But just two months into Johnson’s tenure, not only are the Brexit terms still shrouded in mystery, he couldn’t even force a new election to strengthen his hand.
This teaches us that there are no magic solutions to complex problems, and sometimes, a populist formula turns out to be more difficult to implement than once believed.
Like the Iranians, North Korea has played a double game with the United States and the world this year. Trump met North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on two separate occasions, even crossing the 38th parallel with Kim to symbolize a new start in relations. But it turned out to be an empty gesture. Kim used the photographs for his domestic propaganda and then continued with provocative missile tests. In addition, the North Koreans fudged the American demands to discuss demilitarization of the Korean peninsula. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who invested long hours in meetings with the North Koreans, already appears less committed to future contacts.
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