The Obama administration sure knows how to win friends and influence people. They’ve spent their first year-plus in office “extending an open hand” to countries that hate us – i.e. Iran, Venezuela, etc. While simultaneously kicking dirt in the faces of our friends – i.e. Honduras, Great Britain and now Israel.

How else do you explain this bit of idiocy from Secretary of State Hillary Clinton?

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton on Tuesday said Israel must prove it is committed to the Mideast peace process with actions. But she brushed aside suggestions that relations with the main U.S. ally in the Mideast are in crisis over Israeli plans to build new Jewish housing in east Jerusalem.

Clinton said Israel must back up verbal pledges to talk peace with the Palestinians and improve an atmosphere poisoned by last week's housing announcement if stalled Israeli-Palestinian peace talks are to be relaunched. She stressed that the U.S. remains committed to Israel's security despite current tensions.

Resolving what has become the most serious spat between the two countries in decades has become a top priority for the Obama administration as it strives to restart the moribund peace process with indirect, shuttle diplomacy by special Mideast envoy George Mitchell. Yet Clinton made clear that Israeli steps were needed first.

"We are engaged in very active consultations with the Israelis over steps that we think would demonstrate the requisite commitment to the process," Clinton said. She had outlined various steps that Israel could take in a telephone call to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday.

Seriously? Israel must prove it’s commitment to peace? Israel isn’t the problem and everyone with half a brain knows it.

An honest effort at peace between the Israelis and Palestinians would start with purging the Palestinian school system and media of anti-Israeli slanders and hatreds and the rejection of glorifying suicide bombers. The talks – “proximity” or otherwise – are meaningless until there is widespread acceptance among the Palestinians of Israel’s right to exist as a largely Jewish state.

For more on the most recent dust-up, go to Commentary magazine’s “Contentions” blog and just start scrolling.