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Last update - 09:35 27/08/2008 The faulty pleasant approach By Uzi Benziman Tags: Palestinians, Israel Underwear was among the many things the United States supplied Israel during the Yom Kippur War. This urgent shipment was somewhat ironic: It completely contradicted the dominant ethos of the previous 15 years and found expression in Haim Hefer's song "Cannons instead of socks." Hefer's lyrics, sung by the Nahal troupe, were part empathy and part criticism of the soldier's willingness to give up comfort and clothing for another gun and another tank. The war came and showed that the state did neither: It did not procure the necessary war materiel and did not ensure that there was enough underwear in stock. Since the United States came to Israel's rescue from the dire situation of October 1973 - through a dramatic airlift that provided the Israel Defense Forces with everything from Phantom fighters to T-shirts - the two countries have maintained a patron-client relationship that has not worked sufficiently during George W. Bush's eight-year tenure at the White House. Advertisement For yet another time, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice visited Jerusalem and Ramallah yesterday, holding the ritual meetings with the Israeli leadership and the heads of the Palestinian Authority. A look back at the Bush presidency leads to the conclusion that despite his genuine wish to further Israeli-Palestinian dialogue, he has failed. From January 2001 the conflict has undergone many upheavals, but the American contribution to settling it has been minimal in practice. The superpower's bargaining power vis-a-vis the Israelis and Palestinians has not been used wisely. Ideology lies behind this: The U.S. administration believes its role is to encourage Israel and the PA to reach an agreement and contribute to creating the conditions for the change to take place. But it does not believe in forcing its views on the two sides. This is an enlightened, pleasant approach, but in the Mideast jungle it is terribly out of place. In an era when Israel needs the FBI to crack its homegrown organized crime, the United States can stress more forcefully, both to Israelis and Palestinians, their dependency - in order to shake them out of the status quo. At the start of his tenure, Bush laid out an outline for resolving the dispute: negotiations toward an interim agreement, which would focus on establishing a Palestinian state with temporary borders. Several months later Bush changed his mind and put forth the road map. This offered what was essentially the opposite formula: a push for a permanent-status agreement within three years. Soon after, the Iraq war broke out and the Bush administration turned toward extricating itself from that quagmire. The Israeli-Palestinian process has since held a secondary position on the president's daily agenda. Therein lies Bush's big failure: Eight years is enough time for the most powerful country in the world, even when it is busy on other fronts, to take steps to loosen the Israeli-Palestinian entanglement, which Washington considers a focal point for instability in the region, if not the world. This mission was not carried out: The United States allowed Israel and the Palestinians to engage in a bloody struggle, even though they sought its involvement (according to public opinion polls, at least on the Israeli side). One can argue that this description is deceptive: The fact is, the Bush administration did not allow Israel to avoid approving the road map, which it did not like very much; the fact is, to encourage Israel to carry out the Gaza disengagement, Bush offered it a carrot in the form of a letter, which implied that the permanent borders would be influenced by the settlement blocs and that Palestinian refugees would not return to Israel; the fact is, the Bush administration managed to force Israel to come to terms with free elections in the territories, which brought Hamas to power; the fact is, the Bush administration began the Annapolis process, where elements of the possible permanent-status agreement were discussed. It is also possible to argue that developments that neither the United States nor Israel controlled have shaped the situation significantly. There is some truth to these claims, but they do not counterbalance the fact that Israel refuses to relinquish its hold over the West Bank. To a significant extent this determines the conflict's current status. This was blatantly highlighted this week: According to a Peace Now report, settlement construction doubled in the first five months of the year compared to the same period last year. The Bush administration is not exempt of responsibility for this. Bookmark to del.icio.us   Beatle terror Islamic militant leader threatens to kill former Beatle, Sir Paul McCartney, over Israel gig. Fugee Fridays Every Friday, volunteers bring donated food from Carmel Market to African refugees.   1.   Things are changing 09:51  |  Natallie Durson 27/08/08   2.   Uzi, your perception of the US is faulty 10:12  |  Zev Davis 27/08/08   3.   About view forcing 11:18  |  S Freedman 27/08/08   4.   Because It is very tough decision 11:30  |  TonyL 27/08/08   5.   Palestinians and nation building 11:47  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 27/08/08   6.   Crucial expose of where the fault lies, and where the LIES FAULT! 12:06  |  Ivar 27/08/08   7.   Good News According To Peace Now : Settlements Doubled 12:32  |  Joseph.E 27/08/08   8.   IVAR IS 100% RIGHT 13:26  |  Neutered Observer 27/08/08   9.   It`s Pretty Simple 13:40  |  Gray 27/08/08   10.   The Fabrication of ArabPal State Undermines States Territorial In 14:22  |  Joseph.E 27/08/08   11.   mrs Kohn and nation building 14:47  |  Helen 27/08/08   12.   A bit difficult building a nation in a blockaded ghetto, Cipora 15:20  |  Clickfool 27/08/08   13.   So What Do You Want The U.S. To Do? 15:24  |  Jeff Northridge 27/08/08   14.   TO FORCE ARIEL "THE MAN OF PEACE" SHARON? 15:24  |  indrajaya 27/08/08   15.   # 5 Kohn 15:40  |  Joseph.E 27/08/08   16.   your views failed at the polls now you want the us to impose them 15:46  |  ralph 27/08/08   17.   your views failed at the polls now you want the us to impose them 15:47  |  ralph 27/08/08   18.   Jeff Northridge #13 -then there is your own bias 16:14  |  examiner 27/08/08   19.   Benziman is wrong 16:19  |  Brod 27/08/08   20.   The real resposibilty 16:40  |  Boris 27/08/08   21.   Israel does not need forcing only the palestinians do!!! 16:44  |  Dr Eric 27/08/08   22.   To Helen - #11- learn the situation before showing ignorance!!! 16:50  |  Dr eric 27/08/08   23.   Peace will come about when the PA learns to compromize 16:57  |  Dr eric 27/08/08   24.   Interesting pow, Eric, but still... 17:24  |  Helen 27/08/08   25.   Dr Eric, take your own medicine 17:28  |  examiner 27/08/08   26.   Annapolis part of anti-Israel agenda of State Dept Arabists 18:16  |  G Marcus 27/08/08   27.   Fatah option is Condi-Olmert fiction that doesnt exist in reality 18:34  |  G Marcus 27/08/08   28.   examiner # 18 Then There Will Be No Further Withdrawals 18:36  |  Jeff Northridge 27/08/08   29.   from their own Quran.... 18:44  |  Big Sur 27/08/08   30.   #14 Perhaps Indrayaja could talk about the Intifada and 18:52  |  Big Sur 27/08/08   31.   @24 Helen when was your last trip to Gaza ? 18:54  |  Big Sur 27/08/08   32.   #5 Cipora- red herrings and other fishy comments 18:56  |  examiner 27/08/08   33.   Calling for a foreign power to force it`s view on your nation is 19:07  |  Chaim 27/08/08   34.   Helen, nation building starts from building credibility 19:28  |  Uri 27/08/08   35.   Dr eric # 23 That`s Too Hardline, Even For Me 19:37  |  Jeff Northridge 27/08/08   36.   The truth is simpler and must be stated 19:48  |  michael 27/08/08   37.   Israel needs to build its Russian connection 19:53  |  Voice of Reason 27/08/08   38.   Best thing that could happen 22:02  |  Ze`ev 27/08/08   39.   lets face it folks 22:07  |  Danite 27/08/08   40.   Leftist Uzi Benziman : Peacenik Wannabe 22:16  |  Joseph.E 27/08/08   41.   The Gospel According to Sharon 22:31  |  Gray 27/08/08   42.   Helen; Your compassion is refreshing... 22:49  |  Gray 27/08/08   43.   Faulty 22:49  |  THE TEACHER/INSTRUCT 27/08/08   44.   you`re naive, Natallie 22:53  |  curious george 27/08/08   45.   America should not `force it`s views` on anyone 23:25  |  Mark Lincoln 27/08/08   46.   I doubt this a lot - where else have we ever seen such a thing? 00:11  |  ivo 28/08/08   47.   typical jewish tactic 01:48  |  yezmar 28/08/08   48.   bush`s middle-east failure 02:44  |  eric 28/08/08   49.   Blaming America For Not Forcing Israel To Kill Itself 03:20  |  UsedToPostHere 28/08/08   50.   Helen: you have a correct view on Zionism 03:48  |  Shahid 28/08/08   51.   End this charade of peace talks between Olmert and Abbas 04:17  |  Voice of Reason 28/08/08   52.   Typical Jewsih perspective. We are the victim 04:18  |  American in NY 28/08/08   53.   Correction to Earlier Post; U.S. Aid to israel 05:20  |  Gray 28/08/08   54.   Helen and her mate, clickfool 07:05  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 28/08/08   55.   Ah, but Helen , #24 ... 07:31  |  Elihu 28/08/08   56.   #5 Cipora- red herrings and other fishy comments 08:17  |  examiner 28/08/08   57.   #38 And how do the settlements fit into that, Cipora? 09:19  |  Johnboy 28/08/08   58.   #42, johnny 09:40  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 28/08/08   59.   There`s no hope, is there? # 22 10:04  |  Clickfool 28/08/08   60.   Windmilling with words by Cipora # 39 10:08  |  Clickfool 28/08/08   61.   # 39 perhaps you can enlighten us, cipora... 11:51  |  eric 28/08/08

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