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Akiva Eldar / As Obama is sworn in, Israelis and Palestinians are thinking 'no we can't'
By Akiva Eldar
Tags: Israel News, Akiva Eldar 

Click here for more articles by Akiva Eldar

The swearing-in of Barack Obama as 44th president of the United States takes me back to another presidential ceremony, one that moved millions of people, especially Israelis and Palestinians, whose war-torn hearts were filled with hope for better days. The ceremony on the lawn of the White House more than 15 years ago was my first assignment as Haaretz correspondent to Washington. The beads of perspiration mixed with tears when, with an embarrassed look, prime minister Yitzhak Rabin, briefly hesitating, shook the hand of Palestine Liberation Organization chairman Yasser Arafat. President Bill Clinton, who had arrived at the White House less than nine months before the signing of the Oslo Accords, looked on with a face that glowed with joy and satisfaction.

Clinton shone onto the Middle Eastern skies at a time when the Israeli right, headed by Yitzhak Shamir, had sunk deep into the opposition, giving way to the "peace camp." Less than 16 years later, a leader of the same rightist camp is making a political comeback on the ruins of the homes of hundreds of dead Palestinian children. According to the polls, Benjamin Netanyahu is likely to be the first Israeli to meet Obama in the White House. During Netanyahu's first term in office, in 1996-99, his neo-conservative worldview led him to clash with the previous Democratic president. That occurred as Clinton's ambition to push forth the Oslo process met Netanyahu's ambition to bring it to an end.
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Obama is surrounded by Jewish advisers who are very familiar with Israeli tricks and stalling tactics, especially when it comes to the settlements (have we mentioned "natural growth" yet?), but they would still want the new president to adopt the tradition of the "special relationship" with the Jewish state. Obama, however, has also been exposed to the school of thought, existing in both the administration and the American think tanks, that argues that the excessive closeness between the U.S. and Israel undermines America's strategic interests in the Arab world.

Brent Scowcroft, one of the shapers of foreign policy under President George H.W. Bush, and according to Time magazine, a strong influence on Obama, has called for a fundamental restructuring of American policy in the Middle East. Scowcroft, who was the boss of the current (and incoming) defense secretary Robert Gates, and a friend of the new national security adviser, James Jones, is proposing that the "special relationship" be adjusted to a "natural relationship." Perhaps such a change would be able to transform celebratory ceremonies into dry agreements.

The signing of the Oslo Accords, in September 1993, was the last time that I had the feeling of "yes we can." I believed that the new government in Jerusalem and the new administration in Washington could, together, bring about a great change. Israelis and Palestinians believed that with the help of an American president who evaded the draft, they would be able to achieve peace. Rabin was murdered by a Jewish assassin; Arafat died; the children of the Oslo generation are killing each other. Unfortunately, Israelis and Palestinians will watch the swearing-in ceremony of Obama with a growing sense of, "No we can't" and "Change: We don't believe in it."

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      1.   Akiva Eldar misspeaks 03:09  |  Connie 20/01/09
      2.   Outdated irrelevant views 03:38  |  A Nice Fellow 20/01/09
      3.   another one.... 03:48  |  David Scott 20/01/09
      4.   Re: Akiva Eldar misspeaks 03:57  |  Phil 20/01/09
      5.   Revisionist Tripe 04:20  |  SMF 20/01/09
      6.   To Connie #1 04:23  |  Steve Beikirch 20/01/09
      7.   Gosh! No saying how... 04:41  |  JTA 20/01/09
      8.   To Connie 04:46  |  Bastropian 20/01/09
      9.   There are actually two sides 05:06  |  jonathan 20/01/09
      10.   I Had A Nightmare 05:31  |  Shimon Cleopas 20/01/09
      11.   to Jonathan 05:42  |  Frank Johnson II 20/01/09
      12.   Bush in the Natioanl Guard 05:44  |  Robin Marlowe 20/01/09
      13.   Bibi Netanyahu is a Joke 06:06  |  Ahmed Rothenberg 20/01/09
      14.   Eldar 06:24  |  Sy Dill 20/01/09
      15.   foolish eldar 06:30  |  david 20/01/09
      16.   Downgrading U.S relation with Israel is anti- Israeli strategy 06:37  |  Shalom Freedman 20/01/09
      17.   Obama has Limitations 06:39  |  Mark of Lewiston 20/01/09
      18.   ?? 07:04  |  20/01/09
      19.   Steve B 07:27  |  Connie 20/01/09
      20.   no we can`t 07:42  |  karen officer 20/01/09
      21.   Boot camp is the only alternative... 08:00  |  Dutch 20/01/09
      22.   TO FRANK 08:33  |  JGE 20/01/09
      23.   Obama and Bibi 09:17  |  Mary 20/01/09
      24.   #13 - can you imagine Hamas firing a rocket when Bibi is PM 09:24  |  martin knopfman 20/01/09
      25.   Akiva Eldar`s "No we can`t" 09:29  |  Eli 20/01/09
      26.   to those who say "israel needs to be forced" 10:03  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 20/01/09
      27.   "Special relationship" 10:15  |  Michael N 20/01/09
      28.   Response to Connie 11:23  |  Danalogue 20/01/09
      29.   reply to #26 11:30  |  Mary 20/01/09
      30.   #26 - the US and Israel have a symbiotic relation 12:01  |  martin knopfman 20/01/09
      31.   Obama & Bibi 12:09  |  Steve A 20/01/09
      32.   To Robin Marlowe 12:36  |  JP 20/01/09
      33.   #12 Robin Marlowe 12:50  |  Boycott 20/01/09
      34.   Classic understatement 13:13  |  Natallie Durson 20/01/09
      35.   Will what you wrote make a difference? 13:25  |  Sharon Plain 20/01/09
      36.   10, 000 buses alone expected to arrive in D.C. 13:56  |  John 20/01/09
      37.   Bibi is definitely a joke 14:07  |  Counter Argument 20/01/09
      38.   irresponsible 14:33  |  shay 20/01/09
      39.   obama`s victory 16:43  |  Ann 20/01/09
      40.   #12 Robin Marlowe 16:53  |  John Allen 20/01/09
      41.   JGE: the tunnels were used for food 17:03  |  AT 20/01/09
      42.   Frank Johnson about `open borders` 17:15  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 20/01/09
      43.   "Benefits" a la #30 17:34  |  Michael N 20/01/09
      44.   Eldar`s projection of infantilism 17:43  |  Jonas Tucker 20/01/09
      45.   No we can`t 18:03  |  David Gershon 20/01/09
      46.   Eldar seems to think Oslo was good idea = proof of his insanity 18:15  |  Feiglin Supporter 20/01/09
      47.   Akiva Eldar tries hard to be another Flavius Josephus & succeeds! 18:23  |  common sense 20/01/09
      48.   cipora 26 19:31  |  curious 20/01/09
      49.   Reply to Ciopra (26) - Spot On 19:50  |  Tod Zuckerman 20/01/09
      50.   No we can`t 20:22  |  Robert Mabbutt 20/01/09
      51.   Hamas is the one saying: you can`t live in the Middle East ...! 20:36  |  Johann 20/01/09
      52.   Arabs to Israel in 1948: "no you can`t"..and still.. 21:12  |  Johann 20/01/09
      53.   to Akiva and lefties 21:32  |  GA 20/01/09
      54.   Cipora here is one 21:39  |  Danite 20/01/09
      55.   #54, Danite 22:17  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 20/01/09
      56.   Excellent analysis Mr. Eldar 22:26  |  Steve 20/01/09
      57.   A new approach with Israel is required. 22:26  |  Ibrahim 20/01/09
      58.   All I Ask 22:52  |  Steve 20/01/09
      59.   Curious 22:53  |  Edifice 20/01/09
      60.   No We Can`t 23:04  |  David 20/01/09
      61.   Optimistic statement ! 23:12  |  Romy 20/01/09
      62.   propose something constructive, Akiva - 23:13  |  ivo 20/01/09
      63.   Go back to basics - and adress the core issue - 23:25  |  Lea 20/01/09
      64.   Yes You Can 23:47  |  Dani 20/01/09
      65.   TUNNELS AND PEACE 02:30  |  JGE 21/01/09
      66.   AT: Stop being naive. 03:00  |  JGE 21/01/09
      67.   Maybe US can, even if Israel can`t 04:52  |  Mickle 21/01/09
      68.   Well President Obama can immediately give Israelis the cue as 05:51  |  Smadar 21/01/09
      69.   occupation! 07:53  |  Leon 21/01/09
      70.   42 Margie - Most in Gaza want an Open Rafah 08:19  |  Mark of Lewiston 21/01/09
      71.   #70, Mark of Lewiston 08:35  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 21/01/09
      72.   71 Cipora Julianna Kohn 10:14  |  Mark of Lewiston 21/01/09
      73.   martin knopfman #30 Symbiotic? I think not! 13:50  |  American in NY 21/01/09
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