AIPAC chief: Obama should not be even-handed toward Israel and Palestinians
Day after U.S. president clarifies vision of Palestinian state within 1967 borders, director of pro-Israel lobby urges Jerusalem and Washington to avoid any public display of diplomatic crisis, as it would likely be exploited by Israel's enemies.
By Natasha Mozgovaya Tags: AIPAC Benjamin Netanyahu Barack ObamaAIPAC Executive Director Howard Kohr said Monday that U.S. President Barack Obama should not take an even-handed approach to the Middle East conflict, as it puts Israel at a disadvantage.
“Part of being an honest broker is being honest," Kohr said in an address to AIPAC, a day after Obama spoke to the pro-Israel lobby and clarified his remarks regarding his vision for a Palestinian state based on the 1967 borders, adding "that honesty "should not be confused with even-handedness".
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U.S. President Barack Obama arriving at the AIPAC Conference dais for his keynote address on May 22, 2011. |
| Photo by: AP |
"In a world which is demonstrably on the side of the Palestinians and Arabs - where Israel stands virtually alone - the United States has a special role to play," said the AIPAC director. "When the United States is even-handed, Israel is automatically at a disadvantage, tilting the diplomatic playing field overwhelmingly toward the Palestinians and Arabs."
The AIPAC leader also said that no settlement imposed on the Palestinians or on Israel could succeed. “When neither party owns the plan or has responsibility to accept it, that plan is doomed to fail," he added.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu bluntly rejected Obama's declared support Thursday for the creation of a Palestinian state within the 1967 borders, in what appeared to open a deep divide between the United States and Israel.
On Monday, Kohr urged Jerusalem and Washington to work out their differences privately, warning that any public display of a diplomatic crisis would serve as fodder for Israel's enemies.
“If Israel's foes come to believe that there is diplomatic daylight between the United States and Israel, they will have every incentive to try to exploit those differences and shun peace with the Jewish state," warned the AIPAC director.
He also said that Netanyahu was "ready and willing" to negotiate for peace with the Palestinians, but that it was up to the other side to make a positive step forward.
“There is still time for a Palestinian leader to be bold and creative: to turn back from the current dead end; to reject Hamas; to reject the international path; to reject the road to unilateral recognition at the United Nations and instead to embrace the chance to sit down with Israel to negotiate a real peace," said Kohr.
"To say to those who profess to stand for peace: There can be no end to strife for the Palestinian people unless their leaders pursue a partnership in peace with Israel," he added.
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in summery: justice will put israel in disadvantage And why is that sir? is it because they build and destruct homes on lands that it is not theirs. anyway, the best thing for the US to do is get out of the picture, you will give the world a big favor, let the european take care of peace
If the US is not even handed then peace will be more difficult to acheive. Peace with a few more countries in the area will be the worst thing for Israel's enemies.
he is acting like he is trying to protect the palastenians as well, this is funny, the israeli lobby, israeli biggest obstacle for peace, the catalyst for all miseries of palastenians, trying to elimenate factual claims of his uncoditional support for all israeli destructions over the years....
Really, Mr Khor needs to sit down with a representative of the current Palestinian leadership, relax, and try saying all this to his listener. He then might experience how off the track his remarks are and might even have a few ideas of how to reorient his thinking in the interests of "a real peace". Without the US.
he would favor the Palestinian cause, as the rest of the world does. Israel should be grateful for an even-handed approach - but no, it demands that the US take the wrong side and support it entirely.
Does honesty involve admitting that the occupation has been brutal and that Israel's ultra-right is slowly forcing the Palestinians off their own land? Or must 'honesty' require everyone to overlook the tragic similarities between the territorial desires of the Israeli right and the territorial lusts of the Third Reich? What is wrong with being 'evenhanded' in seeking a solution which is just and beneficial for both peoples instead of only one? Is the head of AIPAC more concerned with keeping his own job intact and contributions rolling in than in seeing Israel have the first day of peace in over 60 years?
a bunch of malarkey. The ONLY way to approach any problem is with honesty and even-ness. The US has tilted towards Israel for way too long.
I don't think that America should be even-handed either. After years of allowing Israel's theft of Palestinian assets, oppressing its people, and tolerating the separate and unequal treatment of non-Jewish minorities within Israel's borders, it's time for the U.S. to make amends.
But Obama knows he was elected to serve ALL the American people, not just the members of AIPAC. Get over it.
The entire world acknowledges the illegality of the Israeli occupation and it's settlements. Yet this AIPAC dude wants the the rule of the rich and powerful to prevail.. by boldly expecting the US to side with Israel. How ridiculous!
Obama (USA) should not be even-handed! What a ridiculous claim form AIPAC. 1948 Jews were allowed to establish a nation. Unfortunately international community was not able to draw fair borders a year before that, and Brits left before the case was solved. But already then was seen that Palestinians, the people living on the area, deserve their own country. And why shouldn't it be like that? Israelis (jews) does not have any priviledge to the area. Claims that 1967 borders are indefensible, or that too many Israelis are living behind that border, are not good excuses. The latter one is mostly a self-created problem, and I don't think that even Netanyahu could believe that international community would allow a situation in which Israel's right to exist is questioned/hurt. But when state of Palestine is established, Netanyahu won't have many friends. So better to moan now - although it won't change anything.
well there we go if America shouldn't treat Palestine and Israel equally then America shouldn't broker any negotiations between Israel and Palestine and the Palestinians should go to The objective UN and ask for a state since any negotiations with Israel under U.S supervision would be a total waste of time since the U.S is obviously so pro Israel biased
Especially the comment about there being '...no end to the strife for the Palestinian people unless their leaders persue a partnership in peace with Israel' It broadly chimes with many of the opaque threats of ensuing violence should the palestinians unilaterally declare a state.
Human rights issues are not corrected by exchanges and deals! They are corrected because they are wrong. And AIPAC is an outside bully --- misguided at best, corrupt at its worst, prolonging Israel's occupation economy.
How is being even handed a bad thing? Israel has too much control of the US government
I fully concur. For what it's worth the U.S. should fully endorse the Zionist vision of a greater Israel and an eternal city undivided. Come September of course it won't be worth a plug nickel since a fully sovereign Palestinian state with '67 borders and EJ as capital will prevail. But what the heck why not give the Zionists a few more months of pretending the inevitable will not happen.
The mind boggles.
It is not America or Israel's enemies that are the problem. Israel knows American policy quite well, but has managed to keep it off the table up till now. It is definitely on the table now and Israelis don't like it. The answer is not to take it off the table again, it is for Israel to get into line or pay the price.
About time that the truth be told out right out there in the open. Thank you! The Arab and Muslim world in its entirety, the Europeans, the third world and the latin American's are all pro Palestinian. Nothing wrong with having a strong friend in the world community that can help Israel fight the fight. Onwards.
AIPAC, the jig is up....Israel wants to talk forever without ever reaching an agreement.....hence, the need for solid road map to the end-game. Stop playing games.