Obama demolished Palestinian chances for statehood
U.S. supports Israel's demand for the Palestinian state to be demilitarized, it supports postponing discussions on the refugees and Jerusalem, it talks about Israel's security and Israel's security alone.
By Gideon LevyBenjamin Netanyahu may as well have canceled his trip to Washington: Barack Obama did the work for him, or most of it. But the prime minister is already on his way, so he should at least send to the White House a big bouquet of flowers.
Netanyahu can sit back and relax. It's not that Obama didn't say clear, firm words on the Middle East; it's just that most, if not all of them could have been said by Netanyahu himself, who would then go on doing as he pleased.
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Palestinians march for unity in Ramallah, March 15, 2011. |
| Photo by: Reuters |
The 1,500 new apartments in Jerusalem will be built, speech or no speech. The real test for that speech, as for any other, is what happens next, and the suspicion is that nothing will happen at all.
Obama didn't say a word about what will happen if the parties disobey him. This was the king's speech, but the king already appears a little naked. Considering America's weakness, and the power of Congress and the Jewish and Christian lobbies working on behalf of the Israeli government, the Israeli right wing can relax and go on doing what it does.
Yesterday, the U.S. president demolished the Palestinian's only accomplishment so far - the wave of international support for recognition of statehood in September. September died last night. After America, Europe too will have to withdraw its support; hopes have ended for a historically significant declaration at the United Nations.
The Palestinians are left once again with Cuba and Brazil, while we get to keep America. Here's another reason for a sigh of relief in Jerusalem: No diplomatic tsunami is forthcoming, the United States is sticking with Israel.
Regrettably, the president also voiced reservations about the Palestinian unity government. The United States supports Israel's demand for the Palestinian state to be demilitarized, it supports postponing discussions on the refugees and Jerusalem, it talks about Israel's security and Israel's security alone, saying nothing about security for Palestinians. All these are impressive, even if virtual, achievements for Israel.
The Palestinians yesterday were not listed among the oppressed Arab people of the Middle East who need to be liberated and aided on the way to democracy. Obama spoke impressively about America's corrupt allies in the region, and provided further enlightened encouragement to the people of the region.
If the first Cairo speech provided the initial inspiration, Cairo 2 provided a more significant push. Obama and his determination on this should be praised. His words were heard not only in Damascus and Benghazi, but also in Jenin and Rafah. Did he mean to praise Majdal Shams as well? Hooray for the unarmed protesters, hoping Obama meant Palestinian ones as well. If he did, it's a pity he didn't say so.
When he mentioned the Tunisian vendor who was humiliated by a policewoman who overturned his stall - the vendor who later set himself and the revolution ablaze - was Obama thinking about the hundreds of Palestinian vendors who have suffered the exact same fate at the hands of Israeli soldiers and policemen? When he spoke nobly about the dignity of the oppressed vendors, was he speaking about their Palestinian brethren as well? The speech didn't show this enough.
The conflict between Israel and the Palestinian was sidelined in Obama's speech for the most part, more so than it deserved. This conflict still incites great passions in the Arab world, and with all due respect for the new Marshall Plan for Egypt and Tunisia, the Arab masses don't want to see another Operation Cast Lead and more checkpoints on their TV screens. When it got to us, the tone was different.
Yes, there were stern words about how a Jewish and democratic state is not compatible with an occupation. There was even a proper presidential plan - the '67 borders with corrections, a Palestinian state and a Jewish state, Israeli security and the demilitarization of Palestine.
But let's not get too excited. We've heard it before, not only from American presidents, but from Israeli prime ministers. And what did we get? Yet another Jewish neighborhood in East Jerusalem.
The heart wants to believe that this time it's different, but the head - wise from bitter experience after years of shelved peace plans and vacuous speeches - is finding it hard to believe.
The optimists will say that yesterday signaled the end of the Israeli occupation. The pessimists, and I, regrettably, among them, will say that it was just another speech. It changed virtually nothing for the better, virtually nothing for the worse.
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Do not rely on that coward to stand up to the terrorist entity Israel
Haaretz guys are great journalist and I am very very proud for doing the right thing.
Should there be a peace agreement with the Palestinians, a future Palestine will share its borders only with peaceful neighbors, Israel, Jordan and Egypt. So for whom should they stock up on weapons?
Yea! That is one mess down anyway. Annex Judea and Samaria!
September is not dead. Palestine will be recognized by the UN General Assembly in September. Europe will not follow Obama on Israel. Obama has been designated as the one superpower player to support Israel - to get Bibi's tragic government to move in the direction of peace. Bibi is now in a box, and the pressure mounts with every tick of the clock as we get closer to the September UN vote.
Another pointless speech, granting 67 borders, but canceling it at the same time.
Not quite. Nothing stops the EU from granting full recognition to a Palestinian state with '67 borders and EJ as capital. Israel fails to comply then on to breaking off all diplomatic relations and starting to institute sanctions and boycotts. Other than the U.S. and Canada I expect the entire international community to follow suit. The day of the Jewish tail wagging the American dog is in full bloom. On the issue of a Palestinian state with ’67 borders and EJ as capital America has finally made itself totally irrelevant.
Obama has the native sense to solve the Israel / Palestine issue, he just doesn't have the power. He literally cannot say a word or do a thing unless it is adequately vetted by those who consider themselves the defenders of Israel. Israel is approaching a huge calamity in the U.S. and afterwards everybody will say it was obvious that it was coming. Today an anchor on CNN was trying to slide a subtle anti Israel comment past Wolf Blitzer (who of course used to work for AIPAC). It will probably have more effect on Israel than the Egypt revolt, and it is Israel itself that is causing it to happen.
What is it about Israelis right and left that everything depends on America. A lot depnds on Israel understanding its position. Israel isa tiny country with a lot of firepower but little else it can be squashed not so America and most of the countries that surround us . Obama made it clear he threw Israel the bone of telling the Palestinians that he won’t support them if they go to the UN. And he also told them that they are going to have to work out what their position is now that Hamas is in the fold. But Obama is expecting Netanyahu to come up with a map. And while I believe that America will go for the gush becoming Israel, it will expect an equivalent parcel to go to the Arabs and no, the US will not go for the ridiculous as in Israeli military presence in the Jordan valley. Finally, Jerusalem will be played off against the Palestinian Right of Return. The notion that Obama will soon forget it is not realistic. Anyway even if that should happen that would be terrible for Israel. Israel needs to disengage from the Palestinian people.
September is ON, and stronger than ever! The US hasn't yet, nor is it likely to, influence the international community in regards to its concensus on the subject...and Netanyahu's response to Obama's speech has clinched it...maybe even with Obama. Plus Danon's op/ed in the Times...ohhhhh baby! And the consequences which you point out are missing from his speech? Realistically, this speech wouldn't have been the appropriate place to insert consequential threats.
Forget about it for now,Just let the Israelis rule the Pal's and in 20-30 years the population of the Pal's will equal and eventually surpass the Israeli's population. A small country like Israel wont be able to manage such an apartheid state in a region like this.So unless some kind of ethnic cleansing occurs and the pal's leave the West Bank and Israel, then there will be a formation of Palestine like it not. The long run is whats important. Fayyad should just continue building the economy and institutions for statehood that will come eventually.
This doesn't mean that there won't be peace. This just means that there will be no peace resulting from talks. It will take a devestating war to motivate people toward peace. It has always been so. The problem for Israel is that the line between devestation and destruction can be very fine when you are dealing with WMD attacks on small nations. Israel's actions have pretty much guaranteed that this is how it will go. My best guess is within 10 years. Fifteen tops.