For Himself and for Palestine, Obama
Must Now take Historic Risk (Al Hayat Al Jadidah, Palestinian Territories)
"Obama may
yet leave his mark as a policy maker deserving of the Nobel Peace Prize he was
awarded at the beginning of his first term. That will allow America to escape its
growing isolation and doubts about it that infuse the population in this part
of the world. ... It is the duty of President Obama to change the image of the
country over which he presides, which is alone in standing with Israel on the
wrong side of one of the most complicated and just causes in human history."
Despite the exaggerated talk of Israeli security we heard
from President Obama during a press conference in Israel last Wednesday - with
Benjamin Netanyahu by his side - there is still a chance for Obama to change
the trajectory of affairs in the region. He may yet leave his mark as a
distinguished policy maker deserving of the Nobel Peace Prize he was awarded at
the beginning of his first term, and put his fingerprints on the Palestinian
cause, the oldest, deepest and most worthy of justice. That will allow America
to escape its growing isolation and doubts about it that infuse the population in
this part of the world. Strategists are aware that ultimately, such doubts and
isolation come at a very high price.
Barack Obama's visit to Palestine and Israel is very
important, and its essence should not be reduced to sugary talk about the necessities
for Israeli security. That is a traditional American policy, it is nothing new,
and is not the reason for the visit - especially after Netanyahu pre-empted
Obama’s visit by forming a new governing coalition trending even more to the right, up to no good, and clinging to
additional settlements.
The purpose of this visit, at the beginning of Obama’s second
term, should be to look for an opportunity, a serious opportunity worthy of one
of the world's greatest nations, and worthy of a man whose second ascension to
the U.S. presidency is considered one of the most important events in modern
American history!!
Because without the pursuit of this serious and genuine
opportunity, the visit is futile and less than ordinary.
What is this potential opportunity?
On the Palestinian side, despite the daunting odds and the difficulties at every level, be they Israel's racist, stupid and
outrageous practices or the instability of the Arab world all around us, we have
been able to achieve successes deniable only by people who have taken leave of
their senses. Based on the logic of international law, we were able to obtain
global legitimacy with U.N.
observer status as a Palestinian state under occupation, within pre-1967
borders - and with East Jerusalem as its capital. Israel cannot continue to
behave as if nothing happened!
[Editor's Note: This new status, adopted by the U.N.
General Assembly on Nov. 29, 2012 despite U.S. and Israeli opposition, puts
Palestine on a level equal to the Holy See within the United Nations system. Of
the 193 voting U.N. members, only nine voted no: Canada, the Czech Republic,
Israel, the Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, Palau, Panama and the United
States].
Similarly, America cannot continue to act as if nothing has happened just to
satisfy its absolute bias toward Israel! The U.S. president can use this issue
as a starting point, and rely on his allies in the world, the United Nations,
and the Quartet, to emerge from isolation, take the initiative and collaborate
with all other parties. It is the duty of President Obama to
change the image of the country over which he presides, which is alone in standing
with Israel on the wrong side of one of the most complicated and just causes in
human history.
This is most important:
What is required of President Obama is that he not repeat
the failures of the past. What has occurred up to now has been a great failure. What is needed is for him to go to the root of the
problem and arrive at the core of a solution, which is a negotiated Israeli
withdrawal behind the borders of the Palestinian state approved by the vast
majority [of nations] last November. He should also take into account Palestinian
successes on many key issues that the world - including America - has witnessed.
President Obama mentioned these issues during his press conference with Abu Mazen at Palestinian Authority headquarters in Ramallah.
Today we have security services that are stable, effective and have a formidable
degree of professionalism. It has become clear that security breaches, when they
occur, are directly due to Israeli actions, or because of their disturbed and aggressive
behavior!
Posted By Worldmeets.US
The Palestinian authority has succeeded in establishing a
transparent fiscal policy, restoring the rule of law, buikding high caliber institutions and is building an infrastructure base for a
national Palestinian economy. The only obstacle to these trends is the Israeli occupation.
One must recall that when a majority of the world voted for
Palestine as an observer state, all of these Palestinian successes were taken
into account. It is regrettable that while the United States recognizes these Palestinian
achievements, is continues its bias favoring Israel's failure and the obscenity
of Israeli aggression.
It is a very important visit, since it demonstrates that after
years of effort by Israel and its U.S. supporters to ignore the Palestinian
cause and look for other priorities, it remains the first and central issue. Israeli
assertions about their ability to maintain stability and security without a just
solution to the Palestinian cause are simple political stupidity - and I think that
no party in the world knows this better than the United States and its current president
Barack Obama.
Is it possible to say that this vitally important visit might
succeed in a new and reasonable resumption of the peace process?
With all the elements necessary for a new start to the peace
process clearly in place, we have to wait for steps announced by [Secretary of
State] John Kerry, which will begin next Saturday. Any foot dragging or failure
- if it happens, God Forbid - will not be the fault of the Palestinian side,
but that of Israel and the U.S. administration that supports it! Obviously, we
don't want, nor would we seek, such a failure. We want success, and at the very
least the rights granted us by the international community, which is our
independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital - and we would
welcome President Obama to follow that path.
