The President's visit to the Middle East this week
will show once and for all that status quo lives on
under the attempt to validate the old saying that an
ounce of image is worth a pound of performance.
In this case the image came seven years too late.
In public appearances the Bush administration claims
it supports "the road map for peace". In 2218 words
that "map" lacks any mention of human rights and
International law. But even with this shortcoming,
it calls for total freeze on settlement activities
including so called "natural growth". Israel simply
refuses to abide by this. Bush sent a letter to assure
Israel that some settlements will be exempt since
they would stay with Israel under any final deal.
In so doing, Bush himself undermined his own
"road map". It is not surprising that US policy
evolved from describing settlements as illegal
to "obstacles" to "unhelpful" and finally to
Jewish neighborhood that will remain part
of the Jewish state.
The US government claimed interest in
advancing democracy is recognized around
the world as the biggest breeding ground for
promoting dictators, violence and terrorism
(whether that practiced by individuals or the more
deadly state terrorism). For example, Hamas was
elected in the occupied Palestinian areas in a vote
that this administration pushed for. Rather than
pressuring Israel to comply with International law
(an action which would have truly built up moderate
forces in Palestine), Bush chose to pressure Abbas
to take Hamas on militarily and thus increase the
already high antagonism to the US and its client
state of Israel.
Continuing in this policy, when Bush visits Ramallah
to meet with Abbas, the city will be under curfew
and a virtual marshal law according to instructions
given to Palestinian police. Bush's security detail
demanded no visible nonviolent demonstrations.
The Israeli Foreign Minister, daughter of the terrorist
who oversaw the bombing of the King David Hotel
will jovially agree with Bush on fighting "Islamic terrorism.
Bush will look out from that same hotel to see a wall that
the International court of Justice ruled illegal. Many of the
US officials accompanying Bush were handpicked from
lobbyists and pundits who support Israel (Clinton was
not any better) so he will not hear the history of that hotel.
Considering the above, the photo opportunities in
occupied Jerusalem will not accomplish any more
than they did in Annapolis not even the hope of a
changed policy after Bush leaves office. Thus, the
decline in the U.S.'s ability to influence events around
the world is becoming more visible (even in the
declining value of the US dollar). There is an
obvious and more honest route to peace, security,
and economic prosperity for all (Palestinians, Israelis,
Americans, Iraqis etc): International law and human rights.
Israel is the only country in the world that gives members
of a particular religion, including converts, automatic rights
(citizenship, land, homes, subsidies), while denying citizenship
to native Christians and Muslims who were ethnically cleansed.
World leaders who are freed from the pressures of the Israel
lobby have recognized this system for what it is: Apartheid.
Israelis actually use hafrada (segregation) to describe their
program. President Carter wrote a book titled "Palestine:
Peace not apartheid." Archbishop Desmond Tutu wrote:
"In our struggle for justice and peace in South Africa we
had to learn to speak and listen to hard truths. Our
experience should encourage all who strive for justice
and peace in the Holy Land. My visits to the Holy
Land remind me so much of South Africa: apartheid
is back, complete with the "Separation Wall" and
Bantustans."
History, it seems, repeats itself." A growing
International movement of boycotts, divestment and
sanctions, (BDS) coupled with truth telling is building
that will succeed like we did with cutting U.S. support
for Apartheid South Africa. Israel will then evolve into
a democracy with equality for all (Jews, Christians,
Muslims etc.) and implement international law including,
allowing the refugees to return to their homes and lands.
This is the only way to allow a functioning Hebrew and
Israeli culture to remain while remedying the injustice
committed against the native people. A media that is
influenced by special interests gave support to pro-Israel
candidates while ridiculing those calling for a real change
in the self-destructive US foreign policy (e.g. Ron Paul,
Dennis Kucinich). The jury is thus still out on whether
the new President will continue the same path.
More and more US citizens are seeing the devastation caused
by the alternative strategy (from 9/11 to chaos in Pakistan).
Citizen pressure on all political parties is what achieved
ending the war in Vietnam, ending US support for apartheid
South Africa, and advancing civil rights. It is time to reclaim
our country.
-Dr. Qumsiyeh is a Christian Palestinian-American
who served on the faculty of both Duke and Yale
Universities. He is author of "Sharing the Land of
Canaan: Human Rights and the Israeli/Palestinian
Struggle." His web site is located at http://qumsiyeh.org
__,_._,___
0 Have Your Say!:
Post a Comment