Israel, Palestine & Obama
I’ve stayed back from posting on the Gaza crisis currently as there’s just so much I could talk about that I haven’t wanted to focus on one thing (or write a giant essay either). But today I have focused my mind on one issue: Barrack Obama’s deadly silence.
When asked why he’s remained silent on the Gaza crisis a spokespeople have responded to the media, saying “There is only one president at a time,”. This is a blatant hyprocracy as Obama has been extremely vocal on issues such as the global economic crisis and his condemnation of the “coordinated attacks on innocent civilians” in November. He has even started posting weekly YouTube adresses to the nation (so there can only be one president at a time can there?). Of course the latest massacres Israel is committing against innocent civilians are taking place in a ‘too complex situation’ for Obama to make any official statement. I call BS. No reply from the incoming president is simply an approval of Israels crimes against humanities. What’s worse is that Obama just a few hours ago came out with yet another statement on the economic situation amidst the height of the Gaza crisis. Not a single word on the other event happening in the world (of which are mainly supported and encouraged by the U.S. due to the massive military support they give Israel. Support that will be continued under Obama’s administration).
And Israel is committing crimes against humanities and not just war crimes (unfortunately the people responsible will never be tried for either of these crimes). There is no war. There is an opressed, occupied people being even further bombarded by the opressing, occupying nation. This is not a war and therefore any war crime can not have taken place during this crisis. So when Israel kills Palastinians indiscriminantly and destroys both Gaza’s university and parliament (of a democratically elected party – the Hamas) as well as thousands of homes and other buildings these are crimes against humanity.
To think that the change everyone believes in is a cowardly pro-Israeli hawk just like every other U.S. president is saddening to say the least. Obama’s secretary of state Hilary Clinton and the rest of his incoming Clinton-era staff are not going to do anything to help the Israel-Palestine conflict. I would like to believe it is just fear of the strong Jewish lobby in the U.S. that is forcing the silence on almost all American politicians but more and more I fear that it’s simply the decision of Barrack Obama alone to give approval of Israel’s current incursion into Gaza. And I must stress the importance of the support the U.S. gives to Israel.
The majority of Israel’s weaponry and military technology is supplied to them by the United States. Economic and political support is also given in the abundance. Without America’s “unconditional support of Israel” the opportunity for a proper peace process in Israel and Palestine might take place. The U.S. (along with the following of the U.K.) would no longer veto any UN resolution trying to save innocent Palestinian lives and some progress might be made. As Obama is obviously uninterested in changing his country’s neo-conservative stance there doesn’t look like a chance of peace for at least his term (probably eight years) and most likely long after if a Republican replaces him in 2016.
The future is grim.
You know what…When you decide to make a difference in this world, there are many options available to you. And becoming head of state is in some way the ultimate option. However, along with this choice, no matter how good your intentions are and how pure your heart is, if you decide to pursue your quest of becoming the president there is something very important to take into account….and this is the inevitable reality of inheriting some things you can’t change instantaneously. Barack Obama might be against the “unconditional support of U.S for Israel” but will this deter him from seeking the presidency?…No one would ever attempt to become president thinking like that!! I believe Barack is smart and has a good heart and understands politics very well…and if his team decides not to adress the nation at this point about the crisis there must be a reason why….it’s all POLITICS at this point..but it surely does not mean he doesn’t care about the crimes being commited agaisnt humanity in Gaza. Changes takes time……
How many years did it take before black finally got a fair piece of the pie….but the world was ready with John F keneddy to see Blacks have their place among society.
But i will be the first to deplore him and his administration if after 8 years things are similar to what Bush left the world.
I personaly think the Future is Hopeful for now.
striveexcel
January 6, 2009 at 9:13 pm
hey look tim obama reads you blog
spike
January 7, 2009 at 1:21 pm
your* blog
fucking typos
spike
January 7, 2009 at 1:21 pm
@striveexcel: thanks for reading and commenting on the blog. i hope you stick around!
While I do hope that Barrack is against what Israel is currently doing (blowing up a UN-run school for instance) I feel that even if this were the case it’s not going to change much due to the rest of his staff. His foreign and security teams are mainly Clinton-era who, based on what they’ve done in the past, are fully in favour of upholding Israel’s dominance in the middle-east. And we all know Obama’s chief foreign-affairs advisor had a major similar role and major influence on Richard Nixon (a republican and neo-conservative interested in Israel’s continued domination).
If Obama is willing to sacrifice honesty in order to appeal to the Israeli/Jewish lobby then I do not think he will go against his entire team’s overwhelming support of Israel or the same lobby that has a massive influence on presidents even one they’re in power.
I just can’t see much progress for the Palestinians over the next ten years I’m afraid.
Tim
January 7, 2009 at 5:59 pm
Peace is not possible in Israel/Palestine until Hamas and the Islamic Jihad Movement are ousted from Gaza. These groups are so full of hate they can no longer see reason. Their sole objective is to replace the state of Israel with a Fasco-Islamic theocracy. They will not stop fighting until they achieve this goal. Israel’s handing of the situation is also foolish, continuous military attack is beneficial to Hamas. It just increases the Palestinian population’s support for Hamas, and helps demonize Israel further.
Condemning Israel’s actions as crimes against humanity, while saying nothing about the actions and mentality of Hamas, and and al-Qassam brigades is hypocracy. If Hamas had the technology and ordanance that Israel has, it is highly likely that most of the Jewish Israeli population would be destroyed in a matter of days. Hamas and a number of the other Islamic groups in Gaza are seemingly incapable of restraining themselves. If a country such as the USA was placed in the postion of Israel, with daily sporadic rocket atacks on civilian centers, chances are high that Gaza would be a smoking crater. Just look at 9/11 as an example, one attack on a civilian center and two soverign nations are invaded because of “links” to terrorist organisations. This contrast of the USA and Israel illustrates that Israel actually has significant restraint.
On the otherhand, peace is also not possible until the Zionist and colonial attitudes of Israel cease to exist. The encroachment of Israeli settlements into the West Bank shows that the Zionist land grab is still in action, albiet much less noticible.
Expectations for Obama to solve this situation overnight are foolish. Since the conflict has been building up since the late ’40s, it is going to take years, if not decades to diffuse. For Obama to effectively try to obtain peace, the USA and other western powers should take an impartial stance. Taking sides in this conflict will only result in fanning the flames and god forbid, a re-play of the balkanpowderkeg.
Khaled
January 9, 2009 at 2:13 pm
@Tim…
I agree when you say things cannot change much if you have the same people(Clinton and Nixon era) involve in the decision making, that for changes to occur, sometimes its good to have a fresh perspective on things…
However, if you can recall all the debates and criticism thrown against Obama during the primary and presidential race, he was accused of not having enough experience to deal with foreign affairs or to take on the major challenges the country will face against international threat. Given this situation, he was almost force to pull the political move and choose “experienced” Joe Biden as the Vice.
Let’s not forget the fact that it is true that Obama has no experience(foreign affairs)…and i feel a little bit at ease to know he is picking experienced political actors…might lack some 21st century creativity but maybe for the better…
But let’s also realize one thing….this is full blown capitalism and one way or another the U.S will always have Israel as an allie…no matter what happens…and no matter who is president. They have no choice since they technically created (along with some support from member state in the UN) the state of Israel in 1947. Apart from the idea that it makes sense to seperate jewish people from Muslims and give them seperate sovereign land(due to an agonizing history among eachother that started soooooo long ago), strategically and economically it also makes sense for the U.S to remain allies with Israel. Just like it makes sense for the U.S to deal with the Saudis and invade Iraq….
And this is all because we live in a world of Capitalism….you have to pick your fights and create partnerships if you are to survive..and we all know that U.S is willing to do anything to stay close to Israel and Vice Versa….And deep down its inevitable to see these things happen if the environment is a capitalistic one….
The question is …are Nations capable to have dispute over natural resources, money and land without burning schools and dropping bombs.
And my guess is that Obama will have to do everything he can to assure the survival of the U.S as #1 in the world…but my gut feeling is that he will open the door for future president to enter…and that entrance leads to a world where less violence and less extremist exist…where negotiations and peace talks and compromises are fully used before force…..
It’s obvious Bush orchestrated the Iraq war….let’s see one day if we can say it’s obvious Obama was looking for a diplomatic solution even tough it failed…….
striveexcel
January 9, 2009 at 8:58 pm
In Response to Khaled..
I think you’re absolutely right to say that both sides have extremist and they must seize their destructive agenda if anything contructive is to be concluded…
We can say Bill Clinton broke the ice by having Arafat and Prime minister Rabin in 1993 shake hands. Under the terms of the deal, Israel had agreed to withdraw its troops from Gaza Strip and West Bank by April 1994. Altough there is much debate about whether this deal was respected by the parties and if it made sense…atleast it was something in the right direction.
But i believe Obama will have no choice during his presidency to have concluded some deal with the actors of the middle east..in some form or another…he talked too much about sitting down with other countries and find a diplomatic solution ….and he did refer to Iran..Cuba and all the other black list nations.
With Hilary Clinton as the secretary of defence..let’s see if he’s up to the task.
striveexcel
January 9, 2009 at 9:24 pm
I wonder who Kaled is, maybe Ridge?
SYD
January 10, 2009 at 12:47 am
khaled*****
SYD
January 10, 2009 at 12:48 am
I don’t know if you anyone paid attention to the latest developments facing the Gaza crisis….but apparently(according to one source of information so far)…Prime minister Olmert from Israel explains the abstained vote of the United States on the Resolution on a Cease-Fire (quote: “She was left shamed. A resolution that she prepared and arranged, and in the end she did not vote in favour,” Olmert said in a speech in the southern town of Ashkelon. According to Olmert, he contacted the U.S president and told him Condoleeza rice could not vote in favor of the resolution….by the way…the other 14 member of the UN voted for the resolution.
Now that’s pretty crazy…its like their getting confused in their own terms. someone would think if they are to stand together agaisnt the world body….atleast have some sort of cohesion…atleast in the mass media and the press….but this is Ludacris, unheard of!!
Maybe Israel is just taking this opportunity to send Barrack Obama a message on how to vote next time there is a crisis in the middle east…” our way or the highway”….
Is it only me or this is really a big deal??…
striveexcel
January 13, 2009 at 6:23 pm
@strive; That’s very interesting. Could you link the sources you’ve got to that information? I didn’t hear anything about that at all. If Obama truly wants to solve the Israel-Palestine situation then he would not be influenced by what the outgoing Israeli PM has to say or do.
Tim
January 19, 2009 at 5:43 pm
@Tim..
You know what…i am puzzled that all the corporations behind the mass media(CNN, Fox….you name it) failed to adress this misunderstanding to the public. Out of everything that is happening in the middle east at the moment, you would expect any news on the cease fire to grab media attention….but this particular argument just didn’t.
If Olmert is decisively criticizing Rice, he is undeniably striking a blow to Bush at the same time. But then again all 3 parties involved don’t really care what is said at this point because they are all leaving office very soon….
You’re right….Obama should not change his views for the exclusive benefit of israeli.
Here is a link :”http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20090112/pl_afp/mideastconflictgazaolmertusrice_newsmlmmd
and another one:
http://jta.org/news/article/2009/01/15/1002296/olmert-rice-put-misunderstandings-behind-them
By the way, i am new in this blog thing, could you please tell me how you linked your information in blue as in your first passage.
thanks
striveexcel
January 20, 2009 at 9:14 pm