- Thomas Friedman, the New York Times columnist, has an
idea. That happens to him quite often. One might almost say - too often.
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- It goes like this: The US will turn its back on the Israeli-Palestinian
conflict. The entire world will follow. Everybody is fed up with this conflict.
Let the Israelis and the Palestinians sort out their problems by themselves.
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- Sounds sensible. Why must the world be bothered with
these two unruly children? Let them kick each other as much as they like.
The adults should not interfere.
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- But in reality this is an outrageous suggestion. Because
these two children are not of equal strength. When an adult sees a 14-year
old mercilessly mistreating a 6-year old, can he just look on?
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- Israel is materially a hundredfold, indeed a thousandfold,
stronger than the Palestinians. The fourth strongest army in the world
(by its own estimate) dominates the life of a helpless people. The Israeli
economy, with some of the most advanced technologies in the world, dominates
a people whose resources are next to nil. A 42-year old occupation dominates
every single corner of occupied Palestine.
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- This did not come about by a miracle. The huge gap between
the strength of the two peoples has also been created by the support of
the US for Israel. Israel would not be where it is today without this political,
economic and military underpinning. Billions of dollars in annual aid,
access to the most advanced weaponry in the world, the political immunity
assured by the US veto in the Security Council and all the other forms
of assistance have helped successive Israeli governments to maintain and
intensify the occupation.
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- Friedman does not propose ending this support, which
itself is a massive intervention in this conflict, and is given to the
stronger side. When he suggests that the US withdraw from the conflict,
he is actually saying: let the Israeli government do what it is doing
continue the occupation, set up new settlements, withdraw the land from
under the feet of the Palestinian people, go on with the murderous blockade
that denies the 1.5 million Palestinians in the Gaza Strip men, women
and children almost all the necessities of life.
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- This is a monstrous suggestion.
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- True, the prophet Isaiah (11:6) describes a situation
where the wolf shall dwell with the lamb. (Israeli humor comments: No problem,
provided a new lamb is brought in every day.) Now the prophet Thomas proposes
to let the wolf and the lamb sort out their relationship between themselves.
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- BINYAMIN NETANYAHU could not wish for more in his wildest
dreams. In the meantime he is satisfied with something less: President
Obama's acceptance of his latest trick.
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- And thus Netanyahu confronted the nation with a tortured
face and told us about his inhumanly difficult decision: to suspend the
building activities in the settlements.
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- The entire world applauded. How wonderful of Netanyahu
to sacrifice his most sacred principles on the altar of peace. He has taken
a stupendous step. Now it's up to the Palestinians in their turn to respond
with a grand gesture.
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- But something is wrong in this picture and needs explaining.
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- To return to the great Sherlock Holmes, who spoke about
the curious incident of the dog in the night-time: "But the dog did
nothing in the night-time!" he was told. "That was the curious
incident," the detective answered.
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- It could have been assumed that after such a dramatic
announcement by the Likud leader, the settlers would let out a deafening
roar. Riots in the streets of all the towns. Blocking of all roads in the
occupied territories. A rebellion of the settlers in the cabinet and the
Knesset.
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- But the dog did not bark. Not even a growl, just a token
yelp. Culture Minister Limor Livnat opened her big mouth and declared that
the Obama administration was "terrible". That's more or less
all. The settler-minister Avigdor Lieberman even voted for the decision
in the cabinet, and so did the ultra-extreme Likud minister Benny Begin,
son of the late Prime Minister.
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- Begin even explained his curious behavior on TV: he had
no reason to vote against. After all, it was only a gesture to appease
Obama. It has no real content. Building "public structures" will
go on (about 300 new ones were approved just this week). Building will
be continued in housing projects whose foundations have already been laid
(at least 3000 apartments in the West Bank). And, most importantly: there
will be absolutely no limitation to Jewish building activity in East Jerusalem,
where building continues frantically in half a dozen locations in the heart
of the Arab part of the city. And, besides, the suspension will last only
for 10 months. Then, Begin promised, construction will be resumed in full
swing.
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- That would not have appeased the settlers, if they did
not know what every Israeli knows: that it is all phony. Building will
continue everywhere, with the officials cooperating on the quiet and the
army closing its eyes. It will be claimed that building permits had already
been issued, that the foundations had already been laid. (In many places
extra foundations have indeed been laid, just in case.) That's the way
it was in the past, under the governments of Labor and Kadima, and that's
the way it will continue now. This week it became known that in the whole
of the West Bank, just 14 (fourteen!) government inspectors are supervising
all building activity.
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- In the same TV program, Yossi Beilin was sitting next
to Begin. It might have been expected that he at least would expose the
fraud, but no. Beilin lauded Netanyahu for his brave act and saw in it
a promising new beginning. This way he rendered important assistance in
winning over world public opinion and setting the mind of Israeli innocents
at rest. It would be difficult to imagine a sadder example of the collapse
of the "Zionist Left". The Geneva Initiative has turned into
the Jerusalem Deception.
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- The largest opposition party, too, joined the chorus.
Tzipi Livni, who bears the impressive official title of "Leader of
the Opposition", mumbled something unintelligible and went back to
sleep.
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- AND OBAMA? He capitulated again. After giving up his
original demand for a total freeze of building in the settlements, he had
no choice but to give in again. He reacted to Netanyahu's shabby performance
as if it were high drama.
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- Obama is in need of an achievement. It is being said
that he has not achieved a single objective in the international arena.
So here is an achievement. Netanyahu is freezing sorry, restraining
sorry, suspending - settlement activity.
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- My father taught me in my youth that one must never give
in to a blackmailer. After giving in once, one is condemned to giving in
again and again, while the demands of the blackmailer grow and grow. After
giving in to the pro-Israel lobby once, Obama will have to give in again
and again.
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- One could almost pity him and his assistants. Such an
impressive, such a tough, such an experienced group and they are
returning from Jerusalem like Napoleon's army from Moscow.
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- We saw poor George Mitchell. The man who brokered peace
between the murderous factions in Ireland came to Jerusalem. Came again
and again and again. Came as the representative of the world's one remaining
superpower to tell Israelis and Palestinians what they have to do. He was
tough. He dictated terms.
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- Israeli officials laughed at him behind his back. They
are used to the likes of him. They have eaten them for breakfast. Remember
William Rogers, Nixon's Secretary of State and his peace plan? And the
great Henry Kissinger? And even James Baker, who tried to impose economic
sanctions on us? And Bill Clinton's "Guidelines"? And the "vision"
of George Bush? The political graveyard is full of American politicians
who tried to impose limits on Israel, without being able or willing to
use the necessary force. Welcome, George. Nice to see you, Hillary.
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- What is so pathetic is that Netanyahu is not even deceiving
Obama. The American president knows full well that this is all play acting.
He is very intelligent. He is not very courageous. For the mess of pottage
of a pretended achievement he has sold his political birthright. Even George
Bush managed to extract from Ariel Sharon an undertaking to dismantle all
settlements set up after March 2001 (needless to say, not a single one
was dismantled).
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- This is a great victory for Netanyahu, his second over
Obama. Not yet the decisive victory, but a victory that bodes ill for the
chances of peace in the near future.
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- NETANYAHU DID NOT even try to deceive the Palestinians
either. He knew that this is impossible.
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- Every Palestinian understands Netanyahu's announcement
only too well. He has only to look out of his window to see what is happening.
After all, Israel would not invest billions in new building if it had any
intention of dismantling the settlements for peace within a year or two.
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- There is hardly a place in the West Bank where one cannot
see a settlement on a hilltop, near or far. In some places, one can see
two or three. If one approaches closer, one can see the building activity
in full swing, the overt and the covert, the "legal" and the
"illegal".
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- And, most importantly: there is no Palestinian leader
who could possibly agree to the continued building in East Jerusalem. The
construction of Jewish housing projects goes on while Palestinian homes
are being destroyed, "archeological" digs continue as well as
all the other activities designed to "judaize" Jerusalem. To
put it more bluntly: making Jerusalem "Arab-free".
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- When Obama capitulates to Netanyahu, there is nothing
Mahmoud Abbas can do. When the Americans demand that the Palestinians answer
Netanyahu's "important" step with an important step of their
own, it is nothing but a sad joke. The Americans help Netanyahu to put
the ball into the Palestinian court, and with a pious rolling of their
eyes ask why, after such a momentous Israeli gesture, the Palestinian do
not agree to resuming the "peace process".
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- But Abbas cannot start negotiations without a total freeze
of the settlements, especially in Jerusalem. The only dialog between Israelis
and Palestinians that is taking place now is with Hamas. The prisoner exchange
deal is nearing the point of decision. The main remaining bone of contention
is the freeing of the Fatah leader, Marwan Barghouti, who was sentenced
to five life terms.
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- If the deal is clinched and Barghouti freed, it will
be another humiliation for Abbas: it will be said that Hamas, not he, has
achieved the liberation of the Fatah leader. The freed Barghouti will act
to mend the split between Fatah and Hamas and will be a credible candidate
for the presidency of the Palestinian Authority. Then, a new chapter of
the conflict will begin.
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- IT IS worth reading the full text of Isaiah's prophecy:
"The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie
down with the kid, and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together,
and a little child shall lead them."
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- The role of the little child, so it seems, falls to Obama.
If he accepts, God forbid, Friedman's advice and leaves the picture, the
vision will turn into a nightmare. The Israeli government will increase
the oppression, the Palestinians will turn to unbridled terrorism, the
entire world will be dragged into bloody chaos.
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- Some advice.
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