Peace not Capitulation


01-08-2013 09:49 PM

By Jafar M Ramini

Call me a cynic, but when it looks like a duck, walks like a duck and quacks like a duck why do they insist on calling it a swan?

I am having a moment of déjà vu here. The talks about talks about how to conduct talks are underway in Washington and I cannot feel but a sense of utter emptiness and disappointment.

How many times have we been here before? What have discussions and talks with the Israelis under the auspices of the United States of America brought us, but more loss of land, more deportation, more ethnic cleansing, more squandering of resources, more strangulation and more controls of every minute detail of daily Palestinian life? In fact, only this week, as the talks kicked off, the Israeli housing minister announced the approval of yet another illegal settlement in the heart of Jerusalem.

Don’t get me wrong here. I am not totally against finding an honourable, equitable, just and lasting accommodation with the Israelis. But in my opinion for that to happen any lasting settlement between Israel and the Palestinians must be based on good faith and peace amongst equals. Otherwise, it will be talks and talks and yet further talks without any tangible results.

These ongoing talks, achieved using American pressure and arm twisting to get the Palestinians to the table, was tantamount to threats, bribery and coercion. Even if, by some sort of miracle, an accommodation was reached it could at best be described as papering over the cracks. The way it is envisaged, the way it is going and the way it will conclude will not put an end to the conflict between the Israelis and the Palestinians. How could it? We are dealing with a powerful foe backed by the most powerful empire in the world and we are represented by a lame duck president. Mr. Abbas, as I am sure you all know, does not have a mandate, nor does he represent what you might call a majority of Palestinian opinion. Most of the grievances of the Palestinians are not even mentioned, let alone discussed. Israel is the piper and Israel is calling the tune. America is dancing to its music on the ruins of Palestinian hopes and dreams. How can we call this negotiation? How can it lead to anything even remotely resembling a just and lasting peace?

Please, sit back, have a stiff drink (believe me you’re going to need it) and listen to this.

click here 

If you are barely able to breathe after this dose of poison forgive me, because I offer no reprieve. Not, that is, if you are a fair-minded person and uninfluenced by Zionist propaganda or American largesse.

It has been proven beyond doubt that America in general, and Washington in particular are run by very powerful cabals of Zionists, be they Jews or Christians. Their influence is limitless and they will not stop at any measure to achieve their goals.

Having said that, how could we the Palestinians willingly put our neck through the American noose yet again, knowing full well that the Zionists will tighten it at will? An exaggeration? Perhaps. Let me put a few facts in front of you.

Every American president since Harry Truman, with the honourable exception of John F Kennedy, made his top priority not the interests of the good people of the United States of America but the interests of Israel. They have gone out of their way to display utter loyalty and offer help in financial terms, in state-of-the-art armament and total support in the international arena, especially in the UN.

Israel has been committing and continues to commit acts of genocide, displacement, land theft and harassment on us for over 65 years. Every known crime that is deemed illegal or a crime against humanity by entrenched international law has been perpetrated. But Israel frankly does not give a damn. Why? Because Israel knows, very well, that no matter what it does it can always rely on the active support of the United States of America.

They have ‘Israel’s back’, as they fondly say and have used their privileged position as a permanent member in the Security Council to use their veto on 42 occasions to cover Israeli crimes, no matter how heinous these crimes were.

This is not a number I picked out of the air, but from an article published by The Institute for Public Accuracy on February 7th 2012.

“The United States has used its veto power 83 times, primarily in defense of allies accused of violating international humanitarian law. Forty-two of these U.S. vetoes were to protect Israel from criticism for illegal activities, including suspected war crimes.” click here 

Despite all of that, America is conducting these talks ‘in secret’ and whom did they put in charge? None other than Mr. Martin Indyk, a well-known Jewish Zionist, ex AIPAC staffer, an ardent supporter of Israel, who has served as the US Ambassador to Israel twice and was until this appointment Vice Chairman and Director of Foreign Policy of the Brooking Institute.

Do you remember another American Jewish Zionist diplomat of the same ilk, namely Dennis Ross? I do. Is my use of déjà vu justified? The then US President, Bill Clinton appointed him as peace envoy for the Middle East, despite his strong Zionist credentials. In fact, former Palestinian Foreign Minister Nabil Shaath described him as being more "pro-Israeli than the Israelis.”

They talk about America being an “honest broker” and America talks about “our values and way of life”. Do me a favour. It’s as clear as daylight that this is another stitch up to make us, the Palestinians look guilty and make Israel look magnanimous in victory.

You know what I find perplexing is how so many Americans are oblivious to what their successive governments do in their name and then ask, ‘why do people hate us?’. I shall leave it to this American man of the cloth, Father John Sheehan, to answer.
“Every time anyone says that Israel is our only friend in the Middle East, I can help but think that before Israel we had no enemies in the Middle East.” Wise words.

We are in the throes of the last ten days of Ramadan. To Mr Abbas and those at the helm in Ramallah I say, please, collect your papers, go home, dissolve the PA and put the burden of the occupation onto the occupiers not the occupied. Extend a firm hand of brotherly forgiveness and reconciliation to your counterparts in Gaza. And to you Mr. Haniyeh, in Gaza, receive the hand of Mr. Abbas in the name of unity and let us all stand shoulder to shoulder, united in the face of our many enemies.

Please make this coming Eid a time of celebration and not our swansong.




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