By Barry Rubin
The Associated Press reports:
“American aid to the Palestinians is in jeopardy over their ties to the terrorist group Hamas, unwillingness to restart negotiations with Israel and push for statehood at the United Nations over U.S. resistance, congressional Republicans and Democrats warned on Tuesday.”
But why is Congress taking the lead on this threat? Because the Obama Administration supports continued aid no matter what happens:
“Senior Obama administration officials insisted that the assistance — some $550 million requested this year — is critical to peace and stability in the Mideast and to boosting Palestinian security forces and the economy. They cautioned that cutting off aid would have serious repercussions.”
That does make sense in principle. But shouldn’t an aid cut-off be used as leverage to:
–Stop the Palestinian Authority (PA)-Hamas merger deal? Yes, it will probably fall apart on its own but without the U.S. government making a serious attempt to stop it.
–Stop the PA from throwing away all of its previous commitments and putting the United States in a corner by insisting on going to the UN with a unilateral independence proposal? If Obama vetoes it, this will be very damaging for U.S. standing in the Middle East and if Obama doesn’t veto it, the same applies.
–The refusal of the PA to negotiate seriously with Israel for 2.5 years?
“Our assistance to the Palestinian people is an important building block of our efforts to achieve a comprehensive peace in the Middle East that will allow all people there — Israelis, Palestinians and others — to live their lives in peace, in dignity and in security,” Jacob Walles, deputy assistant secretary of state for Near Eastern Affairs, told a congressional committee.
Yes, that’s absolutely true. But what happens when the assistance gets in the way of those goals because the PA refuses to negotiate on a comprehensive peace and systematically sabotages that effort? Shouldn’t the Obama Administration use some threats and leverage to win on the three points above?
Of course, this is typical, if you don’t protect your interests and merely give concessions then your interests will be trampled. As of now, the refusal of the administration to pressure or criticize the PA’s behavior is an important road block of “our efforts to achieve a comprehensive peace in the Middle East.”
Meanwhile, the Palestinian leadership blames the United States for everything wrong in the Middle East. So let me make it simple: The Palestinians blame the Obama Administration; the Obama Administration blames Israel and protects the Palestinians from criticism.
Barry Rubin is director of the Global Research in International Affairs (GLORIA) Center, editor of the Middle East Review of International Affairs (MERIA) Journal, and Middle East editor and a featured columnist at PajamasMedia http://pajamasmedia.com/barryrubin/. His latest books are The Israel-Arab Reader (seventh edition), The Long War for Freedom: The Arab Struggle for Democracy in the Middle East (Wiley), and The Truth About Syria (Palgrave-Macmillan). The website of the GLORIA Center is http://www.gloria-center.org. His articles published originally in places other than PajamasMedia can be found at http://www.rubinreports.blogspot.com
Another practical example of the Obama Doctrine, betray America’s allies and be harmless to America’s enemies.
Meanwhile there are blackouts in Gaza again because Hamas cant pay its bills and is complaining that the PA wont transfer the revenue it has collected. The PA cant pay its workers who are threatening a strike because the Arab governments have not given them all the money they promised.
A recent poll ciited in Haaretz showed that Palestinians are much more concerned with everyday life than independance. 87% cited jobs at the #1 priority. Only 38% fevor a 2 state solution. The rest want to take over Israel somehow but show little enthusiasm for any realistic means of doing that or anything else.
Palestinians cant negotiate a state because they do not want one. They have been stuffed so full of hatred and myth that any pragmatic solution is dismissed.
I wonder what a strike would look like if done by the Hamas terrorist prisoners sitting in Israeli jails who have been placed on PA monthly payrolls. Will they refuse to watch their Israeli provided television sets? Will they refuse to attend their Israeli provided university courses?
Two thoughts: One: The recent Obama is not taking the lead is that after the bluster, his style is followership, not leadership. That is par for a person who generally votes present.
Two: Too spindok – I am just back from a trip to Israel. Walking through the Old City, I could literally see the hate in the eyes of young Arabs who passed me by at I strolled through the Old City’s streets. The older Arabs in the shouk were either too interested in making a living or do a better job of disguising their true feelings.
is to aid in the destruction of Israel, that’s why Obama keeps mum — he’s all for it
Mr. Obama is going to try to ram an unworkable solution down everyone’s throat. When it all unravels and blows up into war, Mr. Obama will surely wash his hands of the whole situation and blame it on Israel.
The more I watch Mr. Obama, the more I realize that he is related to two Roman emperors, Nero and Caligula. For one Mr. Obama likes playing with fire and two he likes poisoning family, namely long time U.S. allies. Thirdly, Mr. Obama is a slick customer. As Charles Krauthammer recently commented, “do not listen to Mr. Obama, but watch what he does”.
John – spot-on.
olá amigos, com certeza enviar um torpedo de gra?a está cada vez mais custoso devido ao bloqueio das operadoras de telefone. Há ainda os servi?os que prometem entregar meu torpedo mas nem sempre chegam destinatário final. Alguns como o Mundo oi e o Oi Torpedo funcionam mas e para as outras operadoras? E os que prometem que enviam e nada chega. Para onde está indo as meus SMS? E para a Tim, Vivo? Alguma Idéia? Ou significa ter de comprar?. é só um desabafo, realmente está difícil achar servi?os para mandar SMS barato.