Obama Should Publicly Declare Israel's Failure to Honor International Obligation

The summit meeting called for by President Obama on the eve of the opening of the UN general council is both good and bad news for Palestinians. President Obama should use the occasion to pressure the Israelis to live up to their obligations.

It is always good when senior U.S. officials take personal interest in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. God knows that the two parties have failed miserably in trying to solve the conflict between them. If any party is able to bridge the gap it is the U.S. And if anyone in Washington can move this deadlocked conference, the president is certainly the one to do that.

But this summit comes at a time that the Israelis have refused to fulfill their responsibilities as stated in the Road Map, ironically which have been encoded in a security council resolution. The road map lays out clear responsibilities on both Israelis and Palestinians. In Phase I, Palestinians are expected to take care of the security situation, on the other hand Israel is supposed to suspend all its settlement activities "including natural growth" and return the status of the Palestinian territories to the pre-October 2000 situation. Since 2000 Israel has set up nearly 500 different manned and unmanned checkpoints suffocating Palestinian business and life by making it difficult to move goods and people throughout the occupied West Bank.

Palestinians, with strong advice and support from the American General Dayton have had impressive results in meeting their security obligations. Senior Israeli Army officials have publicly admitted to the improved security situation in the West Bank.

With security dramatically improving, the rule of law in Palestinian areas is starting to take shape. Palestinian Prime Minsiter Salam Fayyad's pro active approach has ensured that Palestinians begin in fact taking control over their own social, economic and civilian affairs. He has publicized his government's two year plan to declare a defacto Palestinian state whether or not negotiations lead to an end of the Israeli occupation.

Ever since President Obama took office, he lifted the Palestinian Israeli conflict by appointing a special envoy, former senator George Mitchell. President Obama in numerous statements, the latest of which was his speech in cairo publicly stated the illegitimacy of Israeli settlements and called on Israel to fulfill its obligations in the Road Map by freeze any further settlement activity as a prelude to the restart of negotiations.

Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas has praised the U.S. president's public requests on both parties to honor their commitments and has insisted on the need for Israel to fulfill their obligation to freeze settlement activities. Senior Palestinian negotiators repeated insisted that this was not a Palestinian demand but an international obligation on Israel. Palestinians insisted that their can be no compromise on this issue.

Mahmoud Abbas, himself, has a strong reason to insist on this issue. Back in 1993 Israeli leaders refused Palestinian demands on a total settlement freeze, saying that it is not important since in five years the occupied territories will become part of the Palestinian state. Palestinian statehood never materialized, Israeli leader Rabin was assassinated and since 1993 the number of settlers living in the occupied territories has doubled.

Months of shuttle diplomacy has failed to get the Israeli government to agree to freeze settlement activities. In fact, a rush to add more exclusive Jewish houses in occupied Palestinian territories seem to have increased because of the potential of a possible freeze.

When the Washington called and asked Palestinians to attend a three party summit, Ramallah had little choice but to agree. Palestinian leaders were not about to deny a request from the Obama White House even though such a decision makes Palestinians to appear that they have capitulated to Israel and its refusal to freeze its illegal settlement activity.

U.S. President Barack Obama will have his photo opportunity despite the obvious Israeli disregard to demands of the international community in respect to the Road Map. While Obama, Abbas and Netanyahu are posing for the photos, President Obama should use the presence of the press to state what the Road Map obliges the Quartet to do. Publicly point his finger to the party which has not fulfilled its obligation to the international will.

 

 

Follow Daoud Kuttab on Twitter: www.twitter.com/daoudkuttab

Comments

[MosheDayanHero]

The number one constituency Palestinains have to convince of their peaceful intentions is Israeli electorate.
Not Obama.
Step one for Palestinians: Take Gaza back from terrorists,
Step Two: Stop virulent antisemitic and anti- Israeli propaganda in your schools, TVs, government pronouncements and sermons. You think Israelis don't notice? Guess again.
Step Three: Convince Israeli electorate that you actually want peace. At least try.
If these three steps are taken, Israeli peace camp destroyed by Arafat sponsored terrorism will re-emerge. Until then, you will see nothing but hawkish governments from Israeli people of all faiths. Including Israeli Arabs who abhor Palestinian governance.
Hint: Big Daddy will not help you if Israeli people are not convinced of your peaceful intentions.

[DannyDanson]

Sounds great but not in their DNA, their hero's die for breakfast and are resurrected for lunch, this will have to end in ashes and radioactive fallout delivered from Afghanistan. or Israel (The ultimate game of Nuclear Chicken)

does anyone think that Iran isn't making the bomb(s) or that they would be stupid enough to launch them from their own territory?

[MosheDayanHero]

this would be a step in the right direction at least. There is no other way. I am realistic enough to understand that true peace is not possible between Arabs and Jews. Or for that matter between Arabs and any other minority unfortunate enough to reside in the Middle East. But Israelis are not picky., They'll will take total lack of fighting.
Kind of like their relationship with Egypt. While most despicable antisemitism is par for course in Egypt, both governments manage to c-exist and sometimes cooperate. Good enough.

[arvay]

Don't hold your breath.

Either for Obama to chasten this client state which has just defied its sponsor without consequence -- or for peace in the area.

Those who applauded Obama's speech in Cairo now have their questions about his ability to change things answered.

Nice words, no results. Sheepish acquiescence to Zionist arrogance.

The Muslims hated Bush, they can pity Obama -- whose ineffectual and empty gestures will have the same result as Bush's hostility.

[DannyDanson]

This will end terribly

Watch Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan (1 out of 3 has nukes now, and the other has never been defeated)
In a year or two, 2 will have nukes, and Americans will be absent from Afghanistan, Palestine is the tide that binds, if we can't assist guess who's next on the list.

We will be back in the region by 2015, if the fallout permits.

[arvay]

Sadly, I think that's the most likely outcome.

[MosheDayanHero]

Palestinians were offered and rejected statehood in 1938, 1948, 1967 and 2000-2001.
Why such a rush now that you don't even control Gaza?

[MosheDayanHero]

"In Phase I, Palestinians are expected to take care of the security situation, on the other hand Israel is supposed to suspend all its settlement activities "including natural growth" and return the status of the Palestinian territories to the pre-October 2000 situation."

It would be astonishing even to hint that Palestinians fulfilled their security responsibilities in view of thousands suicide attacks,and tens of thousands of rocket, Quassams, Grads and Katushas. Especially in view that these attacks only stopped after building of Protective Wall and a decisive defeat of Hamas in Gaza.

[DannyDanson]

How I learn to stop fearing and Love the Bomb

Wonderful Movie Stanley Kubrick

[MosheDayanHero]

If you going to quote something at least get it right.

[MosheDayanHero]

Until people like this Professor Sissalem are thrown out of Palestinain mainstream--- no state.
Forgetaboutit.
Prof. Issam Sissalem, chairman of the History Department at the Islamic University of Gaza and host of PA TV:
[Biblical Hebrews] were primitive shepherd tribes. They had no history. Titus slaughtered them, and this land was cleansed of those fools.. Actually, they were foreigners in this land. They were primitive Bedouin from the Arabian desert. This land is ours. Jerusalem and every one of her stones are ours. They [the Jews] are liars. Their allegations are lies and are worthy of scorn and ridicule."
Reference:
I. Sissalem, PA TV, 8 October 2001.

[Macready]

totally agree with you and I want to see it happen . . . the US and the West through the UN have to pull the plug on israel . . that the only way to get them to even honor their obligations . . . sanctions, trade embargoes . . the whole deal . . . . or there will be no peace . . . we all know israel is the biggest single obstacle to world peace America has to start acting on this knowledge . . now

[DC]

I am afraid it will not happen. Conflict is an industry. There is too much interest on both sides to keep it going. The US repeats over and over it will never move on its commitment to defend Israel. It is in Israeli interest to keep the conflict and and thus the funds flowing.

And the Palestinians have not had effective leadership, thus making the game easy for others.

I am pessimistic.

[Freenation]

100% correct enough of twisting the fine prints...we need to see concrete actions mr. Obama and you will deliver I am confident....

[jordanispalestine]

Uh..not so fast!!

[Justtellthetruth]

Absolutely. Not only is it important to put pressure on Israel to cease and finally remove all settlements and occupation for humanitarian reasons, but it is also important because this ongoing, brutal nightmare of occuaption and settlement has served as a rallying cry for terrorists in the middle east for decades, and, as such, has helped Al qeada to market their heinous agenda to people who see the settlements as the template for the way the US will proceed in the Middle east.

[DannyDanson]

As long as the threat from Palestine consists of homemade suicide bombs and 50.00 rockets, what is the actual level of real threat for the 3rd most powerful army in the world, sure any lost life is a tragedy, but the blood fee of human life for the returns of POLITICAL power has been the currency of modern civilization, Iran does it with their own, Bush did it with Iraq, Osama did it on 911, there will be no Palestinian state, this is a joke, settlements will never stop Israel has no intention to, and why would they? They have done quite well over the last 50 years, the rallying call for terror represented by the refusal to stop the settlements is a political tool, catnip for the hard-right, get ready people, it's going down, when we pull out of Afghanistan, and leave Iraq, Iran will fill the vacuum and in an effort to consolidate power in the Muslim world use the slapping in the face of American efforts to highlight the inperviousness of Zionism to anything but blood sacriface, Israel will be tested again, there will be nuke material smuggled into every region surrounding Israel, Osama is not dead, Afghanistan will not be conquest, Pakistan will be corrupted and it will be too late for negotiations then, not that Israel cannot defend itself, because it can but lets see if they follow our lead a make porcelin out of muslim in the regionl. Yeah, I'm a pessimist

[MosheDayanHero]

"As long as the threat from Palestine consists of homemade suicide bombs and 50.00 rockets, what is the actual level of real threat for the 3rd most powerful army in the world,"
This makes zero sense.
A. Considerable harm was caused with just a few box cutters and 19 determined suicide Jihadists on 9/11.
B. You're way behind times. Palestinains now sport Russian-Iranian Grad missiles. The same used by Georgians to attack Ossetia.
C. Palestinian terrorists are not a threat to IDF. They're a threat to the regular Israeli civilians. Hamas militants just hid when Israeli army made a show of force.
Think issues through before attempting a comment next time.