The hysteria on display in Washington over UNESCO's vote to include Palestine as a member of the world body, though largely a manufactured effort, was, nevertheless, irritating and a sad commentary on the dysfunctional nature of U.S. politics.
From the Congressional letter urging the Administration to "Oppose [the] Dangerous Bid by the Palestinians to Gain UNESCO Recognition", and the White House's briefing of corporate executives warning them of the consequences to their interests should the Palestinians succeed "forcing the U.S. to defund the U.N.-related agency"; to the post-vote breast-beating that accompanied the "automatic cut-off of U.S" dues, and the shameful rhetoric that blamed the Palestinians for harming UNESCO's work -- just about every aspect of this entire affair was almost surreal.
I was here in Washington in 1993 and 1994 after Oslo, when it was fully expected, in the euphoria that followed the Arafat-Rabin handshake and signing on the White House lawn, that Congress would rescind its long list of anti-Palestinian legislation. It would have been the right thing to do, but it was not to be the case, since AIPAC and its hard-line pro-Likud supporters would have none of it.
And so instead of changing or canceling the anti-Palestinian laws they had passed in the previous decade, Congress was pushed to place even more punitive restrictions on U.S. relations with and support for the Palestine Liberation Organization. Instead of removing the ban on the PLO operating in Washington or even visiting the U.S., they were given a "waiver" to operate, that could be revoked under certain conditions and required a regular report from the Administration to Congress in order to remain in effect. Aid was given to the Palestinians, but with conditions more humiliating and burdensome than any other U.S. assistance package.
During this period, an alliance was born between the Likud who wanted Rabin to fail and Republicans in the U.S. Congress who wanted Clinton to fail. Both saw punishing the Palestinians as a safe target on which to focus their attention in order to accomplish their shared objective.
Despite Democratic control of the House of Representatives, hard-line pro-Israel politics trumped the Administration's appeals for Congress to take steps more supportive of Israeli-Palestinian peace. After Republicans gained control of Congress in 1994, it was as if the Likud had moved its offices to Capitol Hill. At one point, AIPAC's and Congress' efforts to pressure and punish the Palestinians became so troubling, that then Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin came to Washington to deliver an angry message to AIPAC, telling them to "back off" because their meddling in Congress was interfering with his efforts to make peace.
The legislation that has now been implemented suspending U.S. dues to UNESCO is a product of that era: of Likud and their bipartisan allies in Washington who wanted to set up as many traps and pitfalls as they could to make peace impossible; and of cowardly Democrats who wouldn't stand up to support their President and peace by opposing this obstructionism.
What is of course so irritating is how selective are the memories of those who run official Washington. Instead of remembering that these laws requiring an "automatic" withdrawal of U.S. dues were passed precisely with the intention of punishing the Palestinians and making the search for an Israeli-Palestinian peace more difficult, politicians today act as if these sanctions are divinely-ordained. When officials here lament the enforcement of these laws saying "regrettably we have no choice", even spelling out the dangers that these laws pose to the U.S. and the world, what they are really saying is that they lack the courage and political will to act to change the very laws they created.
Because lawmakers refuse to challenge hard-line Likudniks, they, therefore, blame the Palestinians for forcing them to confront the situation they themselves created and now refuse to change. In the surreal world created by this mindset, America becomes the victim, now being forced to do something it knows: will hurt the world's poor, impede efforts to preserve the world's heritage, harm the interests of American companies, and do more damage to America's image and standing in the world. And in answer to the question "Why are you doing this?", politicians feign innocence and say "because the bad Palestinians forced us to, that's why."
That is why all this breast-beating is so irritating. And it is why, as long as Washington is captive of its own refusal to confront its own dysfunction, it cannot provide real leadership in the search for peace.
The Palestinians, to be sure, have problems at home. They must work to achieve national reconciliation and they must give hope to their people empowering them to become part of a true national liberation struggle. But for the past several decades, the Palestinians have not just had to face a brutal, humiliating, and acquisitive Israeli occupation, they have also had to face down an America that enabled this occupation -- an America that feigned a leadership role as an honest broker, all the while acting as "coat holder" and cheerleader for one side in the conflict. And that is why, as painful as I find this state of affairs, I believe that it is important that the Palestinians have embarked on this strategy forcing Washington to face up to the reasons behind its failures in the Middle East, and increased isolation in the world.
For there to be peace between Israelis and Palestinians, America must change. This will not come easily. There will be more of the proverbial "gnashing of teeth" and complaints that the "Palestinians are pursuing a dangerous course" or "forcing us to do this or that". In reality, however, all that we are being forced to do is come to grips with our own failure and face up to what is increasingly becoming the reason behind our self-imposed isolation.
Dr. James J. Zogby is the author of Arab Voices: What They Are Saying to Us, and Why it Matters (Palgrave Macmillan, October 2010) and the founder and president of the Arab American Institute (AAI), a Washington, D.C.-based organization which serves as the political and policy research arm of the Arab American-community.
Follow James Zogby on Twitter: www.twitter.com/AAIUSA
(You know you want to say it.)
On what is this offensive accusation based? Why, on old-style antisemitism, of course! This is in no way different from the "Protocols of the Elders of Zion" forgery. All that the perpetrators of this libel do is use a few euphemisms: not "Jews" (that would be politically incorrect), but "AIPAC", "Likud", "Zionists", etc. Beyond the choice of words, however, it's the same old libel: the Jews "control" the world, due to their money and occult influence. No mention of the zillion of Arab petrodollars and of the influence THEY wield, through their control of at least a third of the world's current oil reserves!
Nothing you wrote in the second paragraph is true.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Protocols_of_the_Elders_of_Zion
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zionist_Occupation_Government
Read more http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2010/05/10/100510fa_fact_bruck#ixzz1d6jsN9hh
The answer is simple: Israel has corrupted our democratic process not unlike the Mafia of the past. This is why every presidential and Congressional aspirant has to pledge his loyalty to Israel and vow to defend and finance it. If not their political aspirations are nipped in the bud.
These people cannot wait to go to Israel and show where their loyalty lies. They are prepared to give away the candy store to acheive their personal ambition.
Politicians from no other country does this- so embedded is this corruption that it has become cultural to accept this as normal especially for a superpower.
It has nothing to do with any lobbying group and congress isn't pushing him into anything. This is what he believes
For those who think government is their friend:
It is the duty of every patriot to protect his country from its government.
Thomas Paine
US patriot & political philosopher (1737 - 1809)
This move, by the UN in general and UNESCO in particular, as demonstrated below, is simply illegal.
The letter is directed to the Secretary-General of the United Nations, and signed by jurists and international lawyers from around the world.
The letter cautions the Secretary General as to the inherent illegality and harm to the UN and to the Middle East peace process which would be caused by the adoption of a resolution declaring a Palestinian state and determining its borders.
May 25, 2011
His Excellency Ban Ki-Moon,
Secretary-General of the United Nations,
1st Avenue & 44th St.
New York, NY 10017
http://www.jcpa.org/JCPA/Templates/ShowPage.asp?DRIT=1&DBID=1&LNGID=1&TMID=111&FID=378&PID=0&IID=7267&TTL=A_UN_Resolution_to_Recognize_a_Palestinian_State_within_the_%E2%80%9C1967_Borders%E2%80%9D_Would_Be_Illegal
If the LON objected to the ways in which the British managed the mandate, it was obliged by its Covenant and the Mandate to intervene. It did not, so it is reasonable, indeed necessary if those lawyers (not ONE identified other than the Director of an Israeli propagandising organ, I notice) are to rely on the LON, to accept that the LON was content with the British interpretation.
The Palestinians have always recognised that borders will have to be settled by negotiation but are forced into a position of defining them because Israel will not discuss them. Despite that the Palestinians produced a suggested outline of where they should lie at Annapolis, the Israelis have come up with no proposals of their own.
The propagandist wants the Palestinians to abide by a document that Netanyahu has declared that he, personally, killed.
The letter is, in short, a puff piece of propaganda.
Much as Ben may see Iran as an opportunity to coalesce the consciences of his countrymen and women, in a way he may more easily control. He might care to consider history and Aryan errors. When opening too many fronts at once only resulted in downfall.
The govt is not there to lead anybody or anything. They are there to protect our liberty and constitution. America is changing which includes our way of thinking.