The bloody riots in front of the Israeli embassy in Cairo, followed by the visit of an over 200 strong Turkish delegation led by Prime Minister Erdoğan, his blazing speech against Israel and for the recognition of a Palestinian state, and finally Egypt's threats to "revise" the peace agreement with Israel create a dangerous atmosphere of crisis, even of war, in the Arab world. Subliminal anti-Jewish sentiments of the masses, on which the former Egyptian regime had imposed limits, remind me of the dark last years before the war in Hitler's Germany.
Erdoğan's ambition to be recognised as mastermind and trailblazer in the Middle East gives his rhetoric a sabre-rattling undertone. In his efforts to win over all Arab states, and especially those which particularly benefit from the West in military and economic terms, to politics that are unfriendly towards Israel, he attempts to influence mainly Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
Thus Prince Turki Al Faisal, important diplomat and former head of intelligence of the Saudi realm, threatened the US in the New York Times that if they took sides with Israel in the question of Palestinian recognition they would lose the friendship and any kind of cooperation with the kingdom. This is particularly important since Saudi Arabia was the only one amongst the Arab states to advocate constructive peace plans and the recognition of the Jewish state.
Prime Minister Erdoğan tries on the one hand to identify himself as proponent of personal freedom by warning President Assad to stop his brutal prosecution of the Syrian opposition, but on the other hand he is meek with regard to the question of international sanctions against Syria. He wants to keep room to manoeuvre on both sides of this international controversy. He knows that Russia and China would veto heavy sanctions against Damascus, let alone regime change, in the Security Council.
The more one contemplates the implications of even a symbolic recognition of a state on the West Bank and in Gaza, the more dangerous appear the consequences. Any kind of illegal violent measure against Israel on the part of Hamas and Hezbollah, any form of terrorism on its soil, from sea or air would in the case of an Israeli retaliation be denounced as act of aggression against a sovereign state and would have incalculable international ramifications. The temptation to provoke Israel militarily, to boycott it through the media, culturally and economically would be limitless. But most of all, each incident would diminish considerably the potential of serious and promising negotiations or even prevent them.
David Miliband: Deadlock in the Middle East, Drama in New York
Abbas Pushes Ahead with UN Bid for Palestinian State
Bolton: UN Approval for Palestinian State Is a 'Fantasy'
Poll supports Palestinian state
Palestinians: we are already recognised as a state by two-thirds of the globe
US urges Russia to steer Palestinian statehood bid toward renewed peace talks
Palestinian President Abbas 'Snubbing His Nose at the United States'
I thought not....
http://zope.gush-shalom.org/home/en/channels/avnery/1316197302/
The endless stream of lobbyists for Israel really should acknowledge the criticism in order to be taken seriously.
to understand the term "dangerous".
Apparently, only dangers to Israel and
the AngloSaxon world fit the definition
and are worth contemplating. Dangers to
Palestinians and *their* welfare don't
even enter the radar. You know, dangers
such as having to live under a military
occupation; arbitrary blockades and curfews;
massive imprisonment, killings and detentions;
home demolitions; pervasive military checkpoints;
severe travel restrictions; economic strangulation;
wide-spread malnutrition; etc. Of course these
are not hypothetical dangers for Palestinians;
they are everyday realities, as they have been
for 40+ years now. But the esteemed Lord is
concerned about the dangers of Erdogan delivering
speeches that are overly critical of Israel.
Doesn't there need to be blood spilled for a riot to be considered "bloody"?
Just the first of the hysterical hyperbole that characterizes this article.
Nevertheless, let the Palestinian have their state; it will not change much in the area. They still need to get a peace agreement with Israel.
So it's your belief that the flotilla wasn't actually headed to Gaza? That's interesting, because it means that Israel then had no even semi-legitimate reason fo boarding the ships. If they weren't headed to a blockaded area (the propriety of which is a matter for another discussion), then the IDF boarding those ships was nothing more than simple piracy.
We must inform the UN immediately!
However, there will be consequences to the US exercising their veto on behalf of Israel. It will of course further anti-American feelings throughout the Arab world and render any US attempt to bring the sides together impotent. This will open the door for other emerging powers to gain an influential foothold in the region.
The other not so obvious consequence will be the International embarrassment that President Obama will be subject to for having to exercise a veto that supports something he knows is wrong.
The actions of both Turkey and Egypt could have been easily avoided if Bibi had acted in an acceptable diplomatic fashion. Being the bully in the region is no longer going to be acceptable to States such as Turkey or Egypt where unlike in the past, the people have a voice.
Israel can only blame Israel for their increasing isolation.
And that is it undermines the years of work inculcating a narrative that makes an expansionist state, with a core belief in a 'chosen people', that is surrounded by refugee camps of those who should be citizens of that state, but are, by reason of their not being of the 'chosen people' declared not to be citizens, which calls launching fast moving attacks using airplanes and armoured vehicles 'defending itself', and resistance to it 'attack' NOT be the equivalent of Germany in WW2.
The withdrawal of israel from gaza led to the first time the palestinian people have ever governed themselves without completely. The result? A religious/military dictatorship where westerners are kidnapped and killed, political rivals are killed and tortured, international aid is stolen and sold by the government, and rockets and missiles are shot at nearby civilian targets.
Only somebody with their head in the sand would suggest there are not dangers to palestinian statehood.