Mustafa Barghouti is one of Palestine's real gems -- a former doctor turned political leader who previously ran for the presidency of Palestine. He now heads the Palestinian National Initiative and is an advocate of non-violent resistance against Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories.
I interviewed Barghouti in my office yesterday, July 24, and found that while he was and remains an enthusiast for Barack Obama -- his hope is being replaced by 'disappointment.'
This for me was an incredible five minute exchange -- but particularly disturbing was his comment that road blocks and barriers to movement before the Annapolis process started number 521. Today, there are 607. Settlements are growing at a faster pace after Annapolis than before. This is wrong.
These trends are destroying the possibilities of peace in the Middle East -- and they are undermining America's national interests as well as Israel's own security situation.
For those interested, this morning I shared some of my own reactions to Barack Obama's hugely attended Berlin speech and fascinating and important trip to Europe and the Middle East with Democracy Now's Amy Goodman.
-- Steve Clemons publishes the popular political blog, The Washington Note
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Obama should have spent more time in the Palestinian territories.
They need a shipment of koolaid That will do the trick.
I wish Obama would watch this interview. I just can't believe how someone who supposed to advocate for human rights and equality between races and religions could go to an apartheid country and not only pretend to have blinders on, but to pander to the ones who favor apartheid.
Like B i l l C l i n t o n, O b a m a is being a statesman. You don't walk into a nest of beehives and start swatting. Especially if one set of bees possesses a stinger that could seriously wound you.
Obama should wait until after the election send in B i l l C l i n t o n as special envoy, to finish what he started (where an assassins bullet and Arafat's crucial error killed the only agreement that will work).
The Peace Agreement is there, it justs needs America to gently force the parties together. B i l l would love it! Then he would get what he desperately craves a Nobel Peace prize!
Obama will do this when he gets into office.
flip-flop
Obama will not throw Israel below the bus, all Arabs or Muslims must realize this. Deal with it. Democrat and Republican foreign policy is always about the same in the end. As Kissenger said in his books, its about our political interest, that's all, our interests. Nothing personal, its business as Trump would say.
I thought Trump could only say "You're fired."
Unfortunately it's not in OUR interest. It goes completely against our strategic interests.
and what would those be?
the middle east is a challenge. i am pro israel. i am not against the palestians. i know from scripture they are also decendants of abraham, but, Go says pray for israel. it was the isrraelites that received the promises an bestowed the heritage.
this is tough. obama has his work cut out for him, here.
Obama is not Jesus.
Thank God. We need more real mortals.
All this noise is getting crazy. Obama is not someone who would be pro-Palestinian or pro-Isreal. He would be pro-peace. He can only be one person at a time. Don't expect him to do miracles because he is not Jesus.
Except he is pro-Israel... listen to his speeches.
Except that he isn't. Listen to his speeches. They are all about real-politics. Israel can not be wished away. Neither can US-Israeli relations. Not only that, they are absolutely necessary for the security of the world and the region. The last thing the world needs is an Israel with its back against the wall. If you thought nuclear weapons in the hands of the Iranians were bad, can you imagine what they would mean in the hands of a people with a history of Holocaust and cut off from all external support? What do you expect the Israelis to do? Let the Arab world slaughter them if it came to a new war?
Good grief, people, start thinking.
This is one of the toughest challenges that the next President will face, the old conflict between Israel and Palestine. This has been left unresolved not because of the United States, but because of the two countries who are unwilling to find reasonable compromise. As long as the violence, hate and mistrust continue, no American President should be expected to say the right words to bring the two sides together.
Israel is just a European colony in the midst of greater Arabia. The Jews should have been given part of Germany and Austria. The Arabs owed them nothing and have been paying for sixty years. In fact, throughout history, Muslims treated Jews better than Christians, particularly Euro Christians, ever did.
You are mistaken.
America's refusal to use its political will to force Israel to stop building settlements is the problem.
America's refusal to stop sending aid to Israel, especially military aid, is the problem.
America's inability to be an honest broker in the conflict, is the problem.
AIPAC is the problem.
The Israeli lobby in the US is the problem.
The holocaust industry is the problem.
Get a clue why dontcha.
I have to agree with much of this. Though I find the notion of a "holocaust industry" quite offensive. And Obama didn't help matters when he pandered to AIPAC. The statement (since "refined") that Jerusalem should be the undivided capital of Israel translates into a major loss of HOPE for Palestinians and for those of us who would like to see the US play honest broker in the middle-east.
BTW...I don't care what the Bible says about who has a right to Israel and the Palestinian territories. Can we please keep religion out of American foreign policy?
Obama is just being expedient. He's got the Dems locked up. Except for a few very conservative ones who may stray off the reservation, he's got their vote. That leaves him free to do a little covert pandering to the crazy Rapturists by cozying up to Israel. This is a demographic that doesn't like McCain and could easily be convinced that Obama is a better choice if he appears to be more in line with their thinking on Israel.
Are you saying Obama will do and say anything to get elected?
Shocking, simply shocking.
Nah, he is better than that. He will be elected despite the things he says. Which is the sign of a true leader who can convince people to think.
I fear that we have become "Neo-America."
whether it's "conservative" or "Liberal," it's not freedom, it Friedmania...
"Diminishing hope" is a good way to put it.
The country called America and its polittics seem to have been replaced by another country called Israel. Politicians in America would have to listen more to the concenrs of voters in Israel than voters in America. Any opposition to the activities of the state of Israel is seen as anti semetic and people in America don't vote for polticians who are crtitical of Israel. Is it a wonder therefore to see Obama becoming more pro Israel and hawkish? Until such time that Americans become more poltically mature and understand that they are not joined in the hip with Israel, their politicians would always pander to Israeli voters.
Here's a recent article by Glenn Greenwald that you might be interested in:
Rendering public opinion irrelevant
http://www.salon.com/opinion/greenwald/2008/07/20/israel/index.html
Our Founders themselves failed to live up to the full promise of their own words; I expect the same from Obama's presidency.
In Max Blumenthal's movie, Tom Delay spills the beans. We have to be connected to Israel in order to enjoy the Second Coming, he says. So no matter how irrational our political economy or foreign policy may become, we'll be sure to "stay connected to Israel." This is the "special relationship" to which Obama has referred.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/max-blumenthal/pastor-hagees-desperate-n_b_111576.html
For what is arguably the most intractable problem on the planet, anyone not yet occupying the Presidency must refrain from radical pronouncements. To project an image of being generally amenable to helping the sides past their sticking points is one thing, but to really propose anything that is going to affect an unbending status quo would be the heght of electoral folly.
I guess there are few Palestinian votes in the American GE.
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Posted July 25, 2008 | 08:46 PM (EST)