Last week’s conference in Sharm el Sheikh was co-hosted by French President Nicolas Sarkozy. European leaders sat down with the Arab dictators who rule the nations bordering occupied Palestine; they discussed their vision of a lasting peace - the primary concern was limiting the flow of arms to Gaza. They promised to tighten the stranglehold.
It didn’t take long for these masterminds to make good on their word. On Friday, Sarkozy released a statement saying that he was sending a frigate carrying helicopters to patrol the coast of Gaza in an effort to prevent arms trafficking by sea. He explained that the surveillance would be carried out in full cooperation with Egypt and Israel.
The statement said:
What is urgent now is to consolidate the ceasefire, and that requires humanitarian action, a total halt on arms trafficking to Gaza, the durable reopening of the border crossings, reconstruction and inter-Palestinian reconciliation.
Talk is cheap. Like Mubarak and Olmert, Sarkozy has made his priorities clear: he is only interested in following the same disastrous path – isolating Hamas. Not only has he done nothing to alleviate the humanitarian crisis or facilitate Palestinian unity, but he has put no pressure on Israel or Egypt to end their malicious siege on Gaza.
Even if the crossings were to magically open up, Sarkozy and his pals are unwilling to lift the sanctions they have maintained since Hamas came to power. UN aid will not be enough to bring any sense of normalcy to the people of Gaza, especially after this most recent round of death and destruction. The EU and the US need to end their punitive policies. They need to cross over to the side of reason.
At the very least the great Western powers need to show a sense of humanity. There are over 5000 people with serious injuries surrounded by rubble and devastation. The EU could easily send humanitarian aid and construction supplies. The US could start by sending much needed medical relief to heal wounds inflicted by American-made weapons. It can all be done with ease… if only the political incentive was there.
Someone who is not very well-versed on the Arab-Israei conflict dropped some wisdom on me the other day. He said the only way the US and its allies would alleviate the suffering of the Palestinians is if doing so brings them benefits. With countries like Egypt and Jordan on their side, Israel and the West are given a false sense of legitimacy and stripped of any incentive to change course. They make their own rules even though they conflict with the realities on the ground. President Mubarak and King Abdullah are both suppressing popular Islamic movements in their own borders. They are unwilling to jeopardize hard earned ‘alliances’ with the US where politicians feel held accountable to the lobby. Like them, Sarkozy has been trying hard to cozy up to Washington since he became president of France.
I don’t expect Israel and its allies to wake up and realize the need to engage Hamas politically; that may be unfortunate, but at least there’s something behind it. However, there is no good reason for the US and EU not to stand up to Israel and help the 1.5 million Gazans living in misery. Now that the violence has eased, it seems their only concern is pacifying the Israelis with empty rhetoric and military support. The US in particular has a moral obligation to lend a helping hand. President Obama seems keen on bringing us more of the same.
There’s a lot of talk, but nobody is doing anything to help the innocent… the ones who ultimately pay the price for political bickering and posturing.
Related posts:
- Shame on Sharm
- Even baby milk is out to get Israel
- Trying to make sense of a senseless situation
- Can we all overthrow our governments already?
- The Free Market at Work
Now, and I hate to state the obvious. Because the USA—like all all states around the Western world is concerned with what they feel will ultimately benefit them. It pays to be in the Middle East because that’s where the oil is.It’s not profitable to be in Africa because there isn’t anything we need there at least for the moment. I’m not trying to disparage the US ( being American myself,) but no matter what governments tell you or do, states are never completely attruistic in their motivations. All or most of this can be reversed or changed has Iran truly acquired nuclear bomb. Until then, the Israelis will keep enjoying the state of: Laissez-faire and laissez-passer by most Western states.
Posted by Sword | January 24, 2009, 11:36 amI don't get it. Shouldn't it be the Palestinians themselves that should be most worried about their situation? There is a very simple solution that does not harm the Palestinians in any way. Hamas can pull the rug from under the Israelis by accepting the conditions of the Quartet.Is it the kabobers position that Hamas should not change its positions in order to alleviate the sufferring of the Palestinians?
Posted by Anonymous | January 24, 2009, 8:50 amI don’t know about everyone else, but I don’t think Hamas should capitulate to the demands of the Quartet. Not only is the Quartet a joke, but it is an Israeli tool that has shown zero objectivity in addressing the situation.
That being said, Hamas has repeatedly shown its willingness to negotiate in good faith. Its members are under no obligation to recognize Israel’s right to exist in its current monstrous form.
Comprehensive negotiations need to take place… And Hamas needs to be included – without preconditions.
Posted by Kalash | January 24, 2009, 1:25 pmIsreal has rejected every peace initiative and even murdered Isaac Robin in order to carry on the apartheid of the Palestinians. Perhaps a nuclear Iran may bring stability and durable peace to the ME. A powerful Iran would force Israel to settle for peace and America will no longer need to carry on wars for Israel. The people of Iran will kick Islam out of Iran once there is no outside threat..Hezbollah and Hamas after being humanized and acknowledged become harmless and civilized faction.
So, let’s wait and see. Though, I’m not too optimistic.
Posted by Sword | January 24, 2009, 3:17 pm“It’s not profitable to be in Africa because there isn’t anything we need there at least for the moment”
Is this a bad joke? Africa has oil, gold, diamonds, bauxite, copper, uranium, lumber, natural gas, and on and on and on. You might coincidentally have also noticed the way the US military recently set up an African Command. Something many Africans noted with more than a little consternation (not surprising given the murderous way the respective commands over the Middle East and Africa have wreaked decades of death and destruction on those regions).
Posted by NonArab-Arab | January 24, 2009, 3:21 pmSorry, and, I only had Sudan in mind then not now. But thanks NonArab-Arab for pointing that out though, much appreciated.
Posted by Sword | January 24, 2009, 4:13 pmSudan has resources as well, including uranium in Darfur.
No question, Africa is full of resources…
AFRICOM was set up because of threats to US interests on the continent – it’s all related to the so-called war on terror. But it wouldn’t surprise me in the least if the ultimate goal is the exploitation of African land.
What a mess…
Posted by Kalash | January 24, 2009, 5:26 pmWhat have Palestinians done that has benefited American interests in the last 60 years? Let’s round it off to a top 5 list. Seriously. Can anyone think of anything?
Posted by Anonymous | January 24, 2009, 7:56 pmIt’s not Isaac Robin, you illiterate fool. It’s Yitzhak Rabin. Do you even know who Yitzhak Rabin was? Do you know how he became famous? What gave him momentum to go into politics?
He drew up the plans for Israel’s defense in ’67. The plans executed brilliantly by Moshe Dayan that pulverized the Arab armies and broke the spine of the Arab military siege of the Jewish state. In three hours the massive air force of Egypt, paid for by the Soviets, was vaporized. In five days Egypt was defeated and on the sixth the Jewish army was bombing the gates of Damascus.
Before ’67 every day the Jordanians were firing mortars randomly at Jewish cities. The Egyptians were sending their fedayeen terrorists from Gaza to murder Jewish families in their sleep in the South. The Syrians were shooting at Jewish farmers draining the swamps in the North.
Rabin was a proud soldier for the State of Israel. He was a proud Jew who defended his people. He is not your martyr, you imbecile. He is ours.
Posted by Anonymous | January 25, 2009, 12:40 amAnonymous,12:40 am,
I relied on how Mr.Yitzhak Rabin name sounds in English and not Hebrew, with this has been said. The main point I wanted to make was (is): Yes “terrorism” is so ingrained in most Israeli souls, that they kill anyone who offers them the chance of lasting peace.
Posted by Sword | January 25, 2009, 6:06 amHave you ever met a Jew, Sword, much less an Israeli Jew? You’re completely outside the range of your normal mental functions on this.
Posted by Anonymous | January 25, 2009, 6:12 pm