RACHEL EHRENFELD: THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION UNDERMINES ISRAEL
http://www.familysecuritymatters.org/publications/id.8342/pub_detail.asp
Obama Administration Undermines Israel Dr. Rachel Ehrenfeld
The United States’ withdrawal of its demand that Israel impose a second construction freeze in order to bring the Palestinian Authority (PA) back to the negotiation table does not necessarily indicate that the Obama Administration now sides with Israel. Moreover, America’s latest move will likely result in the Administration’s abstaining from a vote on a much-rumored possible U.N. Security Council resolution recognizing the unilateral declaration of an independent Palestinian state within the 1967 borders.
The U.S. House of Representatives’ resolution last month urged the Administration to “deny any unilaterally declared Palestinian state” and “veto any resolution by the United Nations Security Council to establish or recognize a Palestinian state outside of an agreement negotiated by the two parties.” However, this resolution is unlikely to stop the Administration from either supporting or abstaining from a vote on a Palestinian initiated resolution “declaring ongoing Jewish settlement in the West Bank a big obstacle to ending the conflict.”
America’s withdrawing the demand that Israel freezes building in “disputed territories,” also means that the Obama Administration will not sell $3 billion worth of 20 radar-evading F-35 fighter jets to Israel. This will weaken the Jewish State’s ability to defend itself. Further destabilizing the region, and diminishing Israel’s military edge, is the U.S. sale of $97 billion worth of arms to Saudi Arabia and the Gulf States.
While the U.S. is considering its next step, the European Union is inching closer to recognizing a Palestinian state. “We welcome the World Bank’s assessment that “if the Palestinian Authority maintains its current performance in institution building and public services, it is well positioned for the establishment of a state at any point in the near future.”” The December 13, 2010, 3058th meeting of the European Union Foreign Affairs Council concluded: “The EU recalls that peace in the Middle East should be comprehensive and reiterates the importance of negotiations on the Israel-Syria and Israel-Lebanon tracks.” Incredibly, the Council also stated: “Peace should lead to the full integration of Israel in its regional environment (emphasis added) along the lines set out in the Arab Peace Initiative,” clearly ignoring Israel’s unique identity, its raison d’être as the Jewish State.
Another sign of Obama’s Administration growing distance from Israel is the U.S. silence in the face of mounting South American support for a unilateral declaration of a Palestinian independent state.
Over the course of December 2010, Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, and Ecuador – eagerly recognized an independent Palestinian state. Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay will reportedly be the next to join their neighbors in recognizing the PA as an independent state. Rather than lobbying South American regimes to withhold or retract recognition, the U.S. has only criticized the moves as counterproductive to a negotiated peace between Israel and the PA.
This South American initiative emerged following the July 2010 State Department’s upgrade of the Washington DC Palestinian Liberation Organization’s mission status, a move that allows the PLO office to fly the Palestinian flag.
While the EU declined to recognize a Palestinian state outright in December, several member states– France, Spain, Portugal and Norway – have upgraded the status of PLO representation in their countries, as have Canada. Britain was considering a similar move at the end of December.
Remarkably, neither the EU Council, nor the South American countries have discussed the Gaza Strip, which is included in the ‘67 borders, though the terrorist group Hamas rules it. Meanwhile Hamas is gaining strength in the PA controlled West Bank.
Hamas major arms supplier is Iran. The arms are transited through Sudan and the Egyptian controlled Sinai Peninsula. Last summer, the U.S. warned Sudan to stop the Iranian arms transfer to Hamas, but the arms continue to flow.
At the same time, both the PA and Hamas continue to call for the eradication of Israel. PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas continue to present maps of “Palestine” that make no mention of Israel, while Hamas leaders continue to insist: “We retain our Islamic, Arab and Palestinian faith that Palestine will be returned to its inhabitants and Zionist existence will conclude….The Jews will have no right there, save for those who lived on Palestinian land prior to the First World War.” But such expressions to not seem to discourage the Administration from deploying former diplomats to hold discussions with Hamas.
It is unknown whether the Administration’s behavior towards Israel is influenced by Obama’s inaugural promise to the Muslim world: “we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest…” However, recent developments should raise grave concerns in Israel and among its friends and all freedom loving Americans.
This article appeared earlier on Big Peace.
FamilySecurityMatters.org Contributing Editor Dr. Rachel Ehrenfeld is the Director of the New York-based American Center for Democracy. She is an expert on terrorism and corruption-related topics such as terror financing and narco-terrorism. She has helped to change New York state law, when the Libel Terrorism Protection Act (pdf) was passed. Similar laws have been passed in other U.S. states, and a federal law known as the SPEECH ACT which is due to be signed, follows the same principle – that First Amendment guarantees should protect authors and publishers against foreign libel judgments from countries with poor free speech protections.
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