Europe is divided
On the 23rd of September, the Palestinian Authority President, Mahmoud Abbas, will ask the UN to recognize the Palestinian State with full rights. Israel's unconditional ally, the U.S., has done nothing since Obama came to power to unlock the peace process, rapidly expressing to judge as "counterproductive" Abbas' initiative while the European Union is divided. The article is by Edward Febbro.
by Eduardo Febbro
The Palestinian Authority president, Mahmoud Abbas, lit a fuse that blew the mask of the Western powers to pieces. Abbas announced that on the next September 23rd, he will ask the UN Security Council for recognition of Palestine as a state with full rights.
Firm allies of Israel, the United States, who has done nothing since Obama came to power to unlock the peace process, quickly expressed that in his judgment Abbas' initiative was "counterproductive" while the European Union, through the Foreign Minister of Europe, the outrageous and inoperative Catherine Ashton defended a "constructive solution" leading to the resumption of negotiations between Israel and Palestine.
The formula of the European Commissioner is a dire cynicism: after 18 years of negotiations as the process did not lead to any tangible agreement. The Europeans were lucid when they spoke, but immobile when it's time to act, failing to exert influence on any Israeli government, as Washington was unable to get the slightest concession from Israel to enable the process to move forward.
The proclamation of a Palestinian state intends to put an end to the fruitless negotiation regime set up by the Oslo accords. On the other hand, the movement of Mahmoud Abbas has no outlet since the U.S. expressed its intent to exercise its veto in the Security Council. Palestine will not be converted then into state number 194 of the United Nations. The most it can get is a status similar to that of the Vatican.
However, the decision of the Palestinian Authority President is even more emblematic in that it occurs at a time when Arab countries are going through an intense revolutionary process. It is an inconsistent result for the United States and the European Union to oppose a Palestinian state, in other words, to continue to support Israel unconditionally, while at the same time, though belatedly, they supported the Arab spring. Their cynicism is always made evident when it comes time to take a stand.
Abbas has ignored insistent recommendations of American emissaries, the European Union and of the harmless Middle East Quartet (U.S., Russia, EU and UN). Although the dialogue has failed, the Old Continent insists that the EU will "redouble" their efforts to "resume the negotiations between the parties as soon as possible." According to Ms.. Ashton who said, "this is the only way to end the conflict."
As with other major crucial issues of international politics, European Union countries are deeply divided on the issue. Italy, Czech Republic, Holland and Poland were hostile to the creation of a Palestinian state recognized by the UN. Although to a lesser extent, Germany does not like the idea. The rest of the EU countries have a favorable trend, but they know that the Palestinian initiative could cause divisions in the unity of the group.
Paris affirmed that it will "assume its responsibilities" and stated that the French position is "guided by the triple concern to preserve the prospect of a revival of the negotiations, avoiding diplomatic confrontation and maintaining European unity." The three simultaneous aspirations seem unattainable today.
The spokesman of the U.S. State Department, Mark Toner, felt that the proclamation of a Palestinian state will not lead to the desired goal, namely the existence of "two states coexisting in peace and security." Washington and the Europeans call for a "complete" peace agreement, but this view was evaporating with the expansion of Israeli settlements in the West Bank.
Neither is Abbas's position comfortable. Since last May, he cannot form a national unity government, the mandate has expired, and the Palestinian territory of Gaza remains more divided than ever through their respective administrations, the fundamentalists of Hamas and the PLO. When he announced that he would speak at the UN on June 23rd, Abbas kept intact the historical claims of the PLO, a Palestinian state within the borders of the armistice of 1948, a state with East Jeruslaém as capital, the return of refugees and full sovereignty.
The performance of the Obama administration in the Palestinian crisis has been a total failure. Obama raised enormous hopes when he was elected, and in just over two years, in a speech in Cairo (June 2009), he reignited them when he said: "The situation of the Palestinians is intolerable." But,up until now, he could not even follow-up to prevent Israel from building settlements in the West Bank.
Ed. Perhaps if they want continued support for their cause, they should stop trying to cavort with terrorists such as that trash in Libya, NTC.
Translated from the Portuguese version by:
Lisa Karpova
Pravda.Ru
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