Beyond Netanyahu

Not long ago, Professor Rashid Khalidi published a book titled “Brokers of Deceit: How the U.S. Has Undermined Peace in the Middle East”, in which he makes the case that rather than being an honest broker, the American role has mainly been that of “Israel’s lawyer”. 

Khalidi argues that the US has operated “increasingly in defence of Israel’s interests, and to the systematic detriment of those of the Palestinians”. In most cases, Washington never directed its policy at achieving a lasting peace between Israel and the Palestinians.

The American policies, in Khalidi’s words, deliberately “ignore the basic elements necessary for a lasting peace, even as they obsessed about details of the negotiating process”. 

Khalidi’s argument has an element of truth. Time and again, the US acted in a way that made peace difficult to realise.

We all remember the two terms of president George W. Bush who deliberately undermined the peace process, especially when he allied himself with the anti-peace Israeli right.

President Barack Obama may have said the right words about the necessity of making peace, but he has yet to come up with a peace plan.

Ironically, while the American administration admitted that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is the obstacle, it never tried to put a price tag on Netanyahu’s evasive positions.

It really is hard to avoid the realisation that the US is more interested in managing, rather than resolving, the conflict.

Not only has the American administration monopolised the mediation of the conflict, it has also failed to put forward a peace plan. And yet, the administration does not want to see the United Nations have any say in the conflict.

While pressuring Israel to respond positively to the calls for peace, the American administration should also show more sensitivity to the Palestinian predicament. 

Palestinians are fed up with the stalling tactics of the Israeli government and the unconvincing response of the American administration.

After much thinking, the Palestinians decided to go to the United Nations to bring a resolution to the longstanding conflict.

In an outrageous move, the US secretary of state warned European countries not to cooperate with the Palestinians on this particular demand.

John Kerry believes that such a move may prejudice the outcome of the Israeli elections scheduled for March.

Kerry placed his request after being warned by Tsipi Livni and Shimon Peres that such a move would only bolster Netanyahu’s and Neftali Bennett’s chances in the upcoming elections.

One senior official at the State Department said: “Secretary Kerry made clear in private as he has in public that we don’t think any steps should be taken that would interfere with the Israeli election.”

Implicit in Kerry’s position is that the American administration would like to see Netanyahu lose election in March. 

We have seen this movie before. More often than not, the American administration undermined any international efforts to resolve the conflict under the pretext of not interfering in Israeli elections.

Put differently, the American administration wants us to believe that any step will only bring the Israeli right to power.

Yet, Netanyahu is not the only impediment one can think of. The entire Israeli politics lacks the dynamics that could help build a peace coalition.

Just a few years ago, Netanyahu was in the opposition and Israel was led by Ehud Olmert who had made it perfectly clear that his aim was to bring about a two-state solution. And yet, he failed thanks to the domestic obstacles.

It really is hard to see why this time it will be different.

Khalidi’s phrase “brokers of deceits” accurately captures the US’ dishonest role in the process.

[email protected]