Friends and Enemies

Barack Obama, not Ehud, must hold up his responsibilities and his commitments. A letter from the American administration addressed to the Palestinian Authority, reported on by Israeli daily Haaretz and relayed by Asharq Al Awsat, reported that Obama “guaranteed” that if talks fail, he will denounce the responsible party.

With that said, there was indeed a failure. A scathing, if not humiliating failure for the world superpower. Tel Aviv chose to announce the construction of 112 homes upon Mitchell’s arrival and the construction of 1,600 homes in Al Quds upon the arrival of the White House’s number two official. One could not think of a better way to insult the American emissaries and torpedo the talks.

What’s worse, Haaretz just revealed that the Israeli interior minister has a project to build some 50,000 living spaces for the colonists.

Thus, Mahmoud Abbas informed the Arab League that he would not rethink the negotiations with Israel without a halt to the colonization in Al Quds (East Jerusalem). He has been left no choice, especially since the spokesperson of the Israeli prime minister just announced that if colonies in the West Bank can be eventually discussed, it is out of the question to discuss the consideration of the ones in Al Quds, as it is in the capital of Israel.

Of course, the “condemnations” pleased everyone from Paris, from London, from Oslo, etc., etc., but these condemnations gave Tel Aviv the freedom to right the wrongs.

The American side has opposed the nature and the timing of the announcement, but not the aim (to know how far the colonies extend).

But now finally we get to the reaction of the president! Or not yet. Knowing, however, that, beyond a reaction, it is concrete, efficient American action that we hope will put an end to a conflict that has hurt the Palestinian people for ages.

And those who hoped some affront afflicted on the American administration would have an influence on the American support for the Israeli entity are disappointed. The illusion of a “diplomatic crisis” was nothing but a flash in the pan or a wet firecracker.

The diplomatic crisis between Israel and the United States about colonization in Al Quds (East Jerusalem) is finished, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office announced Thursday. They spoke to Vice President Biden and explained their regrets for the timing of Israel’s announcement, stated his press release.

Joe Biden himself, the day after his “condemnation,” expressed in an enthusiastic speech that the United States still had a “best friend” in Israel.

During the speech at the University of Tel Aviv, the American vice president, remembering the old ties with the Jewish state, declared that his country did not have a better “best friend” than Israel.

Netanyahu himself cannot embarrass his interior minister and quietly pursue his extension of the colonies. The USA must be there for the blessing.

Meanwhile, emissaries are patrolling the region to assure an Arab support against Iran.

During his rounds in search of reinforcement for sanctions against Iran, Robert Gates arrived Thursday in Abu Dhabi. His visit to the Emirates was not announced in advance. Coming from Saudi Arabia, he should bring up the United States’ efforts to intensify the pressure against Iran.

The United States has not used as much zeal to convince Tel Aviv to be more objective and use better sense as it has in the past.

Instead, the White house is ingeniously trying to convince Arabs and Muslims of an enemy other than Israel.

The demonstrations in the Arab and Muslim capitals, which accompanied the 2006 Israeli war against Hezbollah, are enough to know that Washington, to some extent, is trying to settle the Arab and Muslim populations.