Olmert Hits the Jackpot

Olmert hits the jackpot May. 28th, 2006 @ 04:33 pm
By Neal AbuNab

Ehud Olmert, the newly elected Prime Minister of Israel, arrived in the United States like a conqueror and was received with more honors and pomp than is normally bestowed upon royalty. His visit this past week was a continuation of the election campaign and he worked the media selling his ideas. The other side to the story was totally absent from the debate, and for all intents and purposes the Palestinian story has disappeared from the American political scene.

Olmert sought the mandate of the American people for his unilateral disengagement plan and he got it. He marketed the idea as a great sacrifice by Israel in the name of peace, and as the most humane solution for the Palestinians. He was "concerned" about the humanitarian crisis in the occupied territories and never once did he mention that he had ordered the blockade that is causing it. Throughout his three-day visit the much-dreaded "O" word (occupation) never came up in anybody’s jargon.

If your community commands enormous political influence in the United States, like the Jewish community, this is the perfect time to extract concessions. The beleaguered Bush's weakness at home strengthened the negotiating hand of Israel, as if it needed any more strengthening. Olmert, in fact, got more than he had hoped for. Bush gave away the store, so to speak. He gave Olmert everything he had asked for in return for one lousy meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. The irony of it all is that the future of Palestine is in the hands of Bush and he gives away so cheaply what does not belong to him. He blessed the Olmert plan that extends to 2010. Bush even sold the negotiating ability of the next U.S. President.

Olmert spent six hours at the White House talking and dining privately with Bush. During those hours a major shift in U.S. policy towards the Middle East took place. At their joint press conference Bush praised Olmert for his "bold ideas." The same day the U.S. Congress groveled to Olmert by passing a resolution that banned all US aid to the Palestinian Authority and barred its members from entering America. It was a sad day for America to see its leaders trampling over each other in a mad stampede to please Israel.

Olmert received the greatest privilege, only reserved for blood allies like Britain’s Tony Blair, in addressing the most powerful deliberative body in the world, the U.S. Congress, on Wednesday. In his speech, he extended his hand and urged the Palestinians not to "ignore our outstretched hand for peace." At that very moment Palestinians were experiencing Olmert's hand of "peace" and it came in the form of bullets. Israeli army units were raiding downtown Ramallah and Olmert's "outstretched hand for peace" was shooting Palestinians indiscriminately. They killed 4, wounded 60 and arrested a resistance leader. Such incursions are commonplace and part of every day life under occupation. And this is what Palestinians are resisting. They have no resistance towards peace.

In his speech to the Congress, Olmert emphasized the common values shared by the two nations. He said "the unbreakable ties between our two nations extend far beyond mutual interests. They are based on our shared goals and values stemming from the very essence of our mutual foundations." He quoted three verses from the Bible to affirm Israel’s claim to the land of Palestine. In an election year, he was clearly directing these remarks to the all-powerful Christian voter group. He went on to remind everyone of the goal of defeating terrorism and called on Hamas to "renounce the culture and education of terror."

Olmert’s motive to invoke the theme of common values and to talk about it for almost half an hour can be interpreted in two conflicting views. Was it because America is finding it increasingly hard to attack Muslim nations on behalf of Israel? Or was it because America and Israel have genuinely joined in a common destiny and vision for this world? I suspect it was more of the latter than the former. In 2002, Bush said, "fearful people live behind walls like the Berlin Wall." Today, America’s eyes are focused on building a massive wall on its border with Mexico. Israel has been building its apartheid wall for the past three years. The common values of liberty, democracy and human rights have become so frail that they need massive walls to protect them.

Olmert described Iran as the "world’s leading sponsor of terror" and said that every generation is tested by "a moment of truth and trial." In a clear bid for military action he urged the Congress "our moment is now. We will be judged by the actions we take now. Not by our resolve but by our results."

He went back to list the impressive credentials of Israel and that it had more companies listed on the Nasdaq Stock market than any other foreign nation. He described the country he immigrated to, Israel, as "an oasis of hope and opportunity in a troubled region." He addressed the Palestinian people as an entity separate from its leadership and asked them to be courageous in choosing "peace over terror." He dangled the carrot of a modern prosperous democratic state living side by side with Israel and closed by saying, "we hope and pray that our Palestinian neighbors will also awaken," referring to the promise of a bright future.

In my opinion, every Palestinian yearns for peace and will gladly take that carrot over the fiery stick of steel that has been tormenting him for almost 60 years.

The problem is that Olmert has no mandate from his people to abide by U.N. resolutions or to respect the will of the international community. He wants Abbas to disarm all Palestinian militias, force Hamas to recognize Israel's right to exist, and have the Hamas-led Palestinian government abide by all agreements signed between Israel and the PLO. Israel itself has not abided by a single agreement it had signed with the PLO. Israel, not the Palestinians, declared the Oslo Accords dead in 2001.

Olmert has no intention of negotiating with the Palestinians. Let me translate what he is saying in layman's language: we’ll go to a meeting with Abbas and if we don't like what he’s saying we’ll just go ahead and do what suits us. He has already set the expectations of failure for negotiations. He will not sit down and talk to the Palestinians under a United Nations framework which abides by the will of the International community. That is the true test of negotiating in good faith. He says that "we can't wait forever" and if Israel can't find a Palestinian partner then it will draw its own borders unilaterally.

Olmert’s rhetoric about going the extra mile to achieve a negotiated settlement with the Palestinians is a smoke screen intended for U.S. public opinion. It reminds me of the impossible conditions imposed by Ariel Sharon on Arafat in 2001. This rhetoric is a prelude to a massive Israeli military action probably planned for 2007. Abbas will undoubtedly fail in the eyes of the Israeli government and it won’t be long till they declare him, like they did Arafat, an accomplice to terrorism.

In the Middle East, we have learned that it is far safer to place a bet on war as the odds for peace are getting slimmer by the day.

Neal AbuNab can be reached at nealabunab@todaylink.com or 313.506.4409

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