Obama, please neglect us
Bush’s, Clinton’s involvement in Israeli affairs only brought negative results
Following a conversation with Barack Obama, Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas and his close associates reported “hearing things we haven’t heard from any other president.” Olmert government officials are concerned about attempts to force a diplomatic settlement on us. Obama displayed an intention to pay with “Israeli currency” when he said that resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict would make it easier for Arab states to back the US on issues such as Iraq and Afghanistan.
Observers around here are concerned that Obama will renounce the pre-condition of eliminating terror before making any diplomatic progress, and get us to return the Golan Heights. Moreover, Obama spoke of the conflict as “an open wound that infects our foreign policy” – he spoke first and foremost about Jerusalem; all of his advisors and close associates, who are mostly Jewish, push for the capital’s division.
His designated chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel, while serving under president Clinton on the eve of the 1996 elections, threatened Netanyahu with a harsh response by the US Administration should Bibi not change his policy after being elected.
The Israeli people, using its natural instincts, sensed the danger, and was among the few nations in the world to mostly support McCain. However, this was not the case with the Israeli media, which went on to praise and extol Obama’s victory.
What causes this huge gap between the nation and its media? Is it because the media is comprised of “world citizens” while the nation is made up of narrow-minded, backward people? Was it all about excitement with the amelioration of a blatant historic injustice done to African-Americans, or was the media celebrating a leftist victory that brought closer the dream of Palestine, which is also the media’s dream?
Scared of bear hug
And if we look at it another way: What can Obama force upon us? A road map to a Palestinian state? A Palestinian corridor that would cut the Negev into two? Elimination of the settlement enterprise in Judea and Samaria? The division of Jerusalem? European-Russian-UN monitoring? Monitoring by three American generals? The establishment of yet another Palestinian army? After all, we already got all of that from “the friendliest president ever.” If this is what friendship is all about, perhaps it would be good to try out a more distant and indifferent president?The Israeli media is concerned that Obama will be preoccupied with America’s financial troubles, as well as with Iraq and Afghanistan and, heaven forbid, “neglect us.” Yet most of this nation is scared of a bear hug and too much involvement, and believes that if the “Bush vision” is an expression of friendship to Israel and Condoleezza Rice’s reprimands are a sign of attention – we could certainly get by with a little neglect on the part of the new Administration.
Indeed, if the Arabs would not be able to always count on “friendly” American pressure on Israel, this of all things will push away war and minimize the number of victims. Clinton, our “friend,” promoted Oslo, which cost us 1,500 murder victims, and Bush brought Hamas to Gaza. Therefore, we shall tell Obama, with all honesty: You have very urgent and important matters to deal with. Please, let us be, and we’ll be friends.
