An unusually upbeat MJ Rosenberg - but it is also how I saw the speach to AIPAC
at http://politicalcorrection.org/fpmatters/201105220001
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Friday, May 20, 2011
The speech of Obama, spoken and unspoken words of the morning after
The speech: a lot of beautiful intentions and educative declarations but what was missing: the confidence of "Yes, we can/Yes, we will".
About Israel-Palestine Obama said all the things the two sides wanted to hear but inevitably both sides also heard some things which they would have preferred not to.
Netanyahu immediately complained about the mentioning of the '67 borders: "Bush has promised that the settlement blocs could stay", ignoring that also in Obama's vision there could be land swaps, correcting the border. Hamas also expressed dissatisfaction, not pleased to get from Obama lessons in democracy.
There was one complaint which was remarkably not uttered: the PA could have protested that their UN nations statehood campaign was attacked and belittled. Maybe it was wise not to relate to it. If Obama fails to follow up his own words by action - and he gave no hint that he is planning any active peace brokering - and if September will come close without any progress, then the undermining by the United States of what would then be "the only action in town" would be so self-defeating, so much alienating the very same people Obama in yesterday's speech tried to reach, that there is no need for the PA to make that point now.
The result of Netanyahu's loudness and the PA's silence is that the morning after one could nearly think that Obama had taken a firm stance against Netanyahu.
If only it were true.
About Israel-Palestine Obama said all the things the two sides wanted to hear but inevitably both sides also heard some things which they would have preferred not to.
Netanyahu immediately complained about the mentioning of the '67 borders: "Bush has promised that the settlement blocs could stay", ignoring that also in Obama's vision there could be land swaps, correcting the border. Hamas also expressed dissatisfaction, not pleased to get from Obama lessons in democracy.
There was one complaint which was remarkably not uttered: the PA could have protested that their UN nations statehood campaign was attacked and belittled. Maybe it was wise not to relate to it. If Obama fails to follow up his own words by action - and he gave no hint that he is planning any active peace brokering - and if September will come close without any progress, then the undermining by the United States of what would then be "the only action in town" would be so self-defeating, so much alienating the very same people Obama in yesterday's speech tried to reach, that there is no need for the PA to make that point now.
The result of Netanyahu's loudness and the PA's silence is that the morning after one could nearly think that Obama had taken a firm stance against Netanyahu.
If only it were true.
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