Editor's Note: Stewart Patrick is a Senior Fellow and the Director of the Program on International Institutions and Global Governance at the Council on Foreign Relations. He is the author of Weak Links: Fragile States, Global Threats, and International Security. The following Expert Brief is reprinted with permission of the Council on Foreign Relations.
By Stewart Patrick – Special to CNN
In his eloquent address to the opening session of the United Nations General Assembly, President Obama outlined an optimistic vision for a world without war, though his treatment of important issues like Palestine fell short. For nearly seven decades, the UN has struggled with the overriding objective to pursue peace in an imperfect world. Yet, President Obama argued that the world is closer than ever before to realizing that goal, thanks not to the balance of power but concrete steps to advance human dignity, security and prosperity.
“Peace is hard”, the President repeatedly reminded his audience. But it is within our grasp. “The tide of war is receding,” as the United States draws troops down in Iraq and Afghanistan. The death of Osama bin Laden and the degradation of al Qaeda have reduced the threat of transnational terror. The demands for freedom that have “lit the world from Selma to South Africa” have now “come to Egypt and to the Arab World,” he proclaimed. Now, the President contended, “We stand at a crossroads of history with a chance to move decisively in the direction of peace.”
For an administration regularly pounded for being AWOL on human rights, Obama’s speech placed surprising emphasis on the fundamental human aspiration for freedom as the driving force of global change and the UN as ultimate guarantor of enduring peace. The President celebrated the world’s “extraordinary transformation” during 2011. Over the past year, the international community has supported the cause of human freedom in dramatic ways. It has shepherded the peaceful independence of South Sudan; supported non-violent political transitions in Tunisia and Egypt; and authorized military interventions to topple enduring dictators in Côte d'Ivoire and Libya. “This is how the international community is supposed to work,” the President declared, “nations standing together for the sake of peace and security; individuals claiming their rights.”
The President made a convincing case that oppression, insecurity and poverty are the ultimate causes of violence in the twenty-first century. Like the father of the United Nations, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Obama understands that enduring peace depends on ensuring freedom from fear and freedom from want for the peoples of the world.
What the President failed to do was to persuasively account for the many inconsistencies in U.S. efforts to advance human freedom and dignity around the world – or to offer alternative paths when the United Nations responds weakly to glaring atrocities. The President’s toughest moment came in explaining the U.S. stance on Palestinian statehood. As expected, he insisted the only true route to Middle East peace - and secure Palestinian statehood – must come through direct bilateral negotiations with the Israelis. “There are no shortcuts,” he insisted. But the overall message was incongruous, after his previous paeans to democratic self-determination in the Arab world. And it surely fell on deaf ears, given Palestinian impatience with Israeli obstruction, notably on settlement issues.
At this stage, Palestinian leaders feel they have little to lose from seeking statehood and the legitimacy that accompanies it. The President gave them few reasons to desist in this effort. The administration hopes to delay a Security Council vote on statehood indefinitely, to avoid casting a U.S. veto. But the Palestinians have another route to advance their aspirations – through the UN General Assembly.
Nor did the President provide any indication of how the United States intends to proceed on Syria, where the regime’s atrocities have exceeded those committed by Gadhafi – but without triggering the vigorous UN sanctions (much less armed intervention), given Russian veto threats. Obama was left with the toothless phrase, “Now is the time for the United Nations Security Council to sanction the Syrian regime, and to stand with the Syrian people.” He could have sharpened this demand considerably by explicitly calling on Moscow (and Beijing) to authorize a robust sanctions effort against the government of Bashar al-Assad – or at a minimum abstain from such a resolution.
President Obama concluded his speech with passing references to various other pressing issues. He called on the membership to “insist on unrestricted humanitarian access” in the Horn of Africa, but without proposing concrete action to ensure that this occurs. He entreated the membership to “build on the progress made in Copenhagen and Cancun,” without specifying which commitments should take priority. More substantially, he proposed increased international cooperation to give the World Health Organization the capabilities it needs to meet emerging threats to bio-security, both natural and man-made.
But the most striking aspect of Obama’s speech was less such particulars than its ethical and moral tone. In the president’s mind, world peace depends on the global advance of liberty, equality and justice. And “though there is no straight line to progress, no single path to success”, he left no doubt that, in his mind, the world is on the right track.
The President closed by recalling what Harry Truman had said when the cornerstone of the UN’s headquarters was being put in place: “The United Nations is essentially an expression of the moral nature of man’s aspirations.” While one may admire Truman’s (and Obama’s) idealism, the intervening seven decades have shown just how hard it can be for the United Nations – or any other international body – to fashion moral results from humanity’s crooked timber.
© 2012 Cable News Network. Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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You tell me what sort of a people say via their religious scholars say that all Christians are their slaves and their enemies are subhumans. One is easy to manipulate and the other they cannot control. They said it.
Is that suppose to be a wisdom from the Scriptures?
There's a bit of truth in what you said: "One is easy to manipulate and the other they cannot control." Yet I want to point out that according to the "herd mentality", the sheep will follow if you have the shepherd under control. That seems to define Obama's behaviour!
Obama will be disappointed, as the sheep suffer from out of foot-and-mouth diseases!
Correction – suffer from foot-and-mouth diseases!
The strategy that will lead to peace in Israel is simple
It is the jewish peoples that must rise up and get rid of Netanyahu.
That man is not just bad to Palestinian, hes bad to Jews also.
The Palestinian should focus on helping the jews that oppose Netanyahu.
The Netanyahu administration has already passed unpopular laws outlawing freedom of speech
(in the form of boycot) and many in the jewish community are displeased with his extremism
and his tendencies toward totalitarism.
If the Jewish peoples rise up and demand for a change, elections will be held.
Any new jewish president will be more enlightened than Netanyahu.
Many see Netanyahu as a modern Adolf Hitler.
His fasination with china is verry un-jewish.
his reenactment of Tianamen Square, no doubt staged as a demonstration of impunity to the world
is a good illustration of his irrational behavior
See it this way
*me, Netanyahu, have slaughtered an american citizens that defy my divine right to do as I please*
*no one dared to struck me down after I did that, I am all powerfull*
because this is exactly what went on in his mind,
and this is why he treated Obama with contempt,
giving him a badge of honor as if he was a lesser genral, a simple underling
contempt, lack of respect, megalomania
this man got much in common with the chinese oligarchy
one can wonder if they also exchange information
Obama says Palestine deserves a Nation but opposes Palestine Statehood when the world world supports it. He says UN is not the place to declare statehood and ask Israeli and Palestinians should work together for peace. After the UN Speech Obama joins Israeli Prime Minister Netnayahu for joint press conference and says " The US commitment to Israel is unshakeable". Here's what I like to know:
- Wasn't Israel declared a state by UN ?
- How many new countries have been made and declared UN Member since 1967 & why not only Palestine ?
- Wasn't Kosovo declared a UN Member state a month ago sponsored by US ?
- Why US Presidents every year give similar speech about Palestine & Israel but nothing gets accomplished ?
- Will US & Israel be able to fool UN & the World once again ? Even better, Do the world leaders like to be deceived
once again ?
- What is a benefit of being a UN Member where US dictates their policies all the time even against the whole
world ?
- And the million dollar question is ( drum roll..drrrrrrrrrrrr) DO YOU TRUST OBAMA ?
Because some American people in The United States of America have their interest vested in Israel ? The Mexicans of course.
lol, is that "sanatus populusque romanus"? that's awesome. but are you sure you don't mean that it's because the Lord G-d protects israel, as proven by a three thousand year old book full of plagiarism and bad history?
Appears that Obama is backing the Clinton's inlaws. What did the Palistinians do to p*** off the Europeans. Is it that the Europeans are mostly white, and believe they are better than the citizens of Arab and African countries. Wouldn't it be funny if the Arab and African Countries united, and cut off oil exports to Europe, and only sold their products to Asian countries and China. Guess who would become the power brokers.
"the Europeans are mostly white, and believe they are better than the citizens of Arab and African countries"
One of the regions you're talking about has modern infrastructure, dynamic culture, produces goods, entertainment, and services, respects different religions, and lives peacefully next to its neighbors. The other regions you're talking about are frequently marked by violence, terrorism, primitive living conditions, harsh treatment of their own, and a stubborn refusal to get along with their neighbors.
So you tell me: which citizenry is better than the other?
"frequently marked by violence, terrorism, primitive living conditions, harsh treatment of their own, and a stubborn refusal to get along with their neighbors"
Ha Louie D....have you looked around this country. There is plenty of violent crime and terrorism here. We have the largest prison population (per capita! and in a for-profit system) in the WORLD (yes, you are more likely to not be in a cage in any other place in the world), and we attack everyone we feel like no matter where they are. I am not commenting on the positives of other continents but please, get some perspective.
Obama bowing to the Israeli lobby. 2012 elections are just around the corner and he wants to be reelected.Only a president committed to one term can force Israel to go back to 1967 borders which Israel rejects for security reasons. May be one state solution is more viable.
A one state solution is what the Palestinians really want... A one Palestinian state to be exact!... So far the Palestinians have turned down at least 2 serious Israeli offers... What they want (the alleged Right Of Return) is incompatible with a two state solution!...
APAC the most powerfull zionist lobby in America's history actually dominates the political scence within USA administration. It dictates all M.E policy terms and even what the President should say or not say, it has turned the USA into a dishonest broker in the Israel-Palestine conflict. While addressing the UNGA Obama gorgot to mention the Israel in 1948 went the League of Nations to acquire independents and got approval.......now Obama tells the Palestinions the UN is not the right place !!
US is just such an evil hypocrite.
When I heard Obama's speach, I cried out loud – "fcuk it". US is going down the drain, simply because they've become the slave of the evil.
The Question: Can we trust Obama? my answer is yes,I beleive deep in his soul he know that the Palestinians should have they own state and Israel need to light up on they points of being a hard ass toward the Palestinians. I agree with the President that the UN can not force statehood on either side and the only way this statehood going to work is when both side in a honest discussion of what both side are willing to live with and work very hard to see that this agreement between each state is worth fighting for in the future. I agree with your comment in part but this is very a hairy dilemma for the President and it goes to prove once again that United States needs to get Israel out of our Government and recognize Israel for what they are, just another Country on the world stage until that step is taken the US cannot move this problem to a final closure.
NO
Excelent questions. There are two fundamental forces at play.
1. Israel absolutely wants to "appear" to want a peace deal, but will do anything to prevent any actual deal (unless of course, the Palestinians just laid down and said "take anything you want, treat us anyway you want." Israel LOVES the status quo and wants to keep building more settlements. (More money was spent last year building housing in the Palestinian Territories than in Israel).
2. The Israel Lobby has TOTAL control of our Congress and our foreign policy.
The Israeli regime supported by a dishonest broker for peace (the USA) have been talking for almost 70 years without moving forward, and while they are talking they steal more land from the Palestinians. One of the best armiies in the world pretends to be under threat from home made rockets that hardly hit a target. Obama's speech means nothing gave no hope for peace or statehood for Palestians all it did was creating strong anti America feeling throughout the ME and the rest of the world. Obama said the UN was not the right place to ask for an independent Palestinian state......has he forgotten that in 1948 the Jews went to the League of Nation ( now called UN) to ask for an all Jewish Zionst state......and got approval.!
Sorry to see Barack abandoned the Path of Honor, to follow the path of the Poll. Palistinians Deserve their own State if only to put perssure on The Israeli rulers to Compromise To Survive....... Charles Bowen Solomon Stone
I think the speech was written by Dennis Ross. Need I say more?
No. It says it all !
This article is right on and the jewish community can now go peacefully to sleep at night knowing that they have sucessfully intimidated this president. They can't intimidated the american people. Tell the israel PM to keep his "badge of Honor" ...it is not one that any american should or could wear.
The "Jewish communitee" did not intimidate the president.He is wise enough to know that this was an unreasonable and dangerous move by the Palestinians ( uncertainty in the ME) and by-passing direct negotiations.
Jews have learned from the past, that staying silent and not fighting for their rights, safety and survival only results in disasters and holocaust.
why does the Jews bring up holocaust every time some thing doesn't go to their favor. i mean come on we get it you were massacred tortured killed. when????? decades ago get over it. you why people hate jews cause they think they can do what ever they want just because Hitler slaughtered jews. and dot get me started on the black thing........ just becase tyou eare once slaves doesnt mean you are slaves now. i get it you guys are still dicriminated in someplaces. dont complain work for your rights just like martin luther king and malcom X..............
why does the Jews bring up holocaust every time some thing doesn't go to their favor. i mean come on we get it you guys were massacred tortured killed. when????? decades ago get over it. you know why people hate jews cause they think they can do what ever they want just because Hitler slaughtered jews. and don't get me started on the black thing........ just because you were once slaves doesnt mean you are slaves now. i get it you guys are still discriminated in someplaces. dont complain work for your rights just like martin luther king and malcom X..............
Cartman, it's a bit hard to get over several millions of your people being killed within a few generations. Especially when your whole country is not that much bigger to begin with, add to that fact that you are sitting within reach of a much bigger population that wouldn't mind seeing you wipe away (aka-Iran). Threats to Israel are real and should be understood, but they are going to have to gamble and risk it for peace and hope that the US will be around long enough to secure their existance.
I think the status quo has run it's course, Israel will need to risk its security for peace to have a shot, the current situation can not be maintain indefinitely.
I thought the badge of honor was a bit over the top as well, not sure what pratical option there was to be had.
Obama is an idiot! I hate him and his joke of an administration so much. Obviously, the USA has a hidden agenda with this issue....
apparently so did both terms of the GWB administration and the elder Bush along with all the previous administration leading back to that of Nixon. Your "hate" for the guy blinds you to the fact that this has been the policy of this nation to defend Israel regardless of how it play outs with everyone else. Truth be told, those nations that hate us so are simply using this as an excuse. Israel has serious security concerns, there's not a whole lot of land to divide to begin with and they are vastly outnumbered. But they have been a strategic partner to the US. I am not sure if there is a way forward for either group.
they hate us because we support isreali. If we didn't nothing bad would happen
US/UN lesson of aspiration for freedom and Moral obligation of statehood:
Go ahead and make it in writing so the free world can see it.
Go a head and say it loud so the occupied childern of palestine can hear it
Go ahead and veto(forbid) it.
WHY DO YOU NOT POST MY REPLY TO "SJP"
IN REPLY TO CARTMAN. THE HOLOCAUST HAPPENED DACADES AGO AND IT BOTHERS YOU THAT JEWS DON'T GET OVER IT. SORRY TO BOTHER YOU, BUT IT WILL TAKE GENERATIONS TO MAYBE LESSEN THE PAIN. IN REALITY, I JUST BROUGHT IT UP AS AN EXAMPLE TO EXPLAIN HOW AND WHY JEWS RESPOND THE WAY THEY DO. HOW WOULD YOU RESPOND WHEN YOUR 97YR OLD FATHER CRIES EACH DAY FOR HIS FAMILY.I DO NOT THINK YOU WOULD "GET OVER IT"
"HOW WOULD YOU RESPOND WHEN YOUR 97YR OLD FATHER CRIES EACH DAY FOR HIS FAMILY.I DO NOT THINK YOU WOULD "GET OVER IT""
And this justifies killing little children s of Palestine.then at least there won't be old people in the upcoming generations of Palestine THAT "CRIES EACH DAY FOR HIS FAMILY"
You must be joking.The palestinian population is exploding ( in numbers). Why do you parrot " Palestinian women and children are being killed". There are not. There are used as human shields ( and popaganda) by their leaders. They are not shoved into gas chambers or burnt alive as two million Jewish children were.But sorry to bother you again on that subject. Israel is at a Constant STATE OF WAR with her Arab neighbours and must defend herself. What about the thousands of rockets that have come from Gaza to kill Israeli/Jewish women and children. Have you spent days in a bomb shelter or have had 15seconds after the red siren goes off to get into a shelter.
What bothers me most, is the TOTAL lack of sympathy you show my father. However it it makes it crystal clear why Israel must be strong and stand alone against people like you (and the world).
No win situation, what else was he suppose to do, leadership is understanding limits and crafting opportunities to advance causes when they are more likely to come about. It's easier to mock the UN and blame all things on Obama, you all need to get a grip.
Obama played it safe in his speech. Only the day of voting may tell where he stands on the issue. And even then, it may be from force from others within the government.
why Obama is playing double standard. He speaks that statedhood for Palestine is possible only by negotiation and not by statement n resolution in the UN. The Palestines have to come to this stage because bilateral negotiation have failed with Isreal repeatedly. The same Obama what he did when negotiation failed with Iran over Nuclear programme. He took the matter to the UN SC and forced the other members to vote for sanction against Iran. I appeal to all the UN permenant members to put pressure on Obama Administration to not use veto for the Palestines statehood.
funny how obama claims sudan success. They didn't want to split in half until the UN recognized them. Nice job obama, more crap from your mouth?
Why is it so important to veto this. they are not giving Palestine GUN, MISSILES they are just giving them a fighting chance for justice.
im not defending the crimes committed by Palestine terrorists against Israelite citizens. im saying whats so bad about giving them a chance to go the an international court.
The reason the bilateral negotiations failed was because both sides want more of something that the other is not willing to give up. It's a stalemate basically. Biblical prophecy is unfolding before our eyes. You should really check out the Bible sometime.
This has nothing to do with religion. its just us selfish humans acting as such.
This is entirely about religion. The Palestinians want the Western Wall, one of the most sacred Jewish holy sites. If they cannot have it, then the negotiations fail. Asking Israel to give up the wailing wall is like asking Saudi Arabia to give up Mecca. No chance of that every happening. This is entirely about religion, don't fool yourself.
Obama/congreess support Israel because of strong Jewish lobby. Israel action ( blind US support) to suppress Palestine freedom and to occupy their land is the MAIN CAUSE whay people in middle east countries HATE US. US policy is WRONG. OBAMA is like any other politician ...looking for '12 rather than principle.
I fully agree with you . I will not vote for him in 2012 though I am not fan of Republicans.
I tend to think as well that I will not vote for him. And I campaigned for him 24/24 in 2008!
iT REALLY DOESN'T MATTER WHAT WE AS A COUNTRY SAY TO OBAMA, HE AND HIS SOCIALISTS ARE HELL BENT TO RECREATE THE U.S. IN THE IMAGE OF GREECE, OR ANY OF THE THIRD OR FORTH WORLD NATIONS! THEY SIMPLY HAVE NO LIKING FOR ANYTHING THAT IS RUN OR CREATED BY THE INDIVIDUAL, WHO CAN THINK, CREATE OR PROFIT WITHOUT GIVING ALL THAT HE PRODUCES TO THOSE WHO PREFER TO SIT ON THE PORCH AND WAIT FOR THE UNION MAN TO SHOW UP WITH HIS DINNER. ALL OF NATURE CONSIDERS THIS TYPE OF BEHAVIOR AN ABOMINATION!
Gene, take off the caps. It brings more attention to your illogical thinking.
Funny and true.
Funny...I am in total agreement about the CAPS!!!
CARTMAN..JUST READ YOUR COMMENTS!. GEEZ YOU ..REALLY NEED TO DO SOME SERIOUS READING!!
But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. 2For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. 3For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. 4But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. 5Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. 6Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober. 7For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night. 8But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation. 9For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, 10Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him. 1 Thes 5 : 1-10
Security can also be used in place of safety here. I wonder if Obama said "Peace and Security" in his speech? Actually if you YouTube that phrase you will find some interesting videos of many presidents and leaders saying it. Pretty amazing huh?
I have a good idea! How about all us rich, whiny, republicans compare how much we make and out net worths. It will be fun! I'll go first. I make $30,000/yr and have a net worth of $40,000. Can any other rich whiny republican beat me? LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!
Well President Obama lost my vote for 2012. I had hoped that he will strongly support the cause of Palatine state.
see Ezekiel:36,37,38, they are setting up the stage for that prophecy to happen. the only one who will bring peace and securety treaty to Israel will be the antichrist, and will only last for 3 years and a half. and than destruction for iSRAEL AND THE REST OF THE WORLD.So i dont dont know if you realy want that.. but these prophecy were writhen 2,500 years ago and happening now...but it is God's will...and this war between the muslem and the jew's been around for 3000 years,they are half brothers,the muslem hates the jews cuz God choosed them for his people.
Israel. the worst investment in U.S. history and dragging us down with them. The financial terrorists have done more damage to the U.S. then all muslim terrorists combined, We give more foreign aid to these creeps then any other country. And what have we got over the last 50 years...nothing, nada...zilch..you no that if 85% of congress supports the joke called israel..the jokes on us..50 years with the leach called israel...50 years of our amercan dream going down the toilet. israel the worst investnent in U.S. history hands down..they also are the greatest threat to our security..no israel, no 9/11.time to drop these ungrateful turds
ah, but israel is a great investment for the careers of american politicians.
President Obama has come back to his senses and underlined that a hostile UN comprised of a majority of Arab/Muslim nations will not dictate to Israel its boundaries and its future. Israel is surrounded by hostile nations and organizations that are seeking to destroy it. If the Palestinians will be sincere in their intentions to live peacefully along side Israel, there will be a 2 state solution that brings with it a respectable compromise.
Don't be a hypocrite. Their is no difference between hamas and the terrorist settlers...they both vow to kill each other...the only differnce is we supply the weapons to the terrorist settlers...Israel is a clear loser for the U.S . economy and it's security....
Someone here says that "One of the regions you're talking about has modern infrastructure, dynamic culture, produces goods, entertainment, and services, respects different religions, and lives peacefully next to its neighbors". I assume that they are talking about Israel, but if you think that Israel RESPECTS anyone or lives PEACEFULLY with anyone then you must live on the same planet a Ron Paul and commute to Earth on his rocket ship.
The Israeli's only like countries that give them MONEY and then shut up so that Israel can use the MONEY how they want, they thumb their noses at the US taxpayers who fund them and use taxpayer money to fund their version of the Gestapo to terrorize the Palestinians who they wall up in the Israeli's version of the Warsaw ghetto. They steal the palestinians land (just like the Nazi's stole land and property from the Jews). This renegade nation is the Friend of NO ONE except themselves, they are the worst kind of rascists I have ever seen. Israel is balanced on the edge of a cliff and will soon topple over and they have no one to blame but themselves.
Oh and as for the comment about "One of the region you're talking about has modern infrastructure, dynamic culture, produces goods, entertainment, and services", this sounds just like Germany in the 1930s
no government can serve 2 masters..time to cut israel off...we have our own problems..
VOTE OUT ALL OF AIPAC OWNED POLITICIANS....if these dirtbags cared about their own country as they do their precios loser Israel we would not be in this mess...
Our President called to Israel asking Natanyiahu to tell our Congress not to cancel financing for Palestine. Nice to know about the new world order...Yes, we have too much to do to stop this mess, maybe should demand a probe for investigation who in our Congress sold their souls to AIPAC. And if any honest people left there...
Seems like majority of congrees has more allegiance to Israel than to the(USA) country that they swore to represent.
It's pretty obvious that they've sold their honnor and soul (if they ever had any) to the devil.
It wasn't a speech, it was a sermon, and most everyone is getting tired of his continual preaching. Try doing something for a change instead of talking. Besides, everything he gives a speech, the market tanks. The rest of the world has figured out what this country is finally realizing, Obama doesn't know what he is doing in foreign relations anymore than he does in this country.
Obama`s speech is clear and honest.
Isreal and the Palestinians have a responsibility to devise a workable solution.
Palastinians aspire to be a state.
Israeli wants security.
How and when these milestones are achieved in the roadmap to peace will determine how workable and solution is.
Clearly, once Israeli security can be assured by Palestinians, then the attainment of statehood becomes a real possibility.
Indeed!... Palestinians will get their own country only if and when they convince the Israelis through negotiation that their wish is to live side by side with Israel... And if anybody thinks that international pressure will cause the Israelis to commit national suicide they aren't using their head...
Yes to a negotiated peace!... No to unilateral actions!... No to international imposed solutions!...
By the way, this Palestinian action is in direct contradiction to signed agreements... Agreements the US, EU & UN are party to as cosignatories and guarantors... If anybody wants to see real peace in the ME they would do well to preserve the integrity of international guarantees!... After all, a final peace agreement will require such guarantees but if the Israelis loose faith in them such an agreement will be pushed further down the timeline...
To my knowledge ... its the israelies refusal to halt the building of illegal settlements that have stopped all negotiations between the two sides , even though every nation in this world, including the U.S, agrees that those illegal settlements are the cause of violence and the reason behind the failure of negotiations, you are still talking about palestinians asking to achieve on their own ! What do you want them to do ? israelies embaressed our president Obama so many times by continuouing to build those illegal settlements, even at the time when Obama, Abbas and Netenyaho were all in a meeting, a report on the news came along stating israel intentions of building 15,000 extra illegal homes on palestinian territories, which led to cancelation of the meeting ..
It seems here that israelies are the ones that do not want to negotiate, and it seems that our president have sold his dignity for jewish voters, and then blaming the palestinians for trying to get peace on their own .. way to go ..
And for the ones who keep talking about the holocaust, i still fail to see, how are the palestinians made to suffer because of it ? if anyone has to pay for your suffering it should have been Germany and Europe countries, not the palestinians.. The fact is jews were living peacefully with muslims and christians in palestine before the establishment of israel speeks volumes, and then we punish the palestinians by dumping the jews problems into them and give their land away to jews, so the Europeans country dont have to deal with their crimes..
Three days ago, those illegal settlers set fire to fields of olive trees, and you know what the israeli army did ? the israeli army refused to allow the palestinian firefighter trucks to pass through to put the fire down ... Now is this a nation that wants peace ? You tell me
BULLSH.T
For 37 years that is my life, I have never seen justice in action related to my nation and home. It is very disappointing to see that the ultimate sympathy of President Obama with the Palestinian people is through putting more pressure on them to put up with the demands of the oppressor. What president Obamas says to us is that the only way we have is to keep begging the Israelis for the modest and most fundamental rights we deserve. We agreed to give up 78% of our historical lands and we need to beg for the 22% left. It is so depressing that the son of a long history of struggle against slavery and racism prevents the Palestinians from even thinking of being equipped with most peaceful weapon which is the international law and human rights declarations (mostly created by that struggle) because that is “a unilateral action” that might threaten the Israeli war criminals wellbeing. At the same time, this same president stopped short of doing anything to stop the daily bulldozing, trees uprooting and land theft take place in the West Bank utilizing the strongest and most aggressive military power in the Middle East to establish new settlements for the most radical, dangerous and fanatic terrorists in the 21st century; Isn’t that a unilateral action aimed at changing the demographic status of the West Bank on the ground and making the materialization of a viable Palestinian state impossible. Shame on you Obama. I believed in you one day. Shame on you Americans for allowing your politicians to be this immoral and cheap because of your carelessness and laziness to learn about this issue
you are 100% correct..also the right wing christian lunatics whack jobs along with the zionist leaches have hijacked our government..the wacko christians hell bent on the destruction of the world to bring the second coming of jesus (sic) and the zionist leaches milking the U.S. for what it's worth laughing at the dilusional nutbags while knowing there is no such thing as jesus (in there sick minds) and the rest of us are just stuck in the middle of these two turds...
i agree 100%
Parts of the world may seem to be stuck in a quagmire of violence and famine but those places are in the extreme minority. Simply looking through the history books at things that occured during our living parents/grandparents time is enough to realize how far we come. Cracks are forming at the bases of authoritarian powers around the world and it's only a matter of time before the regimes in Iran, North Korea, Syria, and Myanmar come crashing down. Even China will soon find itself unable to proceed as a totalitarian state. But as Obama said, it won't be easy.
"Even China will soon find itself unable to proceed as a totalitarian state."
Only those people who haven't been there and know nothing of the culture believe that. It's one of the great Western fallacies that always evokes a laugh when mentioned in Asia.
Daniel's 70th week is about to start , everything that is happening with Israel is written in the books of Joel and Zachariah, go ahead leave your heads in the sand, those against israel will be cursed those for Israel will be blessed, It is written in the final days God allows all nations to turn against Israel and they will be left alone only to be delivered by God for his glory and belief of the Jews who rejected his son, in the end all nations that turn agains Israel will be cut to pieces.
OK, OK , We already scared, but maybe Israel turned everyone against itself....One promissed that we would burn in hell, another cut in pieces, third meet with 40 virgins, but what we are seeing now, is our world turning to hell already, because of greed, low morals, and money can buy everything and everyone.
SJP
I do trust president Obama because he is a fair and honest president who wants to do good for America and the world. But I couldn't agree more with your assessment of the United States refusal to get the Palestinians a homeland. Your comments are excellent and straight to the point. It is indeed a double standard when it comes to our relation with Israel and Palestine. But the reality is that unlike Cosovo/Bosnia and other countries that were re-defined by the UN through the decades, the United States doesn't have the nerve to divide Israel by force for many reasons. The first is because the United States feel a sense of sympathy for the Jewish state because of their past history where an injustice of ethnic cleansing were committed against the Jewish people in Nazi Germany and Western Europe.
Secondly, the United States feels it is responsible for preserving and protecting the Jewish state because of verbal threats and aggression made against its existence in the past by radical extremists in the Muslim world. But there is nothing that America cannot do if it really wants to bring lasting peace to the region. But do you think America would allow an African-American president in Obama to be the one do divide Israel by force? Let's face it, the GOP and their Tea Party wouldn't even let president Obama do his job in trying to fix the problems he inherited from the previous administration to begin with. So to answer your question, yes I trust president Obama on the Israeli/Palestine conflict to push for resolution. But it would take a whole lot of prayers and divine guidance for him to get this job done alone.
Obummer should return the Nobel Peace Prize or the Nobel committee should void it.
Obummer has just defied world opinion and overwhelming goodwill by sacrificing world leadership for Israel.
While Israel is America's spoil t child, Palestine is an orphan. Obama's UN speech was one of the most hypocritical speeches of a democratic leader. Maybe Obama, despite all his knowledge of the world, was not aware that it was the UN that created the state of Israel. if the UN created Israel, what stops the same UN from liberating the Palestinian people? The stand against the Palestinian people by America is an indictment on the conscience of the world. whether Palestine gets the UN recognition or not as America plans to veto their bid, the Palestinian people led by president Abbas has made a bold statement for the oppressed of the world. What would Obama say when the campaign for his second term in office is around the corner, knowing full well that the Jews control American views. but i am gladdened by the fact that man plans, God plans, and God is the best of planner.
Palestinian onced believed in Obama
I do not think that president Obama is anti-Palestinian or against it getting it's own state but I fully understand your frustration and dissapointment. However, you also have to realize that president Obama cannot go into Israel by force and divide the country without support from our congress. let's face it, two and a half years later, the GOP and their Tea Party are yet to respect president Obama as president or allow him to do his job as president. I'm glad you mentioned slavery in America and the president's heritage but do you know how many United States presidents it took to convince congress and this nation that racial segregation and discrimination in America was wrong?
Franklin Delano Roosevelt was my alltime favorate American president for many reasons and of course his favorate line during his 1933 Inaugural address in talking about the Great Depressionwas "we have nothing to fear but fear itself." However, when there was an outcry for pasage of an anti-lynching law to be passed to prevent white supremacists from making a sport out of lynching blacks in the American South, president Roosevelt refused to respond because he was afraid that his re-election chances would be diminished if he were to alienate influencial Southerners who made up a majority of congress at that time. And it was his wife Eleanor Roosevelt who had the courage to speak out against these outrageous lynchings. Just a little lesson in American history.
So you see, it's only so much president Obama can do to restructure Israel by force without the support of all of congress including the Tea Party. But I do know what can be done to get the Palestinians a homeland. That is the powerful oil rich Muslim nations of the world must use their economic leverage in the form of a global oil embargo to force the western world to it's knees and then I guarantee you, the Palestinian would get a homeland overnight. See, the Western world depends on these oil imports to run their economies and these oil imports are important to their survival. Just go and tell the Arab League to do their home work and then they would begin to see real results.
obma need 's leave the palestine people alone and let the have there stathood they have every right and know one should stop them qite trying obma need to quite trying to contol people it is the state show they should have every say in the mattter and dont anyone read the bilbe israel and palestine people have peace with eachother then that will breing about world war three and russia will try to take isreal oil the have with isreal should just go ahead and share there oil with russia so that doesnt happen and then after then all christians will parish is they dont take the implant that has the numbers 666 whitch are the devils numbers and there will be false prophest claming to be jesus whitch they are not there is only one god and all this bizare weather is apart of tribulation whitch we are in now so is we can pervent all this frome happening if we just let the palestine have there state hood if you dont not belive me read the bible and this nation with all was be under god they cant take that away this is his world not are he contorls it and us oh did also mintion the devil come to earht after palestine and ireal have peace .
i ment bible not bilbe and flase prophet quit sorry for all the miss spelled word my computer always mess my spelling up
is not about how much information is accessible to the learners *regardless of the issue of concern", it is about the perceived importance of the issue to those learners. The problem with the Palestinian cause is that it is not a part of the public sphere here in the U.S., but it is a prominent part of the politicians' sphere. This gap is what allows the politicians to be hold captives to the very resourceful and organized Zionist lobby in the U.S. Politicians can sell themselves as much as they like in regard to this issue without being punished publically. The question is how to make the people understand the importance of this issue to them at the personal and national levels. I have no answer to this question yet, but I think more work should be done in that regard.
"The United Nations is essentially an expression of the moral nature of man’s aspirations.”
If that were even remotely true, the UN would still recognize Taiwan's right to sovereignty.
One debate has been decisively ended at the United Nations. There can no longer be any quesetion that the Israel Lobby has complete and utter control over American foreign policy.
To Abbas and all those cursed that want to divide the land that belongs to ISRAEL I dedicate this verse to you.
Now also many nations have gathered against you, Who say, “Let her be defiled, And let our eye look upon Zion.”
But they do not know the thoughts of the LORD, Nor do they understand His counsel; For He will gather them like sheaves to the threshing floor. Micah 4:11-13
and this is precisely why this will never be resolved in the practical terms that Obama described.
lol .. that is why negotiations dont work .. because of people who are brain washed like you David .. i now see why the palestinians left the negotiaion table, when every israeli thinks like that
While Obama is right, that the ultimate solution will come from a resolution between both states themselves, unfortunately, so long as Israel has and keeps the upper hand, it will never happen. It has not happened in decades of war and strife with one another and an equal amount of time trying to implement one peace process after another by the west; it will not happen in the future without a leveling of the playing field. That's just reality.
To my knowledge ... its the israelies refusal to halt the building of illegal settlements that have stopped all negotiations between the two sides , even though every nation in this world, including the U.S, agrees that those illegal settlements are the cause of violence and the reason behind the failure of negotiations, you are still talking about palestinians asking to achieve on their own ! What do you want them to do ? israelies embaressed our president Obama so many times by continuouing to build those illegal settlements, even at the time when Obama, Abbas and Netenyaho were all in a meeting, a report on the news came along stating israel intentions of building 15,000 extra illegal homes on palestinian territories, which led to cancelation of the meeting ..
It seems here that israelies are the ones that do not want to negotiate, and it seems that our president have sold his dignity for jewish voters, and then blaming the palestinians for trying to get peace on their own .. way to go ..
And for the ones who keep talking about the holocaust, i still fail to see, how are the palestinians made to suffer because of it ? if anyone has to pay for your suffering it should have been Germany and Europe countries, not the palestinians.. The fact is jews were living peacefully with muslims and christians in palestine before the establishment of israel speeks volumes, and then we punish the palestinians by dumping the jews problems into them and give their land away to jews, so the Europeans country dont have to deal with their crimes..
Three days ago, those illegal settlers set fire to fields of olive trees, and you know what the israeli army did ? the israeli army refused to allow the palestinian firefighter trucks to pass through to put the fire down ... Now is this a nation that wants peace ? You tell me
There's a saying, if you don't succeed, try again but what has the Arab world actually done to resolve this conflict since the 1967 war with Israel? Absolutely nothing! It's one thing to point fingers at the United States but what is the Arab and Muslim world actually doing to help the Palestinian cause? Let's face it, global terrorism solves nothing but create more golbal distrust and hatred. So who is to say that the Arab and Muslim world cannot accomplish this themselves?
President Obama said that peace in the Middle East should not be decided by the UN but by the countries involved in the conflict. Well, who are the countries involved in the conflict? It's the Arab and Muslim world, not just Palestine. And unless the rest of the Arab/Muslin world start showing solidarity and concern for the Palestinine people, then their cause is a lost cause.
Every year oil rich UAE and Dubai spend billions of dollars building exclusive resorts to entertain the rich and famous from the Western world while their brothers and sisters are living in poverty and are oppressed by the Israeli government. And oil rich Saudi Arabia is no different. So when are these influencial countries going to step forward and address the Palestinian cause and do something concrete to help them get a homeland? No you don't need the United States to do this for you. This is your opportunity to show the United States and the rest of the world that you can help get the Palestinian people a homeland.
First you need to have a national day or recognization and reconcialiation throughout the entire Arab/Muslim world to show your solidarity and support for the Palestinian people and then the world would begin to take notice that you people are dead serious. Remember Apartheid in South Africa? Well, it lasted as long as it did because the oil rich nations of the region turned the other cheek while their brothers ans sisters were being oppressed and killed by the Apartheid government. And it was only until sanctions and pressure and condemnation started coming in from the outside world that the Apartheid government eventually toppled. However, the outside world here is the rest of the Arab/Muslim world and if nothing else worked, you need to impose an economic oil embargo on the Western world and then the Palestinians would get their homeland.
Obama in his speech may have lauded such principles as human rights, but he signed the extension of portions of the human rights-suppressing PATRIOT act which impinges upon citizens in the U.S. His and his Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's approach towards other countries has been to attempt to coerce them into accepting the American Wall Street agenda despite the fact that it has in many instances resulted in increased human misery. The speech was partly somewhat empty articulated principle and partly propaganda.
No Palestinian State
Because Israel belongs there for the past 3000 years plus. The Palestinian Arabs do not exist as a nation and never existed.
The Qur'an 17:104 – states the land belongs to the Jewish people
650,000 Jews were kicked out of their homes in 1948, not in Europe or Russia, but in Arab lands, that is the big Secret the arabs have been trying to hide from the world, and with great success i might add. They settled in land not settled by the arabs. The arabs still had their villiages, remember Palistine was never a country, only arab villages as part of the Ottoman empire. They could have kept those villages and made a country of their own called palistine that could have lived side by side with Israel, but their Genocidal racism got in the way and tried to drive the Jews into the sea. Well gues what they lost, and have been living with their lies, jealosy and hatred ever since. Facts can be very annoying...
http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/fisk/robert-fisk-a-president-who-is-helpless-in-the-face-of-middle-east-reality-2359433.html
Excellent post! I think you've encapsulated the mission of this blog and our challenge.
Usually I do not learn article on blogs, but I would like to say that this write-up very pressured me to check out and do it! Your writing style has been amazed me. Thanks, quite great post.
The speech was so powerful but u guys can't get it because it's election time,if u guys love America as u said why can't u help the president turns things around,o I forgot u want him to fail so that u will come and mess it up again it will not happened in Jesus name
Say what?