A Tale of Two Betrayals - The Day Democracy Died

Last Friday the world witnessed a bid for Palestinian statehood in the General Assembly of the United Nations. Last Friday, the world also witnessed the death of democracy at the hands of President Barack Obama.

In a desperate attempt to secure a second term, President Obama has not only betrayed the Palestinian people and their human rights and their right to exist, he has blatantly betrayed justice, democracy, and relinquished the United States' position as a world leader and a super power. 

Obama's speech at the UN General Assembly - a far cry from the day Obama was elected, a far cry from his Cairo speech - brought no mention of the dismantlement of Israeli settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, no mention of a dismantlement of the apartheid wall, no mention of an end to Israel’s illegal blockade and siege of Gaza, no mention of Israel's constant violations of International Law, no accountability for Israel's military occupation. No transparency. No democracy. It only brought a repulsive rhetoric devoid of honesty, devoid of sense, devoid of integrity, at the high cost of losing the respect of the Arab masses and his stature in the region. In the aforementioned Cairo speech which addressed the Muslim world, Obama said, "No single speech can eradicate years of mistrust.." yet, ironically, in one speech, America became a played-out, burnt-out force.

By blatantly adopting the Israeli narrative and omitting/twisting/paltering indisputable facts about the Palestinian-Israeli conflict in his UN speech, by desperately attempting to block palestinian statehood, Obama not only disgraced himself and relinquished his conscience and integrity, but he also disqualified himself and America as a fair mediator, and in an instant became a partner to Israel, leaving him and the United States with Zero credibility in the Arab and Muslim world, the International community and at home. In short, Obama has become an embarrassment not only to himself but to the American people as well.

The clamorous disregard demonstrated at the UN General Assembly resulted in the Palestinian authority's dismissal of the U.S. as a mediator if it were to restart negotiations with Israel, and a veto against Palestinian statehood will force other NATO and U.S. allies like Turkey, Egypt and Saudi Arabia to defect and cause irreversible damage to the relations with other Arab and Muslim countries throughout the world. In short, Obama acted against the United States' interests to serve the interest of a right-wing Israeli government.

Whatever the outcome of the UN vote, Obama's action - or lack thereof - will invoke consequence. It would've been great to see Obama challenge the status quo and break out of his self-imposed limitations, and it would've been great for The United States to regain the high moral ground we claim to occupy, but alas, Netenyahu's pressure caused irreversible damage to Obama, the United States and to Israel as well.

In addition to further isolating the country on the world stage and giving new momentum to anti-American sentiment throughout the Arab world, Obama's actions will leave the US and Israel with a demonstratively shrinking number of friends in the international community.

So who's the biggest loser? Palestine, Barack Obama or Netenyahu? I say, Obama and Bibi have become two sides to the same coin.

Ultimately, Obama has lost the respect of the international community for a chance at a second term. Robert Fisk pronounced him 'neutered' and Uri Avnery likened him to a 'prostitute' whoring himself for a second term. Harsh words? Yes. Justified? Yes. Absolutely. Obama's actions did not only cost him the respect of the Arab world and the international community alone, but also the respect of his people. For any reasonable American, it will cost him a vote. It certainly cost him my vote.

Netenyahu on the other hand, fails to see that his aggression is leading him down a slippery slope, where instead of being in a position to initiate, will find himself having to face foreign decisions that will be forced upon him. He refuses to admit that he will further isolate Israel from it's regional neighbors, all Arab and Muslim countries. Ultimately, his pressure on Obama may shake Israel's relationship with the U.S. But that's Bibi, EYES WIDE SHUT. He refuses to budge. He refuses to extend the proverbial olive branch, and he refuses to admit that the more time passes without talks, the higher the price exacted from Israel will be upon entering negotiations.

 

Any winners?

Obama's disgraceful, imbalanced speech, coupled with Netanyahu's standard rhetoric - a reality-devoid rhetoric, laden with absurdity, shrouded in hostility and aggression, lacking in honest engagement - compared to Mahmoud Abbas' courageous address gave a new voice to the Palestinian struggle and allowed the Palestinians to emerge with new found respect and for their leader, Abbas, to emerge victorious, even heroic.

Meanwhile, there are some facts which remain indisputable. Palestine has already won a public media war and the support of the international community is clear and extensive.



Update:  The United Nation's Educational, Scientific and Cultural Oraganization (UNESCO) grants full membership to the Palestinians.

 
The vote was 107-14 in favor with 52 abstentions because of Israel and US pressure.

The Players
 

 

       

VS.

 

“The time is always right to do what’s right.”

- Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Further Reading on the subject:

 

Gideon Levy: Obama's Historic Opportunity

 

Exacting a Price; Why US Retribution Against UNESCO Will Backfire

Obama Got Osama - Bin Laden's Demise Dominates World News

Last night President Obama announced Osama bin Laden - leader of Al-Qaeda and the man who claimed to be the intellectual author of the September 11 attacks - is dead. The news of Osama Bin Laden's death quickly resonated worldwide and prompted some of the boldest, starkest headlines in newspapers across the world, his demise welcomed by all. However, the most interesting notion about this piece of news, is the vast array of headlines that ripped through the newspapers in the U.S., even though they are essentially communicating the same basic piece of information.

'Killed', 'Dead', 'Justice', 'U.S. Operation Kills Bin Laden', 'U.S. Kills Al-Qaida Leader in Firefight in Pakistan', 'Obama Gets Bin Laden', 'U.S. Forces Kill Osama Bin Laden', Obama: Justice Has Been Done'. A few were more colorful, 'Got Him! Vengeance at Last! U.S. Nails the Bastard' and 'Rot in Hell'.

All titles hold true. All blatantly and disdainfully proud. But are all perceived without distortion by personal feelings and prejudices? Without a hint of bias? Then, how about Assassinated? Or Unlawfully Executed? They seem to be conspicuously absent from all the headlines!

Please keep in mind, that I, like any other American, loathe the man, his ideology, and the terrorist activities that he masterminded, but 1) personal feelings should not interfere with objective journalism 2) Time for the U.S. to re-examine its foreign policy.

While many people in the United States may feel vindication in the death of the man behind the 9/11 attacks, some of those biased headlines bring to mind a time when our great country drummed up a motley collection of headlines to get validity for invading Iraq on the basis of lies. The operation that claimed the life of Bin Laden is an action that signifies failure on our part, an action that led to answering violence with more violence. How have we allowed the horrifying violence against us to turn into atrocious violence by us? Invading Iraq and leaving that country in ruins, torturing prisoners in Abu Ghraib, imprisoning people without trial in Guantanamo... The United States has violated civil liberties at a cost of over $1 trillion and hundreds of thousands of lives that were claimed by these wars.

This is the a time for us to open a new chapter in U.S. foreign policy and to respond with solutions that don't perpetuate violence, but rather, learn from the wave of the non-violent movements that are bringing - a once unfathomable - change to the political structure of the Middle East.

Our administration needs to take a sabbatical to re-examine our failed war policies that have tarnished our reputation as Americans and as a leader of the free world, and adopt new strategy. Let's regain our failed status as the the World Leader and engage in negotiating peace, humanitarian aid (and I certainly do not mean more aid to Israel) and let's restore the shine of our lackluster crown.

Below, are some of the headlines in papers that covered the big news.