To mediate Middle East peace, Obama must first regain trust
July 25, 2011 | Geoffrey Levin
It appears that for the first time, neither Arabs nor Israelis trust the President of the United States to advocate their interests. A recent poll by the Arab American Institute has recorded a significant decline in support for Obama’s Middle East policies. In all six of the Arab countries surveyed, Obama’s ratings were at 10% or less, making Obama’s policies less popular than those of George W. Bush or Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, largely due to disappointment Obama has failed to keep the promises of his 2009 Cairo Speech in the context of the Arab Spring. In addition, majorities in all six countries surveyed said “Obama’s handing of the Palestinian issue had worsened US-Arab relations”, and many consider him to be too pro-Israel. Conversely, a May 2011 poll showed only 12% of Israeli Jews believe that President Obama is pro-Israel, while 40% labeled him pro-Palestinian, as many Israelis have grown more suspicious of the American leader.
UN call will not end this crisis
June 27, 2011 | Sharyn Mittelman
The Palestinian Authority is busily lobbying European nations to support a unilateral declaration of a Palestinian state by the United Nations this September. The reconciliation between Hamas and Fatah appears to be targeted towards the same end. As such, it is worth considering what the outcome of such a move would be. Would it create a Palestinian state in accordance with international law? Would it end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict?
Gaza flotilla blind to Hamas
June 24, 2011 | Arsen Ostrovsky
NEXT week a flotilla carrying so-called activists from various countries under the guise of “humanitarian concern” will set sail for the Gaza Strip, determined to break what they call “the siege of Gaza”. Four Australians, including former Greens MLC Sylvia Hale, will be aboard.
This latest anti-Israel provocation comes on the anniversary of last year’s ostensibly “humanitarian” flotilla which, likewise, sought to breach Israel’s legal naval blockade of Gaza.
During that incident, nine Turkish passengers on board the Mavi Marmara died following a premeditated and vicious attack on Israeli soldiers by a group of shipboard activists.
Last year’s flotilla was organised by the Turkish group IHH, which has extensive links to Islamist terror groups, including Hamas. Although IHH has now pulled out of the upcoming flotilla, citing “technical reasons”, it has nonetheless been extensively involved in its preparations.
In a press release a few weeks ago, the Australian contingent said their goal was to “break the Israeli blockade of Gaza”.
They believe that “Gaza will not be free so long as the Israeli siege destroys the territory’s economy”.
No, Gaza will not be free so long as Hamas continues to control the Gaza Strip. But then again, there was not a single mention of Hamas in their press release. Why?
Where is the compromise, Mr Abbas?
May 30, 2011 | Arsen Ostrovsky
On May 24, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made a historic address to a joint meeting of the US Congress, saying he was willing to “make painful compromises”, including relinquishing “parts of the ancestral Jewish homeland”, in pursuit of peace with the Palestinians.
Netanyahu acknowledged that, “a Palestinian state must be big enough to be viable, independent and prosperous”. However, as US President Obama recently noted, the border will have to be different to the 15-kilometre ceasefire line that existed prior to Israel’s defensive war of June 1967.
Simply put, Israel cannot return to those indefensible borders.
Reality missing in Obama map
May 21, 2011 | Colin Rubenstein
US President Barack Obama’s speech outlining US Middle East policy in the wake of the Arab Spring movements was a watershed, detailing US support for reforms and democratisation.
However, its section on Israeli-Palestinian peace efforts unfortunately weakened several important points with flaws that may impede peace prospects.
Gillard shouldn’t give our money to terrorists
May 13, 2011 | Arsen Ostrovsky
ASKED in July 2009, in the aftermath of the Gaza War, if Australia would deal with the Palestinian government if Hamas were to be included, Julia Gillard was unequivocal in her response: “Hamas obviously is a terrorist organisation that has been engaged in violent actions against the Israeli people, and in order to be part of any process it needs to completely renounce that violence.”
So it should stand to reason that following the announcement last week that Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’s Fatah group and rival Hamas had agreed to end their long-standing feud and form a unity government, the Australian government must re-assess its relations with the Palestinian Authority.
But in Tuesday night’s budget, it was announced that “Australian aid to the Palestinian territories and Palestinian refugees in surrounding regions will double to around $70 million per annum by 2012-13”.
Included within that, is money that will go directly to the PA to “improve its operations and assist in the delivery of services”.
The Fatah-Hamas agreement is no “peace pact”
May 10, 2011 | Arsen Ostrovsky
Professor Amin Saikal’s one-sided ode to Hamas, published on The Drum, overlooks one issue – that Hamas is a terrorist organisation which refuse to recognise Israel’s right to exist.
Saikal would have us believe that “Hamas has emerged as a pragmatic Islamist movement” and that therefore Israel and the international community should embrace Hamas as a negotiating partner.
If Hamas is pragmatic, then I would not like to imagine what an extremist group looks like. Perhaps a brief reminder as to Hamas’s raison d’être is in order.
Hamas – the key to Peace?
May 10, 2011 | Sharyn Mittelman
In Amin Saikal’s article “Palestinians’ High Hopes” (May 6) he naively describes the Fatah-Hamas unity pact as likely to enhance prospects for Israeli-Palestinian peace. In fact, the effect is very much likely to be the reverse.
Saikal, like some other analysts, implores Israel to negotiate with Hamas and insists the internationally-designated terrorist group has become “pragmatic.” Yet he makes no suggestion that Hamas should be required to amend its Charter to recognise Israel and abide by the pre-conditions for participation in the peace process established by the International Quartet (the UN, US, European Union and Russia) in 2006. Hamas has refused to accept these eminently sensible pre-conditions for a seat at the table, namely: recognition of Israel, renouncing terror and accepting all previous Israeli-Palestinian agreements and obligations.
Israel: Celebrating 63 years of independence
May 9, 2011 | Arsen Ostrovsky
On 10 May, that little slither of land, Israel, about one third the size of Tasmania but burdened with decades of unremitting attacks on its very legitimacy and existence, celebrates her 63rd year of independence. There are good reasons why many Australians should celebrate that.
We could talk about the historical bond between our two nations dating back to the ANZACS. A bond that is underpinned by our shared commitment to freedom and democracy, and respect for women’s rights, gays, minorities and the rule of law. We could celebrate that we are both thriving multicultural states that have successfully absorbed and integrated millions of refugees and immigrants from around the world.
And it wouldn’t hurt to reflect on the irony that Israel’s Arab citizens enjoy more rights, freedoms and liberties than do their neighbours in any number of Middle East nations – where they are currently dying while fighting for these very same rights and privileges.
That perhaps explains why despite the sea of violence, uncertainty and uprisings currently gripping the Middle East, Israel continues to be the sole oasis of stability.
Bin Laden’s bloodied prints have stained the globe
May 6, 2011 | Colin Rubenstein
OSAMA bin Laden’s demise has dealt a severe blow to Islamist terrorism, achieving a measure of justice for its many global victims.
Notorious as the mastermind of the September 11 terrorist attacks, his bloodied fingerprints stain al-Qaeda-linked terror the world over, from Bali, London, Madrid, Mumbai, Pakistan and Jakarta to Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and beyond.
He waged war on thousands of innocent civilians – including many Australians, Jews and Muslims – for an ideology, Islamism, which promotes a religious duty to fight all in order to create a worldwide caliphate based on an idealised version of seventh-century Arabia.
‘Partner for peace’ has strange way of showing it
April 18, 2011 | Colin Rubenstein
The Palestinian Authority’s actions speak louder than words. As Jews around the world prepare to celebrate Passover, the Palestinian Authority has offered its own unique gift to the Jewish people honouring Hamas terrorist Abbas Al-Sayed, and in the process, demonstrating yet again why genuine peace is so elusive.
Human rights? Surely you can’t be Syria
April 14, 2011 | Arsen Ostrovsky
In a recent letter to the President of the UN General Assembly, Syria’s mission to the UN said “promotion and protection of human rights are of the highest importance to Syria”. The actions of the Syrian regime, however, speak otherwise.
