From the desk of Reuven Kaminer
Thursday 22, November, 2012
Leading from Behind
The Israeli Government: We are going
to Finish with Hamas
There are many signs, such as the
text of the cease fire agreement, which suggest that Israel suffered a crushing
defeat in its effort to break Hamas. The government spread illusions among the
people that this time it was going to deal Hamas a final "death
blow." This is what the masses, especially those in the south under rocket
fire, believed was going to happen. It is hard to know what people are thinking
regarding the promises by Netanyahu and Barak that they were going to bring
Hamas to their knees. Instead of surrender, it is clear that Hamas survived a
critical political-military test. It personified, in its own way, the
Palestinian demand for freedom and independence. Hamas was not brought to its
knees and the masses of Gazans celebrating after the cease fire bears witness
to this. Israel's bragging and boasting were exposed in their full spiteful ugliness.
Israel's failure to smash Hamas can
serve to encourage renewed efforts to advance the cause of Palestinian
unity. This unity is as vital as ever in
order to overcome the US-Israeli determination to destroy the hopes and the
dreams of the Palestinians for the full realization of their rights.
Obama – Leading from Behind
When hesitation regarding a ground
offensive was gathering force in Israeli public opinion here two-three days
ago, the world heard from the White House that : Obama has not asked Israel to
hold off on ground invasion of Gaza and believes that Israel has [the] right to
make its own security decisions. (Reuters)
It is too early to sum up all the
events connected with the Israeli offensive and the ensuing diplomatic
activity. A lot of the facts and information are still hidden. Even so, some
initial conclusions seem warranted.
This whole crisis burst out and
sharpened with the United States seemingly out of the picture. This was the US
technique of leading from behind. But it was absolutely clear here by virtue of
Obama's total enthusiastic backing that the US was behind the Israeli
aggression and leading it from behind.
In Spite of Everything - Obama Loves
Bibi
Obama led the international choir
chanting the gibberish about Israel's right to defend itself. Israel had
exploited one of those almost daily border skirmishes going on along the border
with Gaza to launch a full scale retaliation, which was in fact, an attempt to
eliminate the Palestinian issue from the international arena. Let us be clear
that whoever gives total blanket approval to the Israeli attack bears responsibility
for the aggression which in terms of scope and proportion has nothing in common
with legitimate defense.
The diplomatic remoteness of the US
during the first week of the Israeli operation is merely an indicator that it
had appointed Israel as its proactive deputy in the region, including a carte
blanche to advance US interests in the region through armed operations. This
policy answers the US need to have sizable military ground forces of its or
those of a faithful ally at its disposal. The shortage of its own appropriate
ground forces is a well-known Achilles heel of the US giant. Israel, on the other hand, has demonstrated a
capacity to mobilize tens of thousands of ground troops in a matter of days. The
romance between Barack and Bibi intensifies precisely when many liberals were
waiting for the US president to punish Bibi for his attempt to stab a knife
into Obama's back during the recent elections. Interests overcome sentiments.
The Demotion of Muhammad Morsi
The complete US identification with
the Israeli operation on the Egyptian doorstep was a severe challenge for the
Egyptian president. It was a clear
demonstration that the US had empowered Israel to be the sole interpreter and
exponent of US interests in the region.
This was a slap in the face for Egypt and a challenge to Morsi's
standing. Morsi failed to meet the
challenge. It is definitely not the role of Egypt as the chief force in the
Arab world to become a mediator in the conflict between the Palestinians, under
occupation, and Israel. Egypt is
supposed to formulate the position and the demands of the Arab world and to
fight for those demands, one way or another. At any rate, it is the first duty
of the president of Egypt to express to the best of his ability solidarity with
the Palestinian people. The job of "objective mediator" for Morsi is
demeaning and a self imposed demotion for him and for Egypt. He received his
task as mediator through the good offices of the United States and the Israeli
establishment has been showering him with compliments ever since he took the
job.
And so: Obama and Netanyahu have this
new romance. The Israeli population in the south of the country is trying to
figure out how it was conned into believing that Bibi, Barak and Lieberman were
going to bring them years of peace and quiet. Hamas wrote an impressive chapter
in Palestinian resistance. The Palestinian issue does not want to go away and
will survive current Egyptian faint heartedness.
This morning news is that the Israeli
army and police have arrested 55 Palestinian leaders and activists in the West
Bank for fomenting resistance to the Israeli aggression in Gaza. This, it seems
is supposed to alleviate the severe frustration of the Israeli leadership.
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