By Simon Tisdall
GUARDIAN – Barack Obama's chances of making a fresh start in US relations with the Muslim world, and the Middle East in particular, appear to diminish with each new wave of Israeli attacks on Palestinian targets in Gaza. That seems hardly fair, given the president-elect does not take office until January 20. But foreign wars don't wait for Washington inaugurations.
Obama has remained wholly silent during the Gaza crisis. His aides say he is following established protocol that the US has only one president at a time. Hillary Clinton, his designated secretary of state, and Joe Biden, the vice-president-elect and foreign policy expert, have also been uncharacteristically taciturn on the subject.
But evidence is mounting that Obama is already losing ground among key Arab and Muslim audiences that cannot understand why, given his promise of change, he has not spoken out. Arab commentators and editorialists say there is growing disappointment at Obama's detachment – and that his failure to distance himself from George Bush's strongly pro-Israeli stance is encouraging the belief that he either shares Bush's bias or simply does not care.
The Al-Jazeera satellite television station recently broadcast footage of Obama on holiday in Hawaii, wearing shorts and playing golf, juxtaposed with scenes of bloodshed and mayhem in Gaza. Its report criticising "the deafening silence from the Obama team" suggested Obama is losing a battle of perceptions among Muslims that he may not realise has even begun.
"People recall his campaign slogan of change and hoped that it would apply to the Palestinian situation," Jordanian analyst Labib Kamhawi told Liz Sly of the Chicago Tribune. "So they look at his silence as a negative sign. They think he is condoning what happened in Gaza because he's not expressing any opinion."
Regional critics claim Obama is happy to break his pre-inauguration "no comment" rule on international issues when it suits him. They note his swift condemnation of November's terrorist attacks in Mumbai. Obama has also made frequent policy statements on mitigating the impact of the global credit crunch.
Obama's absence from the fray is also allowing hostile voices to exploit the vacuum. "It would appear that the president-elect has no intention of getting involved in the Gaza crisis," Iran's Resalat newspaper commented sourly. "His stances and viewpoints suggest he will follow the path taken by previous American presidents… Obama, too, will pursue policies that support the Zionist aggressions."
Whether Obama, when he does eventually engage, can successfully elucidate an Israel-Palestine policy that is substantively different from that of Bush-Cheney is wholly uncertain at present.
To maintain the hardline US posture of placing the blame for all current troubles squarely on Hamas, to the extent of repeatedly blocking limited UN security council ceasefire moves, would be to end all realistic hopes of winning back Arab opinion – and could have negative, knock-on consequences for US interests in Iraq, Afghanistan and the Gulf.
Yet if Obama were to take a tougher (some would say more balanced) line with Israel, for example by demanding a permanent end to its blockade of Gaza, or by opening a path to talks with Hamas, he risks provoking a rightwing backlash in Israel, giving encouragement to Israel's enemies, and losing support at home for little political advantage.
A recent Pew Research Centre survey, for example, showed how different are US perspectives to those of Europe and the Middle East. Americans placed "finding a solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict" at the bottom of a 12-issue list of foreign policy concerns, the poll found. And foreign policy is in any case of scant consequence to a large majority of US voters primarily worried about the economy, jobs and savings.
On the campaign trail, Obama (like Clinton) was broadly supportive of Israel and specifically condemnatory of Hamas. But at the same time, he held out the prospect of radical change in western relations with Muslims everywhere, promising to make a definitive policy speech in a "major Islamic forum" within 100 days of taking office.
"I will make clear that we are not at war with Islam, that we will stand with those who are willing to stand up for their future, and that we need their effort to defeat the prophets of hate and violence," he said.
As the Gaza casualty headcount goes up and Obama keeps his head down, those sentiments are beginning to sound a little hollow. The danger is that when he finally peers over the parapet on January 21, the battle of perceptions may already be half-lost.
Source: The Guardian
This is slightly off the subject but this has been my feeling since the entire conflict has again begun between Israel and the Hamas:
Muslims Be Damned
I don’t know and don’t care about the-road-to-hell-is-paved-with-good-intentions save the planet people who deem it a priority to be POLITICALLY CORRECT. This is what I do know. Muslims are the creator of terrorists. They not only have harassed and threatened Israel, they have intimidated the rest of the world. Doing the most civilized activities like boarding planes has become a hassle because of them. Consequently, after repeatedly trying many ideas that have failed to achieve a peaceful and civil relationship with these Barbarians, it is time to do what will work once and for all. I could care less if the sorry POLITiCALLY CORRECT air heads approve of me or not. I for one am fed up with the grief caused upon Israel and the entire world by a people whose only contribution to the world is hate and terrorism.
Israel has been America’s civilized ally in the Middle East since the 1950’s. Israel is one of the few civilized free country’s that supports capitalism (a moral and just system of self support). Israeli’s are a cultured well educated people who succeed at any field of their endeavor. They bring skill and ability with them where ever they go. The proof of this statement is a simple look at what they accomplished with Israel in the face of monumental adversity. The Museum of Tolerance, created by the survivors of the Holocaust Jews is one of the finest efforts to keep the memory of humanity’s crimes against humanity. The work of the Museum of Tolerance against bigotry and senseless hate has made the Museum the world’s leaders on the subject of genocide and prejudice.
The accomplishments of the Jews all over the world since World War II are almost miraculous.
Jews are a constructive people compared with Muslims, who seem to be a destructive, non achieving collection of primitive tribal people. Remember the only people who created Terrorists in the last thirty or so years are the Muslims. The Muslims are the only people whose religion promotes violence against non believers. The Koran is the only Holy Book I know exists that encourages men to beat, maim, behead, or stone to death their own women and children for a mere infraction of the rules of the Koran. Is it any wonder Muslims are so filled with insane rage, they have no problems killing innocent people including their own women and children if it means they can retaliate against a real or imagined enemy. Muslims take great pride in using women, young girls and little children as living bombs. Every major terrorist attacks upon civilians in the last twenty years has been by Muslims. Remember, it was not the Jews who destroyed The World Trade Center. It was the Muslims.
When the cease fire agreement ended in the Gaza strip, it wasn’t Israel who refused to extend the peace agreement and bombard Palestine with missiles. It was the Muslims led by the Hamas (A Muslim Terrorist Group). What was the Hamas hoping to accomplish by sending missiles with the intent to destroy Israeli property and kill Israeli citizens? Were they thinking Israel would joyously welcome the barrage of missiles and offer the Muslims of the Hamas a cornucopia of benefits. Did the Hamas think maybe they would intimidate the Israelis so profoundly, Israel would pack up its suitcase and leave? Maybe they were hoping that the Israelis would simply commit mass suicide and leave Israel for the Muslims to have?
Israel responded as any healthy country should respond when threatened and attacked. Israel properly and accurately and lethathly defended itself. Palestine is getting a brutal awakening at the price of civilians, women and children. No humane citizen enjoys seeing anybody get maimed, or killed. It is very disturbing to see the bodies of little children being paraded by the violently protesting Muslims. Now they are screaming they are the innocent victims of an overly aggressive neighbor. Now they are protesting, rioting and destroying the property of innocent civilians in every country they have amassed significant numbers to make a political impact upon the governments in the countries in which they are living.
What is worse is MSM is actually favoring the Muslims against Israel. MSM is convoluting the facts that led to the conflict between Israel and Palestine. Since when did Muslims become so popular that journalists are so biased they have buried the truth. MSM is now crusading the Muslims who are the creators of terrorists? Is this the result of the sick and puny minded political correct freaks?
Well, get ready for the opinions of a person who is not intimidated by those who will want to place their stupid labels on me. Israel will not agree with this answer, but I do think it is one that will work. Israel is our loyal and intelligent ally. As an American, I will do all in my power to assist Israel in its war against Muslims. Enough is enough. This—if I had the power to do so is how I would handle this entire affair.
1. Israel should continue attacking Palestine until it is totally crushed. Then it should incorporate the Gaza strip into Israel. Every citizen of Palestine who insists upon adhering to the Muslim religion must leave Palestine and never return.
2. England must bring back the teaching of the holocaust in its history books and classes. It must eliminate the laws of Sharia on any level or place in its government. Then England and every country that now has a large Muslim population must make the following very clear:
a. Muslims are permitted to practice their religion. They are not allowed to break the laws of the country in which they live. In situations where the Muslim laws of Sharia are in conflict with the laws of the country they reside, they must obey the laws of the country.
b. If conflicts between Muslims with whomever they antagonized break out any where in the world that is not the country Muslims are residing, the Muslims are not allowed to protest in the country they are residing.
c. If the Muslims riot or cause riots and damage property and injure people, then they will be arrested and taken to jail. There they will stay until they and their entire family are deported to whence they came. They will lose all the property, bank accounts, and money they acquired from the benefits of living in that country.
d. Muslims who are born in the country they reside will be exiled. They will never be permitted to return.
Too bad if the Hamas and the Muslims don’t like it. Hamas and any other Muslim or non Muslim terrorist groups must be destroyed once and for all. They must never again rise to murder another infidel. This way both Muslims and infidels will live. Muslims will either learn to live and respect with infidels or stop practicing a primitive belief system. The rest of the world will finally be living free of the constant intimidation of Muslim violence.
I am an infidel. I don’t like having to secretly fear for my life in my own country every time I see Muslim. This is not a popularity contest between Jews and Muslims. This is about the survival of people and their right to live without fear of being murdered. The price of being unpopular with the Middle East and rest of the world is very small compared with the benefits the rest of the non Muslim world receive. The peace of mind, stability from non intimidation, self validation, and the freedom of expression that will return to the rest of the infidel population will create a “new attitude.” This will begin the path to world peace.
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