"Twenty years ago, Ronald Reagan stood at Germany's Brandenburg Gate and implored Mikhael Gorbachev to "tear down this wall," a reference to the Soviet barrier separating east and west Berlin.
Will Tony Blair, one wonders, muster the courage to do the same about Israel's separation wall, as did former US president Jimmy Carter who pointed out that Israel's checkpoints - over 160 in the West Bank alone - are more repressive than the apartheid system was on human movement in South Africa.....
We expect little discussion of the substantive issues haunting the region since 1948 - only the ideological ones preoccupying western powers since 2006, when an Islamic movement unexpectedly won a popular vote in democratic elections.
We are, however, preparing ourselves for a play of epic proportions, with Blair as a Trojan horse, entering our stage ostensibly carrying gifts (financial aid, loan guarantees, commitments of equipment and advisers, and diplomatic letters of recognition) for a beleaguered pretender to the throne, Salam Fayyad, and his hastily-appointed viziers in the West Bank principality......
First, respect the integrity of the Palestinian electoral process. Mahmoud Abbas has made a bizarre attempt to resurrect the Palestine Liberation Organisation's Central Council, which has been dormant for 10 years. The move is designed to help the Fatah faction's flailing moves to hijack Palestinian democracy....
Second, remove political strings from financial support. There can be no civilised excuse for economic terrorism aimed at crushing a nation's will through starvation to choose its leadership. If alleviating the Palestinian people's suffering as a whole is truly a goal, then the flow of funds should only be stopped in cases of proven corruption, not political whim; and even UNRWA acknowledged Hamas as the only trustworthy source to distribute aid as far back as 1993.
Third, impartially represent the concerns of all parties to the conflict. We are willing to listen to what the Israelis wish to discuss; and, in return, expect the four broad issues of fundamental importance to our people - settlements, sovereignty, refugees, and Jerusalem - to be addressed within the framework of a timetable set during a renewable truce......
However he would do well to remember that the Palestinian parliament is a professional place and costumes aren't welcome."
No comments:
Post a Comment