Stagnation can kill

In recent weeks, APN has been emphasizing the need for President Barack Obama to step up his efforts to pursue peace for Israel, and to be willing to play political hardball to get Israelis and Palestinians to make progress towards peace.

APN is not trying to win any popularity contests. We know that this is the only way forward. We also know that, absent a peace process that people can believe in, things can get worse.

We're not the only ones aware of the dangers of stagnation. Here for example is Haaretz columnist Aluf Benn:

"There is deep concern surrounding U.S. President Barack Obama's public announcement that his effort to restart the Israeli-Palestinian peace process has failed. One can understand the frustration that Obama must feel over the stubbornness, foot-dragging and political score-settling by both Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. But this is not a contest between Obama and his predecessors over who achieved more peace in the Middle East; this is about preventing war. For America to abandon its efforts would increase the danger of a regional conflagration at a time when the air is already becoming saturated with flammable vapors...

"On the Iranian front, an arms race is taking place, along with one of escalating threats. Iran is developing nuclear weapons; Israel is threatening to launch a preventive war...

"In the north, both the Israel Defense Forces and Hezbollah are completing military preparations for the next round of fighting...

"In the West Bank, Palestinians are preparing for a third intifada...

"And in regard to the Gaza Strip, the prisoner exchange negotiations between Hamas and Israel have stalled while the cease-fire is gradually eroding as border incidents multiply..."

And here is the logical conclusion of Benn's argument:

"In this situation, leaving the regional players to their own devices, imprisoned in their unceasing desire to settle accounts with their rivals, increases the risk of war."

I invite you to join APN's campaign. Tell President Obama that it's time to step up his efforts.

Buzz

2 Comments

ckeeler | January 27, 2010 1:44 PM

I agree with your assessment that Obama needs to step up the pressure to get both sides to find peace. Without true pressure from Obama, a just peace seems impossible. I commend your organization's efforts in this regard.

I would add that current US policy is completely disregarding the political situation in Gaza. Even if Obama were to step up pressure on Israel and the PLO and Israel and the West Bank were to make peace, it would still disregard all of the Palestinians in Gaza. The current policy of disregarding Gaza is making a Palestinian state impossible and the tacit support of Israel's blockade on Gaza is not only further radicalizing Hamas, but it also creating resentment among half of the Palestinian population.

I have been covering the situation in Gaza extensively and would like to know your organization's opinion on the blockade. 50 US representatives recently sent a letter to President Obama asking for him to pressure Israel to lift the blockade and 33 US Senators wrote a similar letter to Secretary of State Clinton asking to try to ease the movement of Palestinian students, medical patients and other non-military personal in and out of Gaza. I believe that a campaign to give Palestinians in Gaza basic human rights - something that is denied by the blockade - would be helpful for the peace process and a subject that should concern APN.