DEAFENING SILENCE by Harper

 
The deafening silence in Washington on Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas’ heroic defiance of the Obama Administration’s efforts to kill of the Palestinian bid for United Nations full membership leads me to an obvious conclusion:  The White House has put tremendous pressure on everyone within their reach to go silent.  No doubt, similar efforts from AIPAC and others are bolstering this top-down effort to pretend that last week’s events in New York never happened.  Of course a few brave voices like Henry Siegman did not buy into the omerta, but the vast majority of people who should have commented on the Obama capitulation to Bibi Netanyahu have so far towed the line.  

            This is both unfortunate and foolhardy.  The die has been cast, and there will be a vote—sooner or later—at the UN Security Council.  It may, if the Obama Administration has its way, take months for that showdown vote to occur.  But it will occur, and likely, in the meantime, the PA will win General Assembly approval for non-member observer state status.  This will give the Palestinians access to the International Court of Justice and other UN bodies.  I know that senior Israeli Defense Force officers are very unhappy at the prospect of having to restrict their overseas travels, based on pending complaints and threats of arrest or interrogation. 

            The behavior of President Obama in New York—his patronizing scolding of the Palestinians in his address to the General Assembly, his pressure on Security Council member states like Nigeria, Gabon and Bosnia Herzegovina, to abstain from a Security Council vote on Palestinian full UN membership, and worst of all, his groveling with Bibi—cannot be swept under the rug.  An apparently deep rift has opened between Washington and Paris, after French President Sarkozy offered an alternative mediation to Washington’s hardline stance against any Palestinian action at the UN.  President Obama, according to my White House sources, pitched a fit that the French are suggesting that all roads to Middle East peace do not pass through Washington.  Europe is deeply divided over the fate of Palestine.  Saudi Arabia stepped in on the eve of the General Assembly to provide the PA with $200 million and a promise of further Gulf states aid, thus offsetting the Israeli freeze on tax payments to the PA and the anticipated U.S. Congress cut off of aid. 

            The next step is uncertain, but clearly the events in New York City last week and this will be looked back upon as a watershed.  The U.S.-led Middle East peace process has been shown for what is has been since at least the day that Bill Clinton left office, and maybe earlier:  all process and no peace.  Abbas has, for the moment, emerged from the shadows of the late Yasser Arafat and established himself as a leader in his own right.  It was a deft political move. The PA and Fatah are strengthened.  All of the good will that President Obama garnered from his Cairo speech in 2009 and his address to the same UN General Assembly in Sept. 2010 has been squandered, ostensibly in order to retain a few Jewish votes and the hope of continuing AIPAC largess.  I doubt he will realize either. 

Comments

[JohnH]

Makes you wonder why Sarko, once an avid competitor to Britain's status as Washington's lapdog, is challenging Washington on this issue. Did Washington stiff his dreams of a big French share of the booty in Libya?

Given that Sarko's main challenger might come from LePen, a notorious Muslim basher, why would he appear to appease Muslims now?

It's very intriguing that Obama seems intent on surpassing Bush in one of the few areas where Bush really excelled--his ability to alienate friends and generate animosity.

[William R. Cumming]

So any immediate consequences for the PL or Israel for their efforts last week?

[Matthew]

Congress is in a difficult spot. It wants to please Jewish doners by taking a hard line on the Palestinians' (surprising) show of independence. See http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/u-s-lawmaker-palestinians-must-return-to-peace-talks-or-suffer-possible-divestment-1.386872

But if the US withdraws aid, then the first Palestinian to be pink-slipped will be PM Fayyad, the US/World Bank's
candidate for future leader of Palestine.

Without US money, Fayyad is a politician who won 2% of the vote.

BTW, if we are "good faith" broker, why is the USG so angry? The Palestinians supposedly are only hurting themselves.

[Bill]

Glad to hear you say that, I was noticing the same silence myself. On of the many negative side effects of the silence is the US's complete inability to formulate a next-day plan. What happens next? Currently the US and Israel still have their heads buried in the sand, still trying to prevent the Palestinian bid without ever dealing with it. At some point, someone is going to have to talk about moving forward.

[Norbert M Salamon]

For Sarko there are two things to remember: he wants in on Libya's oil, where the Muslims seem to get to power, and two has over 2 million Muslims in France.

[Norbert M Salamon]

Saudi just offered $200 million, and indicated that other Gulf countries will contribute.

[Fred]

"...there will be a vote—sooner or later—at the UN Security Council..."

Yes indeed, just in time for the election. At least he's keeping one campaign promise 'change'. Hope? Not so much.

[Jose]

"The deafening silence in Washington," translate to we lost and must change the conversation.

Time to "wag the Persian cat," expect something utterly stupid and soon.

[schwifty]

(Not completely) off topic. It went viral for the awkward hilarity at 4:45. Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nsHCgCfLe_I

[steve]

As far as the next day goes, I'm guessing that the "strategy" might still be to make Abbas some deal he can't refuse, whatever that could be. As wikileaks showed, he is the ultimate patsy, but hopefully there's been a permanent change in the man. I still don't trust him though.

The Quartet plan seems to have been rejected by Abbas outright, but there may well be a lot of devil in its details.

Other than that, Israel can always gin up some conflict--Lebanon perhaps--to put Palestine on the backburner.

Recognition of Palestinian rights is still as much a long slog as it was a year ago.

[Roy G.]

Actually, the challenge is coming from the other wing; the left just won control of the upper house of the French Parliament, which they haven't held in over 50 years. This is being called an 'earthquake' in French politics, and a dire omen for the re-election hopes of 'Sarko L'Americain.'

http://ind.pn/rjaRVJ

[Will Reks]

Well, this would really be the first time if, as you say, he is alienating and generating animosity from western allies.

[Anna-Marina]

"The deafening silence in Washington" ... they thought that prostitution is easy

[Medicine Man]

There doesn't need to be a complex explanation for Sarkozy's behavior. The eastern Med is of strategic interest to a good chunk of Europe, including France. As the US proves to be unable to craft a workable policy, others are stepping into the gulf. The French are just slightly less constrained than their neighbors.

[YT]

Col. sir,

Hate to be the devil's advocate here but what will U.N. membership mean for the Palestinians?

Economic progress?

A stronghold (with adequate water resource, recognized currency, as well as other brick-&-mortar, i.e. essential infrastructure for a functioning modern state?) against israeli incursions (I believe you remember what happened to the Lebanese)?

The further involvement of Russia & China in the region's affairs?

Political in-fighting in the near future between PA & fatah a possibility as they seek to win heart-&-minds of the hoi polloi?

The strengthening of israel's various radical right-wing factions?

What have I missed?

[The beaver]

This is the reason why Abbas rejected the Quartet plan:

http://turtlebay.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2011/09/23/quartet_statement_on_middle_east_peace_strangely_silent_on_settlements

Israeli settlements!

[The beaver]

This has been the policy of the French govt for nearly 30 yrs: Palestinian statehood
http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/envoy/french-envoy-backs-u-mideast-peace-push-203925537.html

There are more Muslims and/or Arabs (4:1)than Jews in France and the Sarky is doing everything to win another term. Even before "la droite" lost the Senate, he has been the indirect target of corruption:
check the affaire "Takieddine" or the Karachi affair
Here is a brief:
http://idiotsinpower.blogspot.com/2010/11/karachi-affair.html
Then there is the case of the bags of money from some African despots: re: FrançAfrique

[turcopolier]

YT

The Palestinians will go to the world court and obtain indictments against a variety of Israeli military and civil officials on the basis of violation of international law against a sovereign state. this will severely restrict the travel of those indicted. that is called leverage in this political struggle. pl

[YT]

Col. sir,

"indictments against a variety of Israeli military and civil officials on the basis of violation of international law against a sovereign state"

I dunno. The alter kockers are a cunning bunch.

Not that I favor them ragheads.

Don't wish to be naysayer, but I see more trouble ahead (read "strengthening of israel's various radical right-wing factions").

[J]

Colonel,

And the 'biggie' I hope for (in addition to Israel's head cheezes having to stand criminally accountable for their nation's murder of our U.S. Citizens and others), putting Israel's nuclear thingy in a vise with a pair of Burdizzos clamped on its nukesac. Far too long has Israel had the luxury of bullying others (U.S. included) with their threats of using their nuclear weapons stuff. Time to end their game in this arena once and for all. Peons like Israel have no business with nuke toys, they have proven they can not function without adult supervision.

[Phil Giraldi]

As Harper notes in his lead-in, one of the most astonishing things about this story is that there is no story. The US media "disappeared" it almost immediately and one has to assume that the US will slow down the process in the Security Council as much as possible in hopes that by the time the vote actually takes place it will not benefit from being on the stage provided by the opening of the UN session and therefore won't matter as much and can be dismissed. Also, Washington's coercion of other nations to vote no or abstain will be ongoing. Obama is increasingly showing himself to be a despicable and shallow individual who cannot see the needs of our Republic when they conflict with his narrow self interest.

[Matthew]

Question: Are we going to see any follow through by the Saudis based on Turki's op ed?

[turcopolier]

Matthew

you are already seeing it in the formation of a bloc made up of SA, Pakistan and China. pl

[elkern]

(OT - sorry)
Why can I see the Comments on this thread but not most others? Ever since the format change (boo), I can only see comments on a couple topics. I see comments (now) on:
Harper's "Deafening Silence"
Silverman's "Oy Vey"
"Dangerous" to whom
Lifton's "Obama can win by losing"
...but comments on all other threads on the main page just don't show up when I click the links. (Doesn't matter whether I click "Comments" or the topic Title).

I think (not sure) that it's inconsistent; I don't think I could see any yesterday.

I miss y'all - this is by far the best "web forum" I've found.

[William R. Cumming]

Some evidence the Cairo speech by President Obama won him the NOBEL PEACE PRIZE! There may well be buyers remorse with the NOBEL Committee.