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Is Israeli flexibility a hoax?The POST, Sun, Jan,06, 2008.Pervaiz Iqbal Cheema
As far as the pressures on Israel are concerned, there is only one country which can exert some pressures on Israel and that is United States. The past history tells us that US has always tried to protect the interests of the Israelis and has never given same weight to Arab cause as it has consistently done for Israel. Many reasons account for this policy. Among the factors that are actively influencing US Middle East policies, perhaps the most significant is the existence of a powerful Israeli lobby in US. This lobby is so influential that very few American politicians would even attempt to annoy them. On the contrary almost every one engaged in electioneering campaign, be it for presidential race or for securing seats in the American Congress. In addition, the Jewish lobby also makes substantial monetary contributions for the campaign. It is a well known fact that to contest any election in US, one needs substantive amount of money. Even more important is the control of media by the Jewish lobby. Not only the Jews in US either out rightly own or have controlling shares in most of the popular TV networks and leading newspapers and magazines. Given the power of media these days, to win an election without the support of the media is indeed somewhat unrealistic. On the contrary, a hostile media can irreparably damage the chances to win even that of a good candidate. Another set of powerful institutions that the Jews are controlling in US are financial institutions which includes banks, insurance companies and other financial institutions. The control of media and financial institutions makes a lethal combination. Besides, the Jewish organizations in US are extremely well knit and active in many spheres of public life. Their overall influence in the Congress can effectively alter the adopted policies. Despite denial by many quarters in US that their influence is not all that much as it is made out in certain parts of the world, many third world countries have already come to believe that there is no independent foreign policy of the US in areas where the Israeli interests are involved. Perhaps that is why it is repeatedly pointed out that 5000 Jews living in the US are ruling the world. Indeed this could be a bit overstated assertion but it is difficult to deny that the most powerful influence over US policy formulation is the product of Jewish lobbies in the US. Second, many American policy makers, though they may not openly say this, view that the existence of a powerful Israel serves the American interests in the region. It is viewed by many as an American outpost. Not only it serves as a pressurizing tool over the Middle Eastern states but its presence helps in the attainment of regional goals that may include control over oil resources, regime change etc. Third, there exist guilty feelings among many westerns especially the Europeans that the Jews have been brutally treated during the Second World War. Since the end of the war every effort has been made to comfort and facilitate them and their state which practically manifested in extending active support to Israel. Some countries went to the extent apologizing to the Jews for having committed brutalities during the WWII. There is no doubt the Jews were brutally treated during the Second World War and it should not have had happened but this does not mean that they should be given license to kill the Arabs in general and Palestinians in particular. What happened at Sabra and Shattela refugee camps is in way no way different that what the Nazis did to the Jews. It would not be too far fetched to assume that the Americans are unlikely to exert sustained pressure on the Israelis especially in an election year. Almost all presidential candidates are likely to be careful on this account as they fully comprehend the power and influence of the Jewish lobbies in the United States. However it is possible that some pressure may have been exerted to demonstrate to the world that efforts are being undertaken to resolve the issue of Palestine’s independence. The second aspect of the Olmert statement deals with the notion of sharing Jerusalem. The West Bank along with East Jerusalem was captured by the Israeli forces in 1967 war and since then it has maintained a tight control over the captured territories. The Palestinian wants an independent state along with East Jerusalem as their capital. In the past Olmert’s has been dropping hints that Israel would have to withdraw from the West Bank and has signal that he would be prepared to hand over some Arab neighborhoods of East Jerusalem to the Palestinians. However he made it clear that not all of the West bank would be included in the Palestine state but some parts of West Bank would be retained by the Israelis. He acknowledged that Israel had to withdraw from Palestinian territory to preserve itself as a democracy and as a predominantly Jewish state. It is indeed a good omen that an Israeli prime minister reflecting a certain amount of realism. The idea of two states has been endorsed by many countries but not much progress has been made towards the attainment of two independent states of Palestine and Israel despite the fact that so many efforts have already become part of history. The only powerful country that enjoys considerable influence over the Israel is the US. If US is serious, then there is no reason to believe that this objective cannot be achieved. All the US has to do is to maintain consistency in supporting this notion of two states and simultaneously exert regular pressures on Israel to make efforts in order to facilitate the desired advent of two independent states. The recent launch of a negotiation process between President Mehmoud Abbas and the Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert is indeed a good omen which needs to be supported by all concerned. At the same time it is imperative that Israelis should cease their almost regular military and air strikes against the Palestinians. Such strike could result in undesired incident which can impede the process rather effectively. It may not be out of order to enlist the support of not just European but also the leading Muslim countries such as Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, Pakistan etc. I would even suggest that Iran should also be involved in the process but given the incumbent level of antagonism that has been demonstrated by the US in the recent past, it may not be all that realistic to give practical shape to this suggestion. If the negotiations are carried forward in good faith and the powerful influential countries continue to extend their honest support to the process, one can be reasonably assured that soon some positive result would be witnessed. Cognizant of the complexities involved in resolving the Palestine question, it is imperative to arrange some kind of truce not just among the Palestinians but the Israelis should also desist from keeping their fingers all the time on the triggers.
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