By Arthur Piccolo
News Americas, NEW YORK, NY, Thurs. Jan. 1, 2014: So to start the New Year, we get to find out if there is any resolution to be found in President Obama as he begins his final two years.
And the opportunity comes from the Palestinians.
On New Year’s Eve, the Palestinian Authority made a very reasonable request to be admitted to a variety of international organizations that the U.S. and over a hundred other nations all belong. These are organizations that bring stability and cooperation to our often unruly global community.
So what is the so far unofficial response from The White House while Obama and family are still freckling on vacation in Hawaii?
SURPRISE! THREATS of new sanctions against Palestinians for their “terrible” act of joining various international organizations of cooperation and having the audacity to act the way we want everyone else to do.
After ignoring my media partners for quite a few episodes recently let me bring in The New York Times very early in this episode. First not any Times reporters but the most popular comments from readers of the New York Times’ story about the Palestinian moves announced today. The article is titled “Palestine Joins Hague Criminal Court, Risking U.S. Sanctions.”
As I write the article has already resulted in 577 comments. The most popular so far with 612 “likes” is …
“Good for them. Any fair minded person should accept that Palestinians, like the Israelis, have the right to make sovereign decisions for their respective peoples. Sadly my government has become too compromised (evidence for which will shortly become abundant I suspect) to act as an honest broker in respect to Israel.”
The second most popular with 593 “likes” ..
“It is amazing that the U.S. would threaten to impose crippling sanctions on the Palestinians for applying to join an international court that 122 other nations have joined. Well, perhaps not that amazing considering how the U.S. has used its influence so far…”
And #3 most popular comments with 544 “likes” …
“I have no problem with Israel. But as an American I think I speak for the vast majority of Americans when I say the bizarre one-sided favoritism to Israel needs to end. I understand why it started in the Cold War and the peace with Egypt. But it is not the Cold War anymore.”
“We are normalizing relations with Cuba. Because people see through the shrill loud fringe of a few Cuban Americans. For good reason those Cuban Americans hate the Castro regime. But their approach is obviously dated and failed. Such time has passed that the vast majority of Cuban Americans, never mind just Americans, are disillusioned with the blind uncompromising demagoguery of a few zealots holding the policy of the USA hostage. Likewise, not even the majority of American Jews like some of the actions of the current Israeli government in recent years, never mind just Americans.”
“Anyone with a brain can see Israel is due for a major diplomatic collapse in the world. I would like to see the USA on the right side of that collapse. But unfortunately, like with the shrill fringe of a few Cuban Americans, the unyielding blind loud few have taken the American government hostage, and the fools do not see what is coming: the current course of Israel is not working, does not work, and does not deserve our support.
“Again, I have no problem with Israel and the existence of Israel. But that does not mean I mindlessly support Israel when it is obviously doing grave wrong. I wish my government would see that too.”
All three are also official New York Times “picks” too!
And the list of similar comments goes on and on.
So why exactly doesn’t the Obama Administration see this matter the same way most Americans do as these comments indicate LOGICALLY? And what exactly does Obama accomplish threatening even more SANCTIONS against Palestinians for the “sin” of acting just as most states do.
The HYPOCRISY knows no bounds at The White House.
UNLESS Obama resolves for the New Year to act very differently and applaud and support the Palestinians for these actions all we can expect from the last two years of the Obama Administration is more of the same ole.
Let me turn to the NY Times article the comments above are in response.
“The step is part of a strategic shift by the Palestinian leadership to pursue statehood in the international arena after decades of failed American-brokered negotiations with Israel. It came a day after the defeat of a United Nations Security Council resolution that demanded an end to Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territory by 2017.”
Later in the article this …
“There is no question mark as to what are the consequences, that there will be immediate American and Israeli financial sanctions,” said Khalil Shikaki, director of the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research in Ramallah. “Those sanctions will gradually become more and more crippling, and this could indeed be the beginning of the end of the P.A. They fully realize that.”
And this …
“The agreements Mr. Abbas signed on Wednesday cover a host of specific cross-border concerns, including organized crime, safety of United Nations workers, biological diversity, hazardous waste, international waterways, nuclear weapons and cluster munitions.”
“But the most significant by far is the one with the International Criminal Court, which was created in 2002 to prosecute genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes. It currently has 122 member states, including most of Western Europe but not Israel or the United States.”
That is 122 member states but not the United States or Israel, and now they want to prevent Palestinians from joining 122 other states there. WHY haven’t they leveled sanctions against the other 122 nation states?
ALL we have here is the “new” Barack Obama for the last two years of his Presidency acting just like the “old” Barack Obama of the first 6 years of his Presidency UNLESS Obama proves otherwise and surprises us.
Don’t count on it. Much more likely …
Obama’s REAL New Year’s RESOLUTION will be…
…… the same ole same ole.
