PETER O’CONNOR
Staff Columnist
oconnor@lbknews.com
We explored, on October 14th, a wall Street Journal piece on the subject of the current non-solution to the ongoing situation in Palestine. I thought it would be of interest in our small island community. It may have been; it drew only small response – in the on-line version. This forum, of course, draws responses from a wider audience. As I saw that we had touched a nerve with this exploration I sought further comment,
We seldom, if ever, do this. I did this time.
I invited another comment. The Commenter, well known to me, chose to frame his remarks as a “take on the WSJ article.”
I print his remarks verbatim. Some of you might be surprised.
“Here is my take on the WSJ article. Israel will not be an acceptable neighbor even if Sunni Arab neighbors appear to be friendly. I think it is misplaced hope based on historical fact. The assumption that the Obama Administration may have plans to wreck this “rapprochement” may not be helpful to the two sides, Palestine and Israel. The U.S. has witnessed increased Russian military influence and has been replaced as the key player in that region.
The Russian Navy sat back and fired Cruise Missiles with impunity into Syria. Watching the video reminded me of the cruise missiles strike on Iraq in June 1993 by President Clinton. It appears U.S. Presidents and others have assumed a less restrained approach to preemptive strikes. Needless to say, the later attack on Bagdad by Bush and Blair to bomb that nation back to the Stone Age set a volatile Middle East on a course which has produced consequences.
First, the Russians greatly strengthened their existing naval base, and most recently they erected a missile-protected airbase in Syria. Can their rocket technology be superior if not equal to the task? The U.S. uses Russian rockets to ferry U.S astronauts to the International Space Station.
Second, the U.S electorate saw fit to reelect President Obama. Some might rightly consider this reelection as an approval of foreign policy or possibly tacit approval of a scaling back of U.S. troops on the ground in Afghanistan and Iraqi and even the closing down of foreign prisons, even that one in Cuba where somehow people are held without charge or trial.
The world watches a White House spokesperson tell their story. Then, a State Department spokesperson presents their story, and finally a Pentagon spokesperson presents their story. It appears to audiences as a wobbly three-legged stool that cannot support any America diplomacy.
Third, the real tragedy which transcends the proxy wars in Syria and Yemen are the helpless civilians slaughtered by the tens of thousands. Cluster bombs from America, barrel bombs from Syria, Saudi planes refueled (by) U.S.A.F. aerial tankers, and the daily scenes of carnage and humanity at the brink of death.
Hypothetical meanderings about the nasty deeds of a twice-elected American President in his last days in office may cater to opposing views of the fate of Palestine and Israel but is this pertinent in light of the inhuman acts conducted daily by major world powers? I say to the WSJ, you are better than that.
The WSJ might choose to report the actions of another leader who utilized the power of his office to end the life of a province without any preemptive strike. Judea had its terrorists in the effort to obtain its independence from Rome. The Emperor Hadrian won defeating a terrorist group. The people of Israel fled that part of the ancient world. That scattering would last for some 2,000 years.
Hadrian changed the name of the province from Judea to Palaestina. With the demise of the Ottoman Empire, the British and French carved up the spoils of war without regard to 2,000 years of history, tribal identity, religious belief, or cultural distinction. The Balfour Declaration of November, 1917 became reality in 1947. The son of an African father will leave office without any hysterics at the U.N.”
Brian Duggan, Seymour, Connecticut
