While Obama has announced his opposition to a unilateral declaration of a Palestinian state, the administration’s efforts to convince other countries to follow suit have been underwhelming at best.
Lost in the chaos of budget negotiations, downgrades, war tragedies and stock market crashlets was the news that U.S. ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice didn’t bother to show up to the final open UNSC debate before the vote on unilateral declaration of Palestinian statehood. Rice, who may have been responsible for then-candidate’s Kerry’s suggestion that Mideast policy be put in the reliably anti-Israel hands of Jimmy “Hangin’ with Hamas” Carter and James “F*** the Jews” Baker, passed up the opportunity to forcefully advocate against this deeply irresponsible course of action that will heighten the conflict and decrease prospects for actual peace.
Imposing a “solution” from the outside will do nothing to bring peace between the sides. It brings no reconciliation. It will, however, intensify the conflict over the areas controlled and inhabited by Israel that the United Nations suddenly decrees to be part of the newly-minted nation of Palestine. This “solution” is a lashing out by those who want to seize territory from Israel, a harbinger of strife, not of peace.
Bruised as we may be, America remains the world’s lone superpower, and despite Obama’s retreat from America’s noble traditions (in this and so many other ways), among the few powers of any significance friendly to Israel. America should be leading on this issue. I guess the administration was leading from behind. The door. And maybe a few hundred miles of real estate.
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