Why is it that every time something big happens in relation to the Middle East, I’m off somewhere and can’t really blog about it? When bin Laden was killed, I was inflight to California from Michigan. And when Obama gave his recent big Middle East speech, I was on my way to northen California to visit family and friends. So, message to the world… next time something big is going to happen, can you please check with me first and make sure I’m ready? Ok, wonderful. (I’m just kidding, don’t get your feathers ruffled)
First, I think it’s important to give Obama credit for criticizing America’s friends and foes alike when it came to the crackdowns and counter-revolutions in the Middle East. I mean, he even spoke of the disgusting sectarian Shi’ite mosque demolitions in Bahrain. But, expectedly, there was no mention of the headquarters of the counter-revolution, the mainstay of dictatorship and tyranny in the Middle East… Saudi Arabia. For the democracy advocates in the Middle East to have a fighting chance, the Saudi dictatorship must be addressed, as well as the Israeli bunker state along the Mediterranean. These two forces are the biggest obstactles to democracy in the region.
The Saudis fear and fight democracy across the region because they don’t want it to serve as an exemplar for action that instigiates a homegrown challenge to its own authoritarian bastion in the Arabian Peninsula, and Israel fears and fights democracy in the Middle East because democracy in the region effectively means the isolation of Israel. No democratic regime in the region can have normal relations with Israel as long as Israel continues to ethnically cleanse Palestine of its native Palestinian population. I mean, even Turkey, a “moderate” democratic state is now at loggerheads with Israel over Israeli policies and its flotilla massacre last summer. Thus, these two regimes, especially the Saudis since they have billions in oil wealth to fund the counter-revolution, must be addressed if there is to be a genuine longterm push towards democratization in the region.
As for Obama’s reference to a two-state solution based on the ’67 borders… it was good to finally hear an American president say what the entire world has long advocated. The fact that there is a backlash from pro-Israeli advocates should tell you something about their longterm strategy: seize as much Palestinian land as fast as possible with totally disregard to the natives living there and keep it all and return as little as possible. And the whole Israeli argument that the ’67 borders are indefensible is a bunch of rubbish. It’s not like Israel was facing extermination from the West Bank Palestinians before Israel seized and occupied that territory in ’67. And Israel has since grown to be a much more formidable fascistic military state since so what’s with all the backlash? Glenn Greenwald effectively summarizes how I feel about the backlash here.
I totally agree with your logic. Where I find major differences is giving Obama any credit, and falling for the 1967 border rubbish.
Obama’s speech was somewhat pretty. He has no choice but to embrace the democratic movements, what else could have he said? The real measure is what has he done to assist it? Another way to look at it is the fact that I have never heard a western leader deny Iran the right to be a free country, but they somehow end up supporting a 1953 coup or backing the Shah or the like. Meaning, where is the proof that Obama actually supports the rubbish that comes out of his mouth. I give you a more specific example: did you know at the exact time when Obama gave his first Norouz address, he gave a Presidential order asking all Naval personel to refer to the Persian Gulf as Arabian Gulf only? Do you know that State Department’s spoke person has now followed suit? That’s action trumping any speech he has given when he said he respected the “great Iranian culture,” even though he was working has to wipe the name of Persia. He referred to Mosque burning in Bahrain, but his administration has done nothing to stop it, in fact, most believe he gave the green light.
Do you really believe the Saudis do anything in a vacuum? Are the Saudis going it alone or they are following the plan dictated to them? When you put our foreign policy in ME, Obama’s attack on Iran during that same speech, and what the Saudi’s are doing, it is all quite consistent. This is a counter war against the wish of the people of that region. When the 1953 coup changed history, the explanation was that it may have been a mistake but “we were worried about the Soviets.” When they bring down the current movements (if they are successful) it will be explained as “we were worried about Muslim Brotherhood or the Iranians.” Why do you think, and in complete step with all the Saudi’s are doing, they are all putting one sanction after another on Iran and Syria. And only on Iran and Syria.
Finally, as for the 1967 rubbish out of his mouth, it was no different to anything anyone else, including Clinton or W, had already said. You missed the sentences that opened the door for land swaps. Everyone has said the negotiations should be based on 1967 borders (that is international law), with land swaps to allow Israel to annex the settlements in the West Bank. That would make the Palestinian West Bank unworkable. I believe this is no different than when Obama said “settlements should freez.” Then, he said ok, we tried. This 1967 business is designed to stop the efforts in the UN to recognize Palestine, then, he’ll say, ok, 1967 borders are not defensible. Has he said anything he has even stood by? And he addressed the AIPAC convention within 24 hours.
Sorry, for my rant earlier, I don’t know which had made me more upset: realizing nothing will change our backward policies in the region as I listened to the man I voted for, or watching my Senators from California get up 50 times to applaud BiBi in (well at least last I checked) our own congress.
What people in this country, and even the administration, don’t realize is that when these images are seen by people in the ME they will trust Obama even less. People are seeing the power of AIPAC over each congressman or woman. Even I was shocked.