By Bassam Abu Sharif
(Sunday, October 2, 2011)
Courtesy Of "Media Monitors Network"
On March 26 of this year, Salam Fayyad , Prime Minister of Palestine reminded Mr. Gates, the U.S minister of defence of the importance of U.S.A fulfilling its promises to the Palestinians. One promise is the USA`s commitment to recognize the independence of Palestinians on a sovereign state to be established on the 1967 occupied areas of the West Bank and Gaza, (including east Jerusalem), after ending the Israeli occupation.
Is this realistic? Will the U.S.A fulfill its commitment to the Palestinians? This looks questionable after having a close look at the evelopments within the peace process in the Middle East.
To start with, one should keep in mind the consecutive retreats of Washington, in facing Israel`s defying attitude to the efforts to push the peace process forward.
The latest , after the American Veto against stopping the illegal Israeli blatant expropriation of Palestinian land and constructing new settlements, protected by Israeli border guards and army.
The White House looks crippled when it comes to Israel's arrogant refusal to comply with U.N. resolutions especially resolutions 242 and 338 of the U.N. Security Council that forbid Israel from usurping Palestinian land or building colonies in the 1967 occupied areas, or changing the demographic nature of east Jerusalem.
Israeli Governments, since the assassination of Isaac Rabin had been reluctant to go ahead in implementing the signed agreements to put an end to occupation of Palestine in stages.
In fact, these governments were acting with a detrimental attitude to the achievement of peace. This shows clearly that none of these governments look the two state solution seriously .
During a reception held in Tel Aviv by “Shimon Peres Peace Center" - “Mr. Peres told me, "it seens that your friend (he meant Arafat) is serious about having an independent state." When I said "of course" he looked at me and said “we'll never take that seriously. It is autonomy that we thought of." I believe Mr. Peres. All Israeli governments are committed to Ben Gurions original plan; Israel... from sea to River Jordan... a Jewish state. After 22 years, the agreements signed in Washington, and guaranteed by the U.S., Europe Union and where the U.S was directly involved were not implemented. They were hampered, and frozen bluntly by Israel since Benjamin Netanyahu`s first premiership. The only plans Israel governments were busy with were those of the expansion and Judaization of East Jerusalem , and creating a racist de facto pure Jewish state over historical Palestine (from sea to River Jordan).
All this was carried out without any Israeli worry of American orEuropean opposition or pressure.
Even the latest ideas of Benjamin Natenyahu (P.M of Israel) of a temporary autonomous entity for the Palestinians or small human enclaves in the West Bank, under the security control of the Israeli army, of these islands and the borders, was not argued by the U.S.A
Mitchell, the ex-senator who worked out the peace agreement in Ireland, didn’t fail to step forward with the peace process an the Middle East. George Mitchell who started his mission in the M.E optimistically, distributing smiles of a successful negotiator was slapped and lashed with the attitude of the Israeli Government on expansion, building new settlements on confiscated Palestinian land constructing the separation wall and Judaizing Jerusalem.
What added to Mitchell's dismay was the ridiculous attitude of the White House, the State Department and the Pentagon.
The Walls and halls of the “Cosmos Club" of Washington D.C echoed few months ago the dispute between American power centres on the Middle East peace process.
That started with the appointment of the veteran negotiator Dennis Ross as envoy to the Middle East.
To the astonishment of George Mitchell “The Envoy” whispers spread through the powerful lobbies of the American capital, that the appointment of Dennis Ross is a last straw to push Mitchell to resign.
Dean Ross is known for that he doesn’t meet nor negotiate with Palestinians so his appointment was justified, as a friend of the Israel who
can convince Benjamin Natenyahu of accepting new American ideas on Peace in the Middle East. Dennis Ross is known in Washington to be the best advocate of Israel and its Plans (no matter what). On the other side, Dennis Ross is known to be the best “Marketing officer" of Israeli ideas in Washington. He is also known to manipulate skill fully political issues in the context of strategy of the U.S.A and security of both U.S.A. and it surrogate Israel.
Regular guests of “Cosmos" in the capital Washington, say that both George Mitchell and Dennis Ross are often in clash on Middle East Peace Process issues.
George Mitchell meets both Israelis and Palestinians while Dennis Ross cooks his food with Benjamin Netenyahu only. The tension between the two created, indirectly, two camps in Washington on the Middle East Peace Process . Although the two don’t differ on keeping the strategic support to Israel and avoiding Jewish anger, the tension is basically due to Ross`s gradual control of the negotiations!!
Ross, in Charge of “Iran Dossier" in Washington is keeping it under his arm while talking to Bibi.
He works on Bibi by giving Israel more and convincing Washington to accept the “less” of Natenyahu.
He does this skillfully in the framework of global Strategy of the U.S.A and its National Security. Ross makes sure, always, that his game “must serve Israel most".
Circles of Cosmos of Washington D.C say that the administration is paralysed and mal functioning on the M.E Peace Process.
The “weightless situation" of the administration in Washington, gave Ross an upper hand in the Middle East process.
Cleary, due to the inability of the administration to convince Israel, to prolong the freezing of construction of settlements in the West Bank, Ross was urgently envoyed to Israel with a package offer. (This time a la Ross) security and strategy framework.
But when Israel turned down Ross' Package, very few in Washington had an idea about what Ross had done in Tel-Aviv and Jerusalem.
What did Ross do in Israel?
A Question that was never answered honestly?!!
Ross reported very honestly on his talks with the Israel officials. Every word in that report which was read by Obama and Clinton was correct and honest.
But Ross didn’t report it all.
Ross can be under oath and say that all what was in the report was correct but no one thought of asking him, under oath, whether he reported it all, or decided to (for reason) keep out a part, as his little secret with Natenyahu.
Many might consider what I write here as incredible but it is a fact.
Ross didn’t discuss freezing of settlement for another three months as the priority issue of Washington. He dwelled most of the time on the benefits he can collect for Israel on both strategic and security levels.
He told Natenyahu that the administration is disabled and is disfuntioning on the Middle East and that this allows Israel to get lot of benefits in return for a formality (freezing Settlement for 3 moremonths), that will soon end, to give a big push to building more settlements.
Iran's Dossier was the bulk of the talks between the two.
The second issue Dennis Ross discussed with Bibi was the alternatives to the 2-states solution.
Both agreed that such a stale-mate can’t last for ever.
The Israeli Prime Minister , considered the security offer (defense assurances ) and the offer of U.S. diplomatic support to Israel , that Dennis Ross offered a bilateral matter which he accepted and thanked the U.S.A for offering them . But he gave nothing in return. He refused to prolong the moratorium on “settlements expansion freeze'" but he agreed with Dennis Ross to present “Israeli Ideas" on a settlement with the PNA , that is transitional and yet satisfies the need of the disabled American administration to present the Palestinians with a “Pulpable Step” that can be considered a proof of U.S. intention to fulfill its promises of a two-State Solution: autonomy on parts of the West Bank to be offered in September 2011.
Dennis Ross is Playing a key role now, not only as a pivotal engineer of USA policy shaping in the Middle East generally, but also in the particular detailed architecture of USA policy Visa vis IRAN and the Israeli Palestinian Peace Process.
This role was not Foreseen when Ross joined the new administration of Obama as an advisor to Hillary Clinton in the State Department.
The “indespesibility” of Ross to the administration became very clear when Obama needed to reduce the rising tension between the administration, Benjamin Netanyahu and the American Jewish community, on the Middle East Peace Process.
Ross was envoyed to Israel to reassure the Israelis of USA's care to its security and support, and publicly addressed American Jews on the matter. Dennis Ross is a faithful Zionist American Jew.
His grandchildren are born Israel citizens.
Dennis Ross is a skillful, shrewd negotiator who acquired a rich experience during the Reagan and Bush Eras. This is the general impression
Ross and the Jewish community in the USA like to keep in the minds of Americans.
But the fact that any person with a normal I.Q. can read is that Ross had led the USA into a series of failures in negotiating Peace in the Middle East, which makes Ross a chief advocate of Israeli expansion, rather than an honest broker/negotiator.
Ross can’t be a fair negotiator, since he doesn’t deal except with the Israeli side.
Ross background provides a very clear explanation to the dangerous and “Counter Peace" role he plays in the Middle East.
The question mark on Dennis Ross real role in the game of peace in the M.E was raised earlier during the Camp David talks between Barak, Arafat and Clinton.
Arafat opened his eyes widely where he realized that Ross ideas were not “American" they were very similar to the secret information he got from his sources, in Israel, on Israeli ideas to be discussed in Camp David, under the general title "American Ideas”.
Ross managed to insert Israel's ideas into the mind of Clinton to present them in the meeting as American Proposals. That is why some consider Ross a failure as a fair American negotiator while Israelis consider him a skillful, trusted negotiator.
At the Present moment, in spite of the suspicions, certain circles in Washington raise about Ross’s prejudiced attitude in the Middle East, the administration sees in him a key player because of his excellent relations with the Israelis.
For those in the administration who think that the American administration is using Ross to tame Israel, it will be a farce rather than an agreement.
Someone having dinner in Cosmos with few friends who are frequent visitors of the White House said: we will see who will lead who, "Ross is committed to Israel."
The ties (strong ones) of Dennis Ross to Israel have many element that make it implacable.
Few might remember that Dennis Ross was the head of the “Jewish People Policy Institute“ of Jerusalem. This is a Think Tank established by the Jewish Agency to help Israel manipulate the U.S policy in the M.E and to influence the American Policy Making on the Middle East and in Particular on the Palestinian issue.
His relation and ties to Israel became warmer after his son Gabe Married an Israeli which makes his grand children Israelis "before they get their American citizenship" an acquaintance of Dennis Ross confined to me, while having a drink in the Washington’s Cosmos, that “Dennis Ross is fanatic Jew who is more faithful to Israel than the Israelis".
The man, who is very close to the American – American Mill in Washington said “USA to Dennis Ross is a source of wellbeing and security to Israel".
This acquaintance of Ross is an American Jew who is worried about the outcome of Ross' Policy, and the way it is going to reflect itself negatively on American Jews. Ross is now holding the ropes of the Middle East in a global strategic form.
But out of all middle East of all Middle East developments Ross focuses on “consultations" with Israel as USA's partner on strategies and security priorities: basically to delay American pressure (if any) on Israel to comply with the two state solution, and Iran.
The Ross skillfulness is on Iran, is nothing but listening , coordinating and adopting Israeli ideas and plans against Iran.
Under the Security pledges of Obama to Israel, Ross initiated and started a very secret project in the Negev Desert. Scientist from the USA and Israel who had been supplied with the secret information on the type of machines Iran use for the uranium enrichment(document carried to the USA by general Ali Azgheri who defected to the USA carrying valuable documents on IRANS Nuclearplans, Projects and Computers). The team (financed by the USA) is working day and night on tests that will enable Israel and the USA to destroy Iran’s enriched uranium and cripple the enrichment process. Israeli and American submarines , carrying sensitive devices to spy on developments in the Iran Nuclear program. Submarines are using waters of certain Gulf States like Bahrain and Qatar.
The approach of Dennis Ross differs from the approach of George Michelle on how to achieve peace in the Middle East, and how to solve the Palestinian – Israeli Conflict.
The administration is supposed to fulfill its promises to the Palestinians. Dr. Salam Fayyad's Statement is based on documented American Pledges. That is why he’s is so confident to request a fulfillment of the American Promises and Pledges by September 2011.
Mitchell believes that negotiations must continue, no matter what. He believes that if negotiations continue are bound to reach an agreement.
Ross is Skeptical about this, and prefers working with Israel only to achieve!!!
The ceiling of Obama's administration on the Solution is more or less the same as Clinton's Plan of 2000.
But this, according to Ross is not valid any more.
Mitchell tries to adhere to it while Ross is pushing for a new American perspective which is closer to Ben Gurion's original plan for the West Bank, modified a 'la Netanyahu's vision.
That was true until the Middle East latest devlopement started (or were ignited).
Ross is now offensively calling for a draw back of the USA from the Middle East Process, as an involved patron. Ross wants the USA to lead the management only. (An Israel veteran journalist told me, that this is the advice of Netanyhu to the Administration). Mitchell wants negotiations to be resumed.
Until now Obama had taken the “absentee–lord" attitude, while the rest of the Administration are still actively involved.
There is no much time to be patient on Washington's "dysfunction", or the Palestinian Israel contradiction, especially in view of the massive military activity Obama had ordered in the M.E to help" Freedom, Democracy and Popular demands".
The question which is spreading quickly in Washington D.C. now is “what about the Freedom of Palestinians? What about the American Promise about the Palestinian Dream?
These questions add weight to the Mitchell opinion but will Ross allow this?
One must keep a close look and observe carefully any developments on the Iranian front and on the Shiaa's unrest in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain. The skillful Denis Ross might listen to Netnyahu's advice on besieging Iran militarily and sending an ultimatum to Ahmadinejad on the Nuclear activities of Iran.
This can happen if Israel and other influential circles present reports (not necessarily true) on Iran's involvement in Saudi Arabia's unrest. Experts on middle east, however, who are orientalists can immediately put forward the intervention that: Middle East is an area that can always come with the "unexpected”.
This is true.
It might be a surprise to many including the “Advocate" to see an uprising (bloody one this time) erupting in Palestine!! Before the end of 2011.
The secret meetings that were held between Netanyahu and President Abbas in Russia, served the view of Mitchell but didn’t achieve palpable conclusions. This is anyway, what Mitchell is after. But Ross is still working for a USA “sorting” of the Pledge.
The secret meetings that were held between Netanyahu and President Abbas in Russia, served the view of Mitchell but didn’t achieve palpable conclusions. This is anyway, what Mitchell is after. But Ross is still working for a USA “sorting” of the Pledge.
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