Santa is Not Coming to Palestine

Jafar M. Ramini Salem-News.com-Dec-23-2013 What is it that makes our leaders tread the same path over and over and over again, knowing that it can only lead to disaster?

(LONDON) - Its the Sunda !efore "hristmas. London is wearin# its $art froc%& the li#hts are #litterin#' the !ells are chimin#& the thron# of sho$$ers are streamin# u$ and down the streets. (a$$ and )o ous are the all. *nd here I am' a +alestinian e,ile' a #randfather' a father and a hus!and' tr in# to !rin# some of this ha$$ mood into a corner of London that I call m little +alestine. *mon#st all this' m heart and thou#hts are with m $eo$le !ac% home' #oin# throu#h the most arduous winter on record. Snow has co-ered the entire Middle .ast in the last wee% or so. +alestinians inside +alestine' in the refu#ee cam$s dotted around the *ra! world are all at the merc of the elements. /a0a is not onl totall !esie#ed and free0in# !ut is also flooded ! sewa#e' courtes of the e-er merciful Israelis. In the 1est 2an% the decided this harsh winter wee% was a #ood time to cut the electricit . *fter all' the ille#al settlers need it more. I did not deli!eratel sit down to write a lament or a sad $iece' !ut the situation is -er sad and where we are headin# is totall lamenta!le. I refer here to the on #oin#' utterl useless' not to sa crin#e-ma%in# and -omit inducin# charade that is still unfoldin# in Jerusalem' Ramallah and *mman under the name of 3$eace ne#otiations. 1hat is it that ma%es our leaders tread the same $ath o-er and o-er and o-er a#ain' %nowin# that it can onl lead to disaster4 5he $ath I s$ea% of is the one leadin# ine-ita!l towards 5he 1est in #eneral and to 1ashin#ton D" in $articular. (ow is it $ossi!le that a leader of +alestine can $lace his trust in the hands of the 6nited States of *merica when administration after administration' since (arr 5ruman' has !een firml ' su!ser-ientl ' faithfull on the side of Israel4 In a s$eech on Decem!er 7th' )ust two wee%s a#o' the current $residin# 3$eace ne#otiator' 6S Secretar of State' John 8err ' descri!ed the 6S as 9the honest !ro%er:. (ow does that wor% when' in the same s$eech' the 3honest !ro%er stated' 9I ha-e s$ent almost ;< ears in the 6S State Senate' and I am $roud of m =<<> -otin# record for Israel:4 (e went on to eulo#i0e a!out Nelson Mandela. Ma !e he for#ot it was Mr. Mandela who said' 91e %now too well that our freedom is incom$lete

without the freedom of the +alestinians.: 2ut' of course' Mr. 8err s o-er-ridin# concern is the sur-i-al and the securit of Israel at an cost to us' the +alestinians. (e went on further to sa that' 9the onl wa to secure Israels lon#-term future and securit will !e achie-ed throu#h direct ne#otiations that se$arate +alestinians and Israelis.: Isnt this *$artheid' Mr. 8err 4 *s if that isnt enou#h' 8err also went on to descri!e +alestinian Israelis as a 9demo#ra$hic time !om!: and an 9e,istential threat to Israel:. 1hat are ou callin# for' Mr. 8err 4 * total ethnic cleansin# of +alestinians out of +alestine4 Lets see now what Mr. 8err actuall means ! 3direct ne#otiation. *ccordin# to lea%s $u!lished ! man mainstream Israeli news outlets he means? @ Demilitari0ation of the new State of +alestine' under 6S control. @ +uttin# the !orders !etween +alestine and Jordan under )oint IsraeliA+alestinian control. Maintaining an Israeli military presence on the western side of the River Jordan. Installing Israeli early-warning stations on the eastward slopes of the West Bank highlands. Postponement of arrangements for the final stat s of !a"a #trip. $eaving the !a"ans% as ever% &esieged and in lim&o and &ereft from the main &ody of Palestine. Do the +alestinians ha-e a sa in an of this' Mr. 8err 4 (a-e the an ri#hts4 5his a$$ears to !e a list Israeli demands. Is this what 3honest !ro%erin# *merican st le loo%s li%e4 Meanwhile' while he was in South *frica for the funeral of the late Nelson Mandela' Mr. *!!as firml re)ected the cam$ai#n in South *frica to !o cott and di-est from Israel. 91e are not callin# for the !o cott of Israel': he said. 91e are callin# for a !o cott of $roducts from the settlements.: Bou see' when the she$herd cant ta%e care of his floc% how can we !lame the $rowlin# wolf4 Bes' were told that our 3friendl relationshi$s with 5he 1est and *merica are a must if we are to achie-e our #oals. 1e ha-e to !efriend an !od and e-er !od who will ser-e our interest. Cine. *merica is the one and onl remainin# su$er-$ower !ut when ou %now that the most $owerful countr in the world is tuc%ed in !ed with our enem what do ou do4 1ithout *merican mone ' arms and total su$$ort Israel would not e,ist. *merica has $ro-ed on man occasions that the sur-i-al' securit and su$remac of Israel in the re#ion are $aramount to her interests. Ne-er for#et what Moshe Da an once said' 9 Our friends' the *mericans #i-e us mone ' #i-e us arms and #i-e us ad-ice. 1e ta%e the mone ' we ta%e the arms' we i#nore the ad-ice.:

5his is the latest $ronouncement from the 3$eace see%er' Mr. 2en)amin Netan ahu in res$onse to the *merican reDuest 3to refrain from the announcement of further settlements in the 1est 2an% and Occu$ied 5erritories. '1e are committed to !uildin# and e,$andin# settlements': he said' 95el *-i- will not !e $ressured into haltin# its settlement acti-ities.: (e was -er adamant. 91e are !uildin# and wor%in# in full #ear': he stated. 91e will !uild and de-elo$ e-er where' includin# in the settlements.: It was as if *merica had not e-en s$o%en. I cant hel$ !ein# reminded of *riel Sharons re$rimand to his then Corei#n Minister' Shimon +eres' when +eres cautioned him not to u$set the *mericans. '1e Jews own *merica': said Sharon' 9*nd the *mericans %now it.: 1hen our 3$artner in $eace is not e-en remotel interested in $eace then wh carr on4 1hen the so-called ar!itrators of $eace are o$enl slanted towards our foe' wh %ee$ trustin# them4 1hen the facts on the #round s$ea% -olumes of their continued occu$ation' coloni0ation and ethnic cleansin# of our $eo$le and land' wh in /ods name do ou continue on this $ath to o!li-ion4 1hen in)ustice !ecomes law' re!ellion !ecomes a dut . *s Dr. Martin Luther 8in# said' 9"owardice as%s the Duestion' is it e,$edient4 *nd then e,$edience comes alon# and as%s the Duestion' is it $olitic4 Eanit as%s the Duestion' is it $o$ular4 "onscience as%s the Duestion' is it ri#ht4: Is it ri#ht' Mr. 8err ' that ou reward the thief and $unish the -ictim4 Is that 35he *merican 1a 4