U.S. Mid-East Policy Still Biased

There is no doubt that when George W. Bush was president the United States was biased toward Israel. That is why there was no progress in Mid-East talks during his administration. A solution to the crises would require both the Israelis and Palestinians to negotiate and compromise -- neither of which Israel wants to do (since they are currently busy stealing Palestinian land and building settlements). But Bush would put no pressure on Israel. Whatever Israel wanted was OK with him.

When President Obama was elected, I was hoping it would result in a more even-handed approach to the Mid-East crises -- that we would pressure Israel to accept a two-state solution while guaranteeing the existence and protection of Israel. But I'm afraid that hope was in vain. Recent actions by the United States confirms that U.S. Mid-East policy is still being dictated by Israel. And Israel is still refusing to go to the negotiating table (or stop building the illegal settlements). Israel also refuses to lift its illegal and inhumane blockade of Palestinian territory.

Since the Israelis won't agree to allowing the Palestinians create their own free and independent nation (a nation not under the control of Israel), the Palestinians are trying something a bit different. They are taking their case to the United Nations -- probably in September of this year. They will ask the United Nations to recognize them as a country (something quite a few nations, especially in Latin America, have already done) and give them a seat in the United Nations. This would put serious pressure on Israel to stop their refusal to negotiate and illegal actions.

But the United States is having none of it, since they still get their marching orders from the Israeli government. Daniel Rubinstein, U.S. General Consul in Jerusalem, has told Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat that the United States will veto any action taken by the Security Council to recognize Palestine. In addition, if Palestine follows through on its promise to go to the United Nations the United States will cut off its economic aid to them (making a desperate situation much worse).

This is inexcusable. The Palestinians should have the right to take their case to the U.N. with reprisals from the United States. This clearly shows that the Obama administration is just as biased toward Israel as the Bush administration was.

The United States needs to re-think its foreign policy regarding Israel. We are still operating from a holocaust guilt (because we did not do enough to prevent the "final solution" in World War II). I can understand the guilt, but that was a long time ago. It should not be guiding our current policy. Israel has a right to exist and be protected, but it does not have the right to abuse other peoples or nations (and that is what's currently happening).