Thursday, June 4, 2009

Half measures avail us nothing.....


Words without deeds at the presidential level make me feel uneasy and unsatisfied.  So it was with the Obama speech in Cairo.  Looks 10, Dance 3---a refrain I have used before with Barack.  Seems applicable here.

Give him credit for a bold move in traveling to the Middle East and starting to build the bridges that all sides will have to cross to reach accomodation and true cooperation with each other.

The speech disappointed at the level of action and decisiveness, especially with respect to the issue of Israeli settlements in the West Bank and Arab intransigence over the issue of Israel's right to exist as a secure nation-state.  The moment went begging for a bold initiative.

I don't see how peace can be achieved in the region without the Israelis agreeing to stop augmenting settlement activity in every way.  Every new building, every new wave of settlers into the region is a provocation, without real long term payoff to a state that wishes to remain a primarily Jewish nation.  I have seen the walls at the West Bank with my own eyes, and they sicken and depress me.  

History on the Arab side of the ledger is saddening and unacceptable, too.

Barack is the right man at a uniquely urgent moment in history here.  He can lead all of us to the Promised Land, but the policies and decisions have to change, too, and not just the rhetoric.

 

2 comments:

  1. Rattling the Cage: Imagine Palestinian settlers in Israel

    http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1244371064673&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

    Perhaps this shows the Obama effect. Yes more words but...

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  2. Agree with the perspective, though I was surprised that the JP published this....guess change is happening everywhere....

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