Tuesday, May 23, 2017
Will We One Day Look Back and Say that Peace in the Middle East Was President Trump's Greatest Achievement
THE REAL NEWS OF THE DAY -- PEACE IS POSSIBLE. On Monday, Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told President Trump at a press briefing : “I also look forward to working closely with you to advance peace in our region, because you have noted so succinctly that common dangers are turning former enemies into partners,” Netanyahu said. “It won’t be simple. But for the first time in many years -- and, Mr. President, for the first time in my lifetime -- I see a real hope for change." • Then, on Tuesday, as President Trump traveled by motorcade to Bethlehem in the West Bank to meet with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, Associated Press quoted a senior Palestinian official as saying he expects President Trump's visit to the Holy Land to reopen a path toward resuming long-stalled Israeli-Palestinian negotiations. President Trump has said he wants to broker a deal that has proven elusive for the past two decades. The Palestinians want a state in the West Bank, Gaza Strip and east Jerusalem. Abbas advisor Majdi Khaldi told the Voice of Palestine radio that in the short term, renewed negotiations must address the Palestinians' economic problems that are linked to continued conflict and Israeli restrictions on trade and movement. Khaldi said : "This visit will open the way for relaunching the peace process." • • • TRUMP STANDS WITH ISRAEL WHILE COURTING SAUDI ARABIA AND ARABS. Even the Washington Post had to comment on the obvious close friendship between Trump and Netanyahu : "Even by their standards, the bromance between President Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu seemed particularly deep in Jerusalem on Monday. Netanyahu, relaxed and beaming, welcomed the American President to the “united capital of the Jewish state,” the second stop on Trump's overseas tour. 'I think we quote each other,' said Netanyahu, with Trump grinning at his side. 'We understand each other and so much of the things that we wish to accomplish for both our countries.' ” • What a change from the sullen meetings between Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Obama. Netanyahu and Obama disagreed fundamentally over the American role in concluding a nuclear deal with Iran -- a deal that Netanyahu actively lobbied against, even addressing the US Congress to make his case against it. But, the American refusal to veto a UN Security Council resolution on Israeli settlements in the waning weeks of the Obama presidency led to resounding fury from the Israeli government, as well as from most Americans who saw the Obama action as both personally spiteful and a betrayal of America's rock-solid support for Israel. • President Trump displayed a refreshing openness and honesty in addressing both the Saudi-organized Arab/Moslem conclave in Riyadh and with the Israelis gathered in Jerusalem. Trump seems genuinely eager to find a road to peace and, to the disappointment of conservative Israelis, has softened his promise to move the US Embassy to Jerusalem, in order to avoid a gesture that would enrage Palestinians and infuriate the Arab statesmen Trump hopes to enlist in his peace efforts. On the Arab/Moslem side of the delicate balancing act, there is no indication so far that the President is moving to scrap the Iran nuclear deal that Netanyahu and his allies hoped would be jettisoned soon after Trump took office -- that will not happen prior to recommendations in a pending formal policy review about whether the nuclear deal advances vital American national interests. But, Trump's harsh language on Iran must have pleased both the Arab world and the Israelis. Trump said the United States would work with Israel to roll back “the threat of an Iranian regime that is threatening the region and causing so much violence and suffering.” And, Trump's unprecedented visit to the Western Wall, something no sitting American President has ever done because of the sensitivities around the site, included no Israeli political figures, although Netanyahu celebrated the act, telling Trump that the “people of Israel applaud you for it.” As would be expected, leftist Israeli media outlet Haaretz journalist Anshel Pfeffer found fault : “The bottom line is that not only does Trump have no intention of jeopardizing his relations with sunni Arab leaders by moving the US Embassy to Jerusalem, he won’t even make the tiniest gesture in that direction by allowing Netanyahu to join him for a few minutes in the Old City.” On Tuesday, Trump traveled to Bethlehem to meet Palestinian Authority President Abbas, a politician increasingly unpopular at home but still championed by foreign leaders as a key player in arriving at a Mideast peace. Trump has said good things about Abbas, and welcomed him to the White House, but treating Abbas with respect will be meaningless if Trump does not get some movement from the Netanyahu government -- and rumors are floating that Trump has already asked Netanyahu to find ways to help Palestinians grow their economy.” • • • TRUMP TARGETS IRAN. The Heritage Daily Signal's Jarrett Stepman wrote on Tuesday : "Conflicts over policy and philosophy strained the relations between former President Barack Obama and Israeli Prime Minister [Benjamin] Netanyahu and led to distrust between the two countries....Israel plays an essential role in American foreign policy -- and not only in the Middle East. The war against radical Islamists has global implications in which the two countries have overlapping interests....But the national threats of Syria and Iran, which have acted recalcitrantly toward the West and are well-known funders of terrorist groups, are of particular concern and also require close cooperation with Israel. Trump has already shown that he is willing to make limited strikes in Syria to enforce the red line on chemical weapons. This action was strongly supported by Israel, and was seen as a rebuke to both Bashar Assad’s regime in Syria and also Iran. On Monday, Trump sent a strong message to Iran that its terror funding and nuclear ambitions would not be tolerated....Trump said in a speech that Iran was guilty of 'deadly funding, training, and equipping of terrorists and militias,' and that it acted inappropriately after the deal took place." • President Trump's strong words to Iran seemed to indicate that he is going to get either full transparent non-terrorist compliance from Iran or the deal will be scrapped. Iran's decidedly critical comments on Trump's Middle East visit show that Iran got the message, even if the ayatollahs are waiting to see if Trump follows through with his threats. • • • GAZA. The "impossible" will take a little longer. Trump must now get Israeli support to kick-start the Palestinian economy, while insisting on a halt to aggressive Palestinian terrorist acts and rewards for the terrorists from Abbas. Hamas must be dismantled and that will be difficult since Abbas, although owning a home in Gaza, is practically persona non grata there today. A way to provide jobs, freer movement and the beginning of the end of the reign of Hamas terror for the people of Gaza is essential. The way to do that again must come from Israel, already badly burned by their "disengagement" from Gaza in 2005 that led immediately to a free election of Hamas in 2006 -- Hamas won a plurality of 42.9% of the total vote and 74 of 132 total seats (56%). Since 2007, there have been truces but no peace between Hamas and Israel, and very little peace between Hamas and the Palestinian Fatah government of Abbas in the West Bank. • • • DEAR READERS, Israeli Prime Minsiter Yitzhak Rabin said in 1992 : "I would like Gaza to sink into the sea, but that won't happen, and a solution must be found." No American President from Jimmy Carter to Barack Obama has found that solution. It is now President Trump's turn at bat. The issues are deeply entrenched on both sides and will demand untying the Gordian Knot, one hopes without resort to a sword. The 'untying' will have to include a step-by-step agreement with incremental progress to address Israeli security concerns and facilitate Palestinian economic development, which would help develop the beginnings of mutual trust and create a more supportive environment for later addressing difficult final status issues, such as recognition of Israel's right to exist as a nation, the “right of return” for Palestinians, the status of Jerusalem, the future of Israeli settlements, and an agreement on permanent borders. None of these is likely to be resolved soon, given the huge lack of trust and wide gaps in the negotiating positions of Israel and the Palestinian Authority. But, with the continuing firm and even-handed leadership of Donald Trump, perhaps the "hope for change" Netanyahu says he senses because of Trump' presence and the "relaunching of the peace process" Abbas feels possible with Trump, will actually happen. Peace in the Middle East will not come without peace between Israel and the Palestinians. We may one day look back and say that this was President Trump's greatest achievement.
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To undertake something that has never before existed, like Peace in the Middle East - think about that Peace in the Muddle East. Politicians prior to Trump went through the failing process of hip hopping between Capitals, sending high profile peace negotiators, inviting dignitaries to the WH to set agendas. But NEVER has the President of the United States rolled up his sleeves and entered the Lions Den.
ReplyDeleteLegacy has always been the real goal. Trump doesn't seem to understand that or care about it.
Donald Trump is a breath of very fresh air in the International Wolfe of politics. Politics at the highest level. A level where the whole process can and has failed over a word wrongly used.
Donald Trump isn't perfect. But what he is, is determined. His vision is not self reward - but he knows that comes with success.
The Arab leadership of the Middle East respects Donald Trump. They see strength in his straight forward words, his honesty, and his truthfulness.
Now given what Trump is suffering at home from the professional politicians of Washington DC whose life and livelihoods depend on continious re-
election and continious compromise of values and ethics they never really had.
Bravo Casey Pops fir your truth and honesty every day. You are a lit like our President Trump.
The American political left would have you believe that Donald Trump is both a dolt and a criminal mastermind who collaborated with the Russians to steal an election. They are now throwing around the word “treason” as if they have ever had any concern for it.
ReplyDeleteIn fact, the very people most loudly using the word “treason” are people who cheered on Senator Ted Kennedy, who actually asked the Soviets to interfere with the American presidential election in 1984.
President Trump has no horses in the race for peace in the Middle East, and yet he has all the horses in the race.
ReplyDeletePeace in the ME is a prime factor in the economic and social rebuilding of rest of the world. As we speak the Islamic terrorist problem has sprung up its ugly head in the Southern Islands of the Philippines with ISIS laying claim to the destruction of a hospital & school. The loss of life is as always present there also.
Long before the Munich Olympic massacres in July 1972 ( the unofficial start of the Islamic Fundamentalist rebellions of today) I have been preaching of the forth coming problems for the Philippine Islands and the terrorist headquarter Deep in the jungles of the southern provinces there.
Consider that as of today there is no other world leader on the front lines trying to establish peace in the smallest corner of the Middle East in order to grow peace in the entire region.
Donald Trump has total disregard for the personal cost failing may have on his legacy, but is driven to do anything and everything within his power stop stop the rhetoric and replace the empty words with positive action.
ReplyDeleteThe international community has and continues to rewarded terrorism while punishing those who try to fight it by reasonable means. It all began with a decision by Yasser Arafat and other Palestinian terrorist groups to employ the tactic of terrorism as a primary means of bringing the Palestinian issue to the forefront of world concern.
Based on the merits and demerits of the Palestinian case, it does not deserve this stature. The treatment of the Tibetans by China, the Kurds by most of the Arab world, and the people of Chechen by Russia has been or at least as bad. But their response to grievances has been largely ignored by the international community and the media because they mostly sought remedies within the law rather than through terrorism.
The Palestinian situation has been different. The hijacking of airplanes, the murders of Olympic athletes at Munich, the killing of Israeli children at Ma'alot, and the many other terrorist atrocities perpetrated by Palestinian terrorists has elevated their cause above all other causes in the human rights community. Although the Palestinians have not yet gotten a state – because they twice rejected generous offers of statehood – their cause still dominates the United Nations and numerous human rights groups.
Terrorism will continue as long as it continues to bear fruits. The fruits may be different for different causes. Sometimes it is simply publicity. Sometimes it is a recruitment tool. Sometimes it brings about concessions as it did in many European countries. Some European countries that have now been plagued by terrorism even released captured Palestinian terrorists. England, France, Italy and Germany were among the countries that released Palestinian terrorists in the hope of preventing terrorist attacks on their soil. Their selfish and immoral tactic backfired: it only caused them to become even more inviting targets for the murderous terrorists.
But no matter how terrorism works, the reality that it does, will make it difficult if not impossible to stem its malignant growth around the world. To make it not work, the entire world must unite in never rewarding terrorism and always punishing those who facilitate it.
ReplyDeleteSalad bowl or melting pot — how you assimilate immigrants into your community has a good bit to do with homegrown terrorism.
The American model is more prone to be a melting pot where all the cultures in the nation assimilate into a common culture. The taco becomes as much a national food as the hamburger and hot dog.
Increasingly, in the United States, the left wishes to employ a salad bowl approach, instead of a melting pot. The idea is that each culture lives together, but keeps strong distinctions between itself and the other.
European multiculturalism reflects the salad bowl model and it is going to keep getting them killed.
Throughout Europe, muslim immigrant communities stay in their ghettos, keeping their culture separate, while taking on the citizenship of their new countries.
It would be a good thing if the British move out of the EU and move back to requiring its immigrants to embrace British values.