Pundits are still debating Benjamin Netanyahu's little circus in US Congress. And it seems it's not just us, distant observers and sympathisers of the Palestinians who were appalled by the US lawmakers repeatedly throwing themselves at the Israeli premier's feet. Many a US commentator has been troubled by the craven subservience and sycophancy of their politicians. The lawmakers cheered even when the ‘guest' standing in the highest body in the land continually derided their president and rubbed his nose in.
Just as the US leader was being mobbed like a rock star and welcomed like an emperor in Europe — Britain hosted a special session of parliament for the ‘grandson of a Kenyan cook in the British Army,' as Obama reminded everyone — Netanyahu demolished his ‘audacity of hope' and vision for peace. Yet the lawmakers, including V-P Joe Biden, clapped and clapped. It was a love fest, an orgy if you will. Not much different from the excited Roman mob lapping up the antics of the bloodthirsty gladiators. There were 29 standing ovations and 41 ‘applause pauses' during the 50-minute speech.
As Israeli commentator Uri Avnery noted, Netanyahu's speech could be summed up in one word: No. No to peace. No sharing of occupied Jerusalem. No return of Palestinian refugees. No to talks and a resounding ‘no' to Obama's call for Palestinian state on the 1967 borders. Yet they cheered on even as he heaped abuse on Arabs and even Islam peddling lie after brazen lie. The whole thing was disgusting, making people around the world wonder for the zillionth time what is it that makes the mightiest nation on earth go weak in the knees before a tiny, rogue state of seven million. Of course, we have all been here before.
Ray of hope
What's new though is the fact that these shenanigans didn't go down well with many Americans either. Respectable voices like Jimmy Carter, Patrick Buchanan, James Carroll and H.D.S. Greenway are beginning to demand where the loyalties of their lawmakers lie - with US constitution or with a foreign regime. In the age of satellite TV and internet, young Americans are increasingly uncomfortable with the obscenity of Israeli occupation. The logic of America throwing its weight behind Israel at the cost of its own security and interests has come under attack like never before.
This is a ray of hope — but just about it. We have a long way to go before the courageous voices for peace turn into a proper chorus in the land of the free. Even if Obama is sincere in his commitment to peace — and I'd like to believe he is — he appears helpless before the brute power of the Israeli lobby. This is why he had to rush to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) a day after his hot-cold encounter with Netanyahu to eat his own words reassuring the powerful lobby on the ‘ironclad' US-Israeli equation.
Indeed, 67 senators and 286 members of House of Representatives turned up for the Aipac dinner in a testament to the organisation's clout. And it's not just the Jewish votes, Jewish money and support of the Jewish-controlled media that politicians covet. They are mortally afraid of the overarching power of the lobby and its propensity to punish slightest defiance. So although what Obama said on Palestine was nothing new and only reflected the official US position and that of successive Israeli leaders from Begin to Olmert, as President Carter, the author of Arab-Israel peace points out, he could end up paying for his ‘audacity' in his reelection battle next year.
Jewish donors have already warned Obama's campaign, reports The Wall Street Journal, they should expect little support from them if there's no change in Obama's Mideast stand. The Israeli lobby is a major contributor to both Republicans and Democrats. No wonder every politician on both sides of the aisle is sucking up to it.
Which begs the question: What have the Arabs done all these years to protect their interests and persuade the US establishment to pay attention to their grievances? The lobby culture is part of US politics and plays a crucial role in influencing the choices of decision makers. Almost every major group has its lobby or public relations consultancy to look after its interests in the US. So instead of constantly wailing over Israeli stranglehold over the US establishment, why can't Arabs do something on this front when their vital interests are at stake?
Billions of dollars are spent on grand monuments to vanity and the expensive, useless junk that passes for hi-tech weaponry. Why not divert some of those funds to present their side of the story, which is so important at a time when wars are increasingly fought not on the battlefields but in people's minds. This maybe why, unlike the Israelis, no Arab or Muslim leader has ever been invited to address US Congress! Instead of fighting their own little battles for survival, imagine what Arabs, especially those around Israel, could achieve if they all spoke and acted as one entity.
I am not suggesting buying the conscience and votes of politicians, as Israel has done all these years to perpetuate the tyranny of a ruthless, racist regime. Truth is on the side of Palestinians and the world knows it. It's about time the gullible Americans are made to see it.
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