In June, the Obama Administration expressed its lukewarm sentiment for the Palestinian struggle when Obama himself addressed America’s relationship with Muslim communities around the world in a carefully crafted speech in Cairo, Egypt. After addressing the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, Obama raised the “second major source of tension”—Israel/Palestine.
 White phosphorus rains down on a U.N. school in Gaza during Israel’s offensive in late 2008 / early 2009. |
Boiling the conflict down to two bickering sides, he appealed to the Palestinians to “abandon violence” and described the December/January U.S.-funded massacre of nearly 1,500 people in Gaza as simply “the humanitarian crisis.” He added, “It is a sign of neither courage nor power to shoot rockets at sleeping children, or to blow up old women on a bus.”
Israeli attacks on U.N schools, hospitals and homes, as well as Israel’s use of illegal weapons including white phosphous on civilians went unmentioned. Instead, Obama delivered a slim ray of hope through his objections to some settlements in the West Bank: “The United States does not accept the legitimacy of continued Israeli settlements. This construction violates previous agreements and undermines efforts to achieve peace. It is time for these settlements to stop.”
In July 2009, after the issue of a settlement freeze arose, so did controversy in Sheikh Jarrah when Israel evicted two Palestinian families from their homes so that Jewish settlers could move in. The story was mainly covered by European journalists and was widely ignored or distorted in the U.S. corporate media. Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and his right-wing government refused to consider any “settlement freeze” out of hand.
In an op-ed piece published in the Jerusalem Post, Larry Derfner predicted, “The news, at least around here, is that the Obama administration is getting ready to ‘blink’ in its dispute with the Netanyahu government over settlements.” And “blink” it did. On Sept. 23, Obama announced in his all too familiar way that “[i]t’s time to move forward” with the peace process.
Only through the lens of imperialism could allowing Israel to continue to force Palestinians out of their homes and off their land be described as moving forward with the peace process.
Obama, as every U.S. President has done since Israel’s inception, has been careful to use restrained language when describing the occupation of Palestine, and avoids completely the ethnic cleansing which took place in the formation of the Israeli state.
“Palestinian people … have suffered in pursuit of a homeland … [and] endure … humiliations that come with occupation.” Despite broad calls for charges of war crimes against the Israeli leaders of the Gaza massacre, for Obama it is “time to move forward”; a time to move away from the inconvenient past and into the future “negotiations.”
Meanwhile, the crushing effects of occupation continue unabated. Israel continues to force the Palestinian people from their homes, separate them from their agricultural land, deny them basic humanitarian aid, and slowly starve them to death—all under the watchful eye of U.S. imperialism.
Herein lies the key issue. The Israeli government has been in bed with a powerful imperialist sponsor—first Britain, then the United States—from its inception. Whether a Republican or Democratic president holds sway, Israel receives political backing and monetary support from Washington. The story is no different today.
Although the words in the Cairo speech were uttered by President Obama, he is not speaking as an individual, but on behalf of the U.S. capitalist ruling class—the ones who hold the real political power. The tactics may change from overt oppressive policy under Republicans to a hollow show of diplomacy under Democrats, the outcome for the Palestinian people is always the same: the denial of their most fundamental rights.
Case in point: In January 2009—in the midst of the Israeli massacre—the majority Democrat U.S. Congress approved a non-binding resolution backing Israel with a majority of House members. The Senate passed a similar resolution unanimously.
The Democrats took the White House by inspiring hope for change, including hope for justice in Palestine, but this façade is quickly crumbling. The only hope for change will come the working people of this country demanding it. Change can only come from outside of our Imperialist system. Obama was right about one thing in his Cairo speech: “It is time for us to act on what everyone knows to be true.”
End the Occupation! Free Palestine!
