The Prisoner Exchange and the Coffins

The scenes of tragedy visible on TV screens of two coffins draped with Israeli flags that passed the Lebanese border left all of us feeling helpless, identifying, and sympathizing with the Regev and Goldwasser families of the two dead soldiers. Thoughts running through my mind at that moment were thoughts of remorse for Sheik Hassan Nasrallah, an evil and charismatic manipulating leader of Hezbollah. The Hezbollah organization of Shiite Islamist extremists hate Israel so much that it perceives Israelis, not as humans but as monsters. The rules of war do not apply in the Hezbollah psyche. Even in war, there are rules concerning treatment of prisoners-of -war that are observed as stipulated in the Geneva Convention. As Hezbollah does not represent Lebanon but is a worrisome entity within Lebanon that operates independently, it does not have any obligation to keep any international agreements or uphold the Geneva Convention on treatment of abducted soldiers. Hezbollah does not even give a thought to any human aspect at all. THEY ARE BARBARIANS WITH NO HUMAN COMPASSION!!!!

The psychological torture that the evil Nasrallah and his creeps have caused the Goldwasser and Regev families is cruelty at its worst. His manipulations and his despicable rhetoric portray this beastly human being at the height of his power. He knew that the two kidnapped soldiers were dead after they were attacked by Hezbollah terrorists two years ago. He made cruel and caustic remarks conducting himself in a fashion befitting the lowest form of bestial behaviour. He played along using his psychological, sadistic mannerisms of deception. This filthy beast of deception is a coward! He is “brave” sitting in his bunker, fearing for his existence and leaves his bunker rarely. He has no human feelings. His whereabouts are unknown. He knows that his days are numbered and he will be annihilated eventually. He is prolonging his life by hiding in his stinking bunker. He comes up for air, welcoming child murderers as heroes. It is hard to believe that this notorious beast has any love even for his own people. He is a puppet of the evil Ahmadinajad regime of Iran. The Lebanese People, who have suffered so much, have no great love for Nasrallah and his evil Hezbollah. They are responsible for so much of the bloodshed and human suffering in Lebanon as well as the anarchy reigning there.

Nasrallah exhibited his “bravery” to welcome the child murderer, Samir Kuntar, whose claim to fame was murdering a four year old child by striking her head with the butt of his rifle until she was killed in 1979. What a hero he is in the eyes of the Hezbollah thugs! This murderous beast was exchanged for the coffins of Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev. For 105 weeks, the Goldwasser and Regev families were kept in the dark as to the fate of their sons. This is so despicable and cruel! It just illustrates what kind of barbarians Hezbollah with its leader Nasrallah really are. They are fascists devoid of any compassion for the human condition. Do they feel that by their despicable act, they will weaken the resolve of decent human beings all over the world to condemn this kind of behaviour? They will not harm Israel, on the contrary, they will strengthen Israel and with it they will destroy any hope for a rapprochement between Israel and Lebanon.

The scenes of jubilation in Beirut at child murderer Kuntar’s release was a macabre spectacle illustrating the height of barbarianism that segments of the Lebanese people are capable. He was paraded in battle fatigues. Kuntar “fought a great battle” by killing an innocent 4 year old child in such a brutal fashion.

Nasrallah knew that the only way he could hit Israel is by kidnapping its soldiers, killing them and keeping up the great lie by not giving out information as to their fate. In this way he could exact a very high price for dead soldiers and prolonging the cruelty for a long time. Israel has no solution for this kidnapping tactic.

Even in Gaza, there were celebrations by Hamas supporters for the release of Samir Kuntar. It is a case of the enemy of my enemy is my friend. This is what cultivates the relationship between Hamas and Hezbollah. There is no great love between Hamas and Hezbollah. The former is Sunni while the latter is Shiite. These two sects in Islam are not on good terms and this is bound to influence the relationship between the two groups in the future. Today, their common hate for Israel unites them. This means that Israel will be very cautious in its dealings with Hamas so that they can achieve the release of Gilad Shalit who is being held in captivity by Hamas in Gaza. To add insult to injury Nasrallah has made a cynical offer to act as mediator to gain Gilad Shalit’s release. What lies in his mind with his “defensive strategy”, as he puts it, is anybody’s guess. Israel has rejected his “offer” outright. Israel reportedly declined Nasrallah's overtures from a desire not to raise Nasrallah's status in the Arab world. Nasrallah garnered intense media attention Wednesday, promising to make address Israel and the West during the celebrations planned to mark Kuntar's release. He did make a brief public appearance, his first since January, and appeared ill at ease. He knows that with every public appearance his life is endangered.

The whole scenario of the prisoner exchange for two coffins was a tragedy and it gave the Hezbollah a reason to celebrate its success. Unfortunately, there was no other way out for Israel in this exchange. Israel’s soft underbelly is its susceptibility to enemy abductions of its soldiers and while there is no effective means at Israel’s disposal to prevent this from occurring in the future, it will remain an effective weapon to extract from Israel a very high price in negotiations for the release of abducted Israeli soldiers whether they are dead or alive.

The Occupation and the Erosion

The story of the occupation is well known and I have written about it many times in my articles. The euphoria of Israel after the Six Day War of 1967 when it captured the West Bank, Eastern Jerusalem, Gaza Strip, Sinai Peninsula and the Golan Heights is also well documented. However 41 years of occupation has eroded Israeli society and made many of us aware of many abuses that are occurring because of the “humane” Israeli Army treatment of the Palestinians over the years. Human rights groups (international human rights groups as well as Israeli groups) are providing evidence of human rights abuses regularly.

Israelis have always been proud of the “humaneness” of their army. On closer examination, when the incidents of army abuses and Israeli whitewashing of these incidents become evident, there is not very much of which to be proud.

The time is overripe to come to terms with the fact that the occupation is corrupting Israeli society beyond its limits. Israel claims that it does not wish to colonize another people (the Palestinians) but in practice this is what they are doing. Evidence of this is so widespread that it cannot be denied anymore.

The encouraging of illegal settlements in captured territories is ample proof of Israel’s intentions to colonize the Palestinians and rule over them. The claim of a “humane occupation” is a total paradox. An occupation can never be humane, especially when the intention is to take over Palestinian lands and encourage Israeli settlements. This occurred at the expense of another people. How can one build Israeli settlements ‘humanely” while displacing the Palestinian population and then talk about a “humane occupation”? Naturally this also means expanding existing illegal settlements because of natural population growth, displacing more Palestinians in the process.

It is absurd to believe that Israel has no desire to colonize the Palestinians when in practice the evidence points to the contrary. If this assumption were true, Israel would never have encouraged illegal settlements in territories captured during the Six Day War of June 1967. It should have kept the territories as a bargaining chip that would be returned to the Palestinian people under a peace agreement. It would not have been necessary to uproot a single settler as none would have been there.

Unfortunately, this was not the case, and here both sides must bear the blame for what had happened. The Khartoum Resolutions of 1^st September, 1967 “no peace with Israel, no recognition of Israel, no negotiations with it, and insistence on the rights of the Palestinian people in their own country” was the attitude of the Arab states then. It also resulted in Israel’s attitude towards colonizing the occupied territories by encouraging settlement. The Israeli leadership felt that if this was the Arab attitude, they had the right to annex the territories and encourage Jewish settlement there as there was no partner for peace negotiations after the Six Day War. Time proved that this was a disastrous decision on Israel’s part and resulted in the establishment of illegal settlements and further usurpation of Palestinian lands. The Israeli leadership had made impulsive decisions that had backfired. This also resulted in the subsequent War of Attrition, Yom Kippur War of October 1973, the 1987 Intifada and the more serious 2000 Intifada with its tragic spate of suicide bombings and widespread retaliations resulting in severe bloodshed on both sides.

There is no doubt that the occupation with its illegal settlements has harmed Israel’s stature in the world. Israel holds onto the territories by force. Palestinian human rights in the territories have been curtailed and cases of army abuses against the Palestinian population only aggravate the situation.

The occupation affects everybody, Israelis as well as Palestinians. It affects the Israeli psyche by resulting dehumanizing the Palestinians as a people. Many Israelis view the Palestinians as beasts who are only interested in killing Israelis whenever the opportunity arises. They see the Palestinians as potential terrorists waiting to strike and to destroy Israelis wherever they can.

The Palestinian views the Israeli as a gun toting soldier who is waiting to abuse him and beat him up. Contact between the two peoples on a human level has now reached a minimum and this is a very sad state of affairs. It is almost impossible for Palestinian and Israelis to meet and get to know one another.

Yeshayahu Leibowitz, a professor at Hebrew University and a leading Israeli intellectual--who was also an observant Jew--stated that Israel must immediately withdraw from the occupied territories. He argued that the occupation was unjust and would inevitably lead to the oppression and subjugation of the Palestinians, and to the corruption if not destruction of Israeli society. Until his death in the mid-1990s, he continued to criticize the occupation, using piercing, prophetic language to condemn the immorality of Israeli policies. For years, Leibowitz also averred that if 500 reservist soldiers would simultaneously refuse to serve in the territories, the occupation would end. He also stated that the Israeli Army run the risk of becoming Judeo-Nazis because of the occupation. In order to maintain the occupation, the army has to use force and introduce tough measures against the Palestinian population. This means check posts, humiliating house searches, abuse of power and the destruction and confiscation of Palestinian agricultural land for Jewish settlement. This is a long way from the “humane occupation”.

While the occupation remains unchanged, the chances of the establishment of an independent Palestinian state will never occur. If anything, it brings the reality of a binational state closer to fruition, despite Israeli denials to the contrary. It also does not benefit Israeli society as the occupation becomes more entrenched. It will only exacerbate the hatred between the two peoples even further and Israel stands the chance of becoming an amoral and corrupt society. Signs of this are already occurring in the government as the cruel occupation remains in place despite the cosmetic handshakes at various summit meetings between the Israeli and Palestinian leadership that consists of two very weak and ineffectual leaders weighed down by their own personal problems.

Israel’s Future Survival

Israel is writhing over the exchange of Gilad Shalit, the kidnapped soldier held in Gaza by Hamas. The price is the exchange of Palestinian prisoners “with blood on their hands”. A similar scenario is taking place in the north involving the release of the terrorist, Samir Kuntar, (held for the 1979 murder of Israeli civilians in Nahariya, four Hezbollah fighters captured during the Second Lebanon War in 2006, and the remains of dozens of Lebanese buried in Israel), for Eldad Regev and Ehud Goldwasser, the two soldiers kidnapped by Hezbollah who are feared dead. Israel’s moral fiber is showing signs of cracking.

Now the referral of Israel as a Jewish state, which was understood without undue emphasis, has become an issue that has been bandied about, not only by Israel’s enemies, but also by its supporters. Is this because of atrocities that Israel is carrying out in the occupied territories against the Palestinians? The fact that existing illegal settlements are expanding under the guise of natural population growth creates tremendous hardships for the Palestinians. This means that increasing the number of settlements will result in less land being available for the establishment of a viable Palestinian State alongside Israel. In the end the creation of a Palestinian state will become a myth. This will result in movement towards the establishment of a binational state. Israel cannot have it both ways. It cannot continue the occupation of Palestinian lands captured after the 1967 Six Day June War and at the same time pay lip service to an independent Palestinian state while the occupation expands.

The illegal settlement expansion is continuing under the watchful eye of the Israeli Army. This gives rise to more roadblocks, more humiliating body searches of Palestinians and further difficulties for them. Their agricultural lands will be divided even further to make way for settlement expansion as well as the establishment of more Jewish settlements. In order to maintain this intolerable situation, human rights of Palestinians living in the occupied West Bank will be eroded even further. How does this fit in with Israel’s claim of being a moral democratic state emphasizing its Jewishness, and with it, Jewish values? Cracks are appearing in the future survival of Israel as a moral Jewish state.

In an article, “Israel’s Split Psyche” by Prof. Carlo Strenger in Haaretz of 2^nd July 2008, many questions are raised. He mentions that the Labor Party MK, Avishay Braverman, who was addressing the Institute of National Security Studies annual State of the Nation conference, made the following statement:

“Our education system, once Israel's pride, is in the dumps; public corruption is rampant; our universities are starving to death; and the income gap is almost as bad as Brazil's”.

He wrote that Braverman’s statements “reflect a general malaise that pervades Israel's public mood. For the first time in Israel's history, skepticism about its viability, worries about its public norms, and questions about whether it will still exist in 50 years creep through society and the media. This is puzzling: Israel was in much greater external danger in the past, and its economic and military resources are more developed today than ever before”.

On the one hand, Israel claims to accept and respect the moral principle of universal human rights. On the other hand Israel causes suffering to millions of Palestinians on the West Bank because of the settlements that are expanding not to mention the loss of income and unemployment as a result. This is unjustifiable and yet Israel turns a blind eye. Israeli cries of "There is no partner" or "The roadblocks are needed to prevent terror attacks" or "Look what happened when we left Gaza! We left, and all we get is Qassam attacks!" is a sop to their conscience and in the Israeli view, justifies settlement expansion.

There is no doubt that the settlements in the West Bank have created a situation that has made the lives of the Palestinians intolerable, whether it is check posts, road blocks, or separation fence that divides Palestinian farm lands. Movement for Palestinians in the West Bank is an exercise in resilience and endless suffering - all for the sake of protecting right-wing religious Zionist fanatics, many of whom are ex-patriot US freaks. They build themselves palaces on Palestinian lands while their Palestinian neighbours live in poverty. They are the stimulus for promoting hatred of Israel because of their illegal building habits according to international law.

The settlements in the occupied territories are eroding Israel’s moral fiber and are destroying the idea of the establishment of a future viable Palestinian state. It is not serving Israel’s security interests as it is a catalyst for further Palestinian hate of Israel. The roadblocks, expropriation of Palestinian lands for Israeli settlements increases Palestinian hardships by making travel for them an exercise in endurance. At the same time, Israel builds high class freeways for connecting the various settlements forbids Palestinians from using these freeways. It is no wonder that many Palestinians are convinced that Israel does not want to make peace with them.

If Israel behaves in this way, showing lack of sensitivity towards Palestinian hardships while ensuring the settlers’ good quality of life at Palestinian expense, peace and coexistence between the two peoples will never be achieved.

Israel’s survival as a moral entity in the Middle East can only be assured if the settlements in the West Bank are uprooted and the settlers resettled in Israel. The lands must be returned to the rightful owners – the Palestinian people. This will pave the way for an independent Palestinian state alongside Israel.

The alternative is to leave the situation as it is which will result in the demise of Israel and the eventual establishment of a binational state in the future. These are the only two options that Israel has. There is no third option. The settlers will create a situation whereby Israelis become citizens of a binational Israeli-Palestinian state.

The Egyptian Brokered Cease-fire between Israel and Hamas

The cease-fire between Israel and Hamas has been signed under Egypt’s brokerage after much haggling. It is difficult to ascertain at this stage whether it is a positive development or not. Israelis have mixed feelings about its success because Hamas is not prepared to negotiate a permanent peace treaty with Israel or recognize Israel’s right to exist. The cease-fire could be a tactic allowing Hamas to re-group and re-arm in order to carry out another round of terrorism against Israel. However, despite these misgivings, it is a welcome development and while there is calm, both sides – Israelis as well as Palestinians, benefit from cessation of active hostilities against each other.

The constant firing of rockets into Sderot and its environment have ceased and Israeli retaliations have come to a halt as well. In practical terms, lives are saved on both sides. Surely this in itself is a positive development. People on both sides are able to get on with the business of carrying on with their daily lives. The residents of Sderot can come out of their shelters without worrying about when and where the next Qassam will fall and the people of Gaza do not have the fear of Israeli Air Force planes flying overhead, pursuing a Hamas terrorist group and hitting a crowd of innocent people by mistake resulting in unnecessary bloodshed. A cease-fire, for whatever reason, is always a positive development for both sides as lives are saved. The big question is whether this cease-fire will last or whether there will be a renewal of the hostilities in a very short time. Both sides are skeptical as to whether this cease-fire will hold.

There are some signs that the cease-fire may hold if one were to examine the statements of Palestinian parliament member and Hamas' spokesman in the Gaza Strip, Salah al-Bardawil. He seems a bit more upbeat about the cease-fire. "Nothing is impossible," he maintains. "The Arab world has already outstretched its hand for peace with the Israelis in the past," he says. "The ideas of Ahmed Yassin [Hamas' founder and former leader], who supported a cease-fire for some 15-20 years, focused on peace, not war. Hamas people who insist that there will never be peace with Israel do so because they are skeptical about the intentions of Israel's leadership. Everyone on your side is saying that the hudna [truce] is an opportunity for Hamas to narrow the military gap, but it's actually a historic opportunity for Israel and for all the sides involved to live in peace, and to build a future for the next generations."

According to a report in Haaretz, 20^th June2008, Bardawil said in a telephone conversation "After years of fighting, each side has doubts about the other side's seriousness in upholding the cease-fire. Your side says that the small factions are liable to blow it to pieces, but they have all pledged to abide by it. Experience shows that when Hamas commits to something, it makes sure to keep its promises." He continues, "Today, the relations between Israel and Hamas are those of enemies, but during past negotiations between Hamas and Fatah we agreed on 'the national reconciliation agreement,' which declares that the Palestinian state will be established within the 1967 borders. Israel mustn't pass up such an agreement with Hamas - otherwise an ideology more extreme than Hamas will be the result. Israel has to understand that nowadays, Hamas is a factor that balances the radical and out-of-control voices in both the Arab and the Muslim world." This may be a minute sign of optimism from a spokesman of Hamas that the cease-fire may hold despite the skepticism in both the Israeli and Palestinian camps.

On the other hand, the peace and quiet could gather momentum by alleviating the tough economic situation and suffering in Gaza and be a positive development for Israel as well. It would have the following implications: (a) the easing of the closure on the Gaza Strip thus allowing not only essential supplies to enter Gaza but also materials that allow the Gazan economy to gradually return to some kind of normality; (b) greater efforts to prevent weapons from entering the Gaza Strip from Egypt for use against Israel; (c) progress on the prisoner exchange deal for the release of Gilad Shalit, the IDF soldier who next week will mark two years of being held in Gaza. Meanwhile the London-based 'al-Sharq al-Awsat' reported on Saturday 21^st June 2007, that Israel's refusal to release 30 prisoners is the only remaining point of contention in the negotiations to free Shalit.

Unfortunately the ingredients for maintaining the calm are not visible at this stage. Hamas still does not recognize Israel’s right to exist in theory but in practice the leadership has hinted that it does. The fact that Hamas agreed to the cease-fire with Israel means that it de facto accepts Israel’s right to exist. If it did not it would not agree to the six month cease-fire with an option of its extension. This may indicate a small step on the part of Hamas in recognizing Israel’s right to exist despite many misgivings.

According to Asharq Alawsat, 21^st June 2007, Israel is concerned with compromise as it has nothing to lose from it. But the question here is: can Hamas’ indirect negotiation with Israel through Egypt be considered a truce or is it one of Hamas’ new tricks striving for more talks and agreements? It became clear that Hamas does not care about Palestinian suffering inasmuch as it as wanted to accomplish gains for the movement itself.

Hamas wants to kill a number of birds with one stone. Mishal and his group want to improve ties with the Egyptians after the Rafah crossing crisis and to alleviate the uneasiness that exists amongst the second rank of Hamas leaders because of the deteriorating situation in Gaza after the Palestinian Authority was overthrown.

One hopes that the cease-fire will also include a deal whereby the kidnapped soldier Gilad Shalit is released. The Israeli government has not done enough to ensure his release. No price is too high to release a captured Israeli soldier even if it means releasing Palestinian prisoners with blood on their hands. The Israeli Army had been careless and this had resulted in Gilad Shalit’s kidnapping. It is easy for the Israeli government to talk about the high price and to hesitate. Do they intend to abandon Gilad Shalit because the price for his release is too high? The way the situation is now, it seems that a tragedy of his abandonment by the Israel government is about to unfold. The beleaguered Prime Minister, Ehud Olmert, has made some rather disturbing statements to Gilad Shalit’s parents that show total lack of sensitivity and is far from encouraging or supportive. Noam Shalit, Gilad’s father, says he does not feel that anyone in the cabinet is agonizing over his suffering. This should resonate loudly. He said the prime minister told him that "he had no contract that obligates him to release any citizen from captivity," referring to Noam's son, the abducted soldier Gilad Shalit. This too evokes grave thoughts.

The evasive response of the prime minister's bureau - "We have no desire or intention to get into a public confrontation on this matter" - does not exempt the prime minister from the responsibility not only to bring Shalit home, but also to treat his anxious parents properly. I wonder how Olmert would react had he been the father of a son kidnapped by Hamas in Gaza. Would he be so flippant? It seems that the Palestinian prisoners crowding Israel’s prisons is more important rather than freeing Gilad Shalit who has to pay the price for Israel’s folly.

Is Zionism good for Israel?

This is an open -ended question – perhaps a provocative question! Zionism is a movement promoting the return of Jews to Israel and rebuilding it. Today Zionism has lost its relevance. An ideology that is very much alive in the Diaspora can be found in the smoke-filled living rooms of wealthy Jewry, who do not even intend to make the move to Israel. They are the diamond-studded Zionists who are involved in lavish fund raising parties for causes that are often negative towards Israel’s well being. The sponsors are not aware of it due to naivety or burying their jewel-bedecked necks in the sand.

The causes that are supported by these souls are causes that are concerned with furthering Israel’s occupation and maintaining the racist right wing settler movements in the occupied territories. These settlers are imbued with a religious Zionist fanaticism that is bent on destroying Palestinian agricultural lands and forcing Palestinians out of their homes to make way for Jewish settlement. The diamond-studded Zionists of the US are supporting this insidious Zionism. This is the Zionism that the Palestinians view as mainstream and as a form of racism which undoubtedly it is.

The collection of funds at these Zionist extravaganza affairs in the US somehow portrays the opulence of the wealthy Jewish sympathizers of Israel. The “who’s who” in wealthy Zionist bodies seeks the honour and a photo opportunity to show their presence. They want press exposure at almost any price. While in Israel, there is almost no mention of World Zionist Congress activities in the local press. The average, secular Israeli is not concerned with Zionism which further proves its irrelevance today. People who need Zionism are Jews who seek an ideal identity with Israel. This is the Israel of their dreams. The reality is different.

These wealthy Zionists also use their money to influence Israeli politics. They give much money to Israeli political parties for their election campaigns. This is despicable! It has also created a problem with PM Ehud Olmert and his “godfather” Morris Talansky who had been giving money to him in the form of loans for his mayoral campaigns, luxury hotel bills, cigars and who knows what else. He footed the bills for Olmert’s high living expenses on his visits to the US.

Today wealthy American Zionists try to interfere in Israel’s internal affairs. Money talks, and much money talks incessantly. This is neither in Israel’s interests nor in the interests of peace with the Palestinians. Money could better serve the interests of peace between Israel and its Palestinian neighbours. Instead of financing corrupt Israeli political parties, the funds could be diverted to encourage joint Israeli-Palestinian peace projects which are positive for both peoples who are unable to cease the cycle of violence. So much could be done to improve the standard of living of Palestinians including the creation of jobs. Instead, Zionist fundraising is used to perpetuate a society whose face is towards the continuation of the occupation rather than moving towards a two state solution or a binational state solution depending on what the people desire.

The more money that wealthy Zionists donate the more corruption in high places occurs. Many of these “charities” or “good causes” do not help Israel at all. They are a salve to the conscience of the armchair wealthy Zionists in the Diaspora. If the monies were channeled into improving the living standards of Palestinians in the occupied territories, extremist Palestinian terrorist groups would not have the fertilizer of hate to carry out terrorist activity. Funds should never be donated to partisan Israeli politics to maintain the high standard of living of party political hacks of which there is no shortage.

Most Zionists will disagree. They will say that it is the responsibility of the Arab states to help the Palestinians and alleviate their suffering. Reality does not allow money from Arab countries to enter Israel for the purpose of Palestinian rehabilitation. Israel is still technically at war with most of its Arab neighbours with the exception of Egypt and Jordan. It would not allow money from Arab countries to reach the Palestinians for fear that it would be used to promote terrorist activity. If this is the case, the onus lies on Israel to improve conditions for the Palestinians because they are the occupiers. In other words, the Palestinians under occupation have become Israel’s responsibility. Israel squandered much money on the occupation and encouraged illegal settlements at the expense of Palestinian suffering which deteriorated even further.

The fund raising activity of Diaspora Zionists does not even reach Israelis (Jewish and Arab citizens alike) who are poverty stricken or who are under stress. Is this kind of Zionism good for Israel?

The US Presidential Candidates and the Palestinian-Israeli Conflict

In the Middle East, most of the people are following the presidential elections with great interest. They view the elections from the point of view as to which candidate serves their interests better. Will it be the Republican candidate, John McCain or the Democrat’s Barrack Obama? My gut feeling is that most Israelis would like to see John McCain elected the new president of the United States. Many believe that he is more pro-Israel than Obama. Both candidates have made many pro-Israel statements in the hope of capturing the Jewish vote. Perhaps the edge on pro-Israelism lies in McCain. Much remains to be seen as to the tactics used and the speeches that will be made by the two presidential candidates in order to capture the Jewish vote.

Possibly in the short run, from Israel’s point of view, McCain’s election as president would serve its interests, judging his statements on the Middle East. In the end, we must remember that he will be representing conservative Bush policy continuity. Bush’s record in the Middle East is poor. He has blundered in Iraq, Afghanistan and he has brought US prestige to a low. Iraq is in a total mess. There is no control and the country is in the process of self-destruction, with suicide bombings an everyday occurrence. The US armed forces will remain in Iraq for a long time if McCain and his Bush legacy wins the presidential elections. The Iraqi people are subjected to the cruelest violence between Sunni and Shiite Moslems which shows no signs of abating. Bush has created the US’s “second Vietnam” and the hell that goes with it. The US dollar has weakened against most world currencies and the US economy is in the doldrums. The Bush legacy has nothing to offer anywhere at any place at any time. The US is in great need of change before it can regain its prestige and act as an honest broker in peace-making in the Middle East. McCain is not the man who can take on that role.

The new US president will have to renew US efforts in being an honest broker once again. Bush never fulfilled that role and only showed interest in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict towards the end of his presidency with his hype-filled Annapolis Conference that has been forgotten like a momentary blip of news on the TV screen. Lately Israel’s legally beleaguered PM Ehud Olmert and George Bush, whose popularity ratings are at the lowest ebb possible, have become strange bedfellows in the twilight of their political careers. One must bear in mind that McCain, being a Republican, will somehow continue the Bush legacy which will not achieve peace in the Middle East. He will cause the US to sink further into the quagmire. Barack Obama’s record is clean as far as the Arab states and Palestinians are concerned. Apart from his speech at the influential AIPAC (American Israel Public Affairs Committee) which did upset Arab nations, he still has support from the Arab nations. Hopefully, he will be more successful in negotiations than his predecessor Bush assuming that he is elected to the presidency. His sense of balance in this conflict can only be to the advantage of all parties to the conflict when it comes to getting the peace negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians back on track.

It is incumbent on the American people to make a change. They have an opportunity to elect a president who could cease US involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan and return it to its former status of being a world power. This can influence the peace process between the Israelis and Palestinians positively.

The chances of the US withdrawing its armed forces from Iraq are greater under an Obama than under a McCain presidency. Obama is an impressive and charismatic politician. He shows promise that could ring in changes that the US needs so desperately. The old Republican order will ensure the same Bush legacy which would be bad for US interests and the interests of peace in the Middle East.

Obama has promised the electorate that he will make withdrawal of US troops from Iraq a top priority as well as a renewal of peace negotiations between Israel and its Palestinian neighbours. We have not heard this commitment so strongly from McCane. A new vision that will be acceptable to both Israel and its Arab neighbours including the Palestinians is overdue. If Obama wins the election, there is a greater chance of achieving peace on these tracks than ever before. This is conditional, of course, on whether Obama is prepared to become more involved than his predecessor who left it far too late. The Palestinians see Obama more receptive to their suffering than Bush, despite his declared support for Israel and this is an advantage.

It is still a long haul before the Presidential elections. Observers here who show a great interest in the Middle East situation will be assessing every statement that is made by the two presidential candidates concerning the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. There have been so many attempts at peace making over the years and the results have been poor.

It remains to be seen how the candidates will get the process on track especially now with Hamas being a major player. There are no signs coming from the Hamas camp of any form of rapprochement with Israel or any change in their anti-US attitudes. Their rhetoric remains uncompromising and this does not bode well for the future of peace between Israel and the Palestinians. If Hamas gains the upper hand in the West Bank then there will be a very big problem for the future of peace between Israel and the Palestinians no matter who wins the presidential elections in the US.

If Hamas gains strength over Fatah in the West Bank and does not change its attitude it will result in Iran increasing its influence in the area and could result in a nuclear arms race. Hamas is a very dangerous obstacle towards peace and it is unlikely that they will succeed in unifying the Palestinian people. They will heap destruction and havoc on the Palestinian people which will encourage Iran under Mahmoud Ahmadinajad to become involved in arming Hamas. He will use the Palestinians in order to spread his influence and try to rule the Middle East. It is hoped that the moderating influences in the Palestinian camp would unite in order to prevent this development. A nuclear arms race is a great threat to all peoples of the Middle East and not only to Israel. Nuclear fallout kills everybody! Hopefully this realization would unite all peoples of the Middle East to resist Iran which is a potential enemy to all peace loving peoples of the Middle East. Obama, with his clean slate from the Arab point of view, has the potential of applying pressure on Hamas and preventing Iran’s meddling in Palestinian affairs if he plays his cards right assuming that he wins the presidential elections.

Unjustifiable Shortsightedness with a Xenophobic Touch

While PM Ehud Olmert is wallowing in his legal problems because of his love of good living and millionaires who can feather his nest of influence, there are certain injustices happening in the south of Israel. It is not only the Qassam rockets that Hamas terrorists are firing into Israel which is in itself despicable and justifies retaliation, but also the way the retaliation is being carried out.

Archbishop Desmond Tutu (a Nobel Prize Laureate and ex Archbishop of Cape Town) was appointed to head the special committee by the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva to investigate the deaths of 19 Palestinians in Bet Hanun in November 2006 killed by Israel fire. The Israeli authorities refused to grant him a visa for this purpose. In the end he arrived with his team via the Rafah crossing from Egypt. Had Israel granted him a visa for this purpose, it would have proved that Israel had nothing to hide and that there is a desire for openness of what really happened on that fateful day. By refusing to grant permission, Israel is held suspect of hiding information on this incident in the eyes of the world. Apart from that, Tutu also intended to pay a visit to Sderot to see the damage done by Qassam rockets and to interview the victims. This was also denied him. This is unfortunate and Tutu was unable to see both sides of the conflict in an impartial fashion. Apart from gaining entry into Gaza and interviewing Gazan families in Bet Hanun about the incident in question, he was unable to see the Sderot side of events. Surely this must be viewed as a tactical blunder on the part of Israel. It serves no purpose apart from denting Israel’s credibility in the eyes of the world.

According to an Agence France Press Report, a tearful Palestinian family recounted losing loved ones in an Israeli attack and the ruling Hamas movement expounded its hard-line stance.

Archbishop Tutu listened to members of the Assamna family tell of a 2006 Israeli shelling of their village that killed 19 civilians, including eight children, while they were sleeping.

"I was here with my son. I was holding his hand when he died. Can you imagine a mother holding the intestines of her own son," said Tahini al-Assamna through her tears, describing the scene after the attack.

Tutu commented that the purpose of the visit was to gather information to write a report for the UN Human Rights Council, "but we wanted to say that we are quite devastated."

The Palestinian woman told Tutu and his UN team that she also lost three brothers-in-law in the attack. And her husband was killed two days before the bombing during an Israeli army operation against rocket firings from Gaza.

Imad Okal, a UN representative in northern Gaza, looked around the Assamna house and commented that it was "very evident that this building was a residential home."

Leaning against a scorched wall of the house, Saad Abdallah Assamna, 52, said he only hoped that "there will be an inquiry and those responsible will be judged before an international tribunal.

It appears that what happened on that fateful day, was conveniently swept under the carpet like many other incidents that should not have occurred. After an internal investigation, Israel concluded that shelling the civilians' homes was "a rare and grave technical error of the artillery radar system."

Another incident disconnected with the UN Human Rights Council investigation under Archbishop Tutu, is Israel’s refusal to allow 8 Palestinian students who had received prestigious Fulbright Fellowships from US academic institutions to study in the US.

It is unjustifiable to prevent Gaza students who have received scholarships to further their studies in the US. Students are the potential leaders of their people in the future. If they are denied the right to study because of the Hamas regime, this is a form of xenophobia. Students who have the ability must be given every opportunity. It does not serve the interests of Israel or the Palestinians if all doors are closed to them. It will further encourage extremism and hate. Denying a student the right to study overseas will not end terrorism or result in Hamas recognizing Israel’s right to exist. It will take away Palestinian hopes of a better life and will exacerbate the relationship between Israel and the Palestinians even further. Everything must be done to allow these Gaza students to receive their Fulbright Scholarships to study. This is typical of Israel’s self righteous shortsightedness and fears.

According to a report in Haaretz 30th May 2008, The U.S. State Department said Friday it was pressing Israel's government to allow eight Palestinians who live in the Gaza Strip to travel to the United States to study on coveted Fulbright fellowships.

"We are trying to revisit this issue with the Israeli government," State Department spokesman Tom Casey told reporters, referring to Israel's failure to grant exit visas for the students.

"Frankly, a decision to let people that have been vetted for what is perhaps the most prestigious foreign educational program run by the United States ... it ought to be [as easy as] falling off a log for them to be able to do this."

Earlier Friday, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said she would investigate a report that the State Department had withdrawn Fulbright Scholarship grants to the Palestinian students because they were denied exit visas by Israel.

Hadeel Abu Kawik, 23, a computer engineering student, received her scholarship after a lengthy process that included interviews, exams and an English test.

"I was building my hope on this scholarship," she said Friday.

Israel has sealed off the Gaza Strip in an effort to protect bordering Israeli towns and punish the Hamas militants who took over Gaza last June. Israel controls movement in and out of the territory as well as utilities for about 1.3 million Palestinian residents in Gaza.

Abdulrahman Abdullah, one of the eight Gazans who received the letter, was shocked.

"If we are talking about peace and mutual understanding, it means investing in people who will later contribute to Palestinian society," he said. "I am against Hamas. Their acts and policies are wrong. Israel talks about a Palestinian state. But who will build that state if we can get no training?"

Some Israeli lawmakers, who held a hearing Wednesday on the issue of student movement out of Gaza, expressed anger that their government was failing to promote educational and civil development in a future Palestine. This is an encouraging sign that not all in Israel agree with the policy to prevent Gaza’s students from studying in the US.

"This could be interpreted as collective punishment," said Rabbi Michael Melchior, chairman of the Education Committee in Parliament, during the hearing. "This policy is not in keeping with international standards or with the moral standards of Jews, who have been subjected to the deprivation of higher education in the past. Even in war, there are rules." Melchior is a member of Meimad, a small party allied to the Labor Party.