Peace process dead

Arab optimists still nurture undying hopes of something like a change of heart in Israel or the United States, but the Middle East process is dead, for all practical purposes. Arab masses do not appear to expect much, if anything, from Israel as long as (Prime Minister) Benjamin Netanyahu is heading a Jewish fundamentalist gang whose members believe that the Israelis are 'born to kill' -- kill Palestinians as well as peace with Arabs.

Nothing better was ever expected from Netanyahu, who lives to hate and destroy. However, what is unfortunate is the attitude of the United States led by Bill Clinton...This is evident from the fact that the United States remains as inactive on peace as during the (U.S. presidential) election process.

Apart from the fact that the State Department is in a transition until a new secretary of state replaces Warren Christopher for Clinton's second term, the Middle East is not on top of the Clinton foreign policy agenda.

These two factors have encouraged Netanyahu to further harden his policy on illegal Jewish settlements on the Arab territories (that) Israel continues to occupy in defiance of the Geneva Conventions understanding. Netanyahu could not go this far if it had some real pressure from Washington.

There seems to be a subtle change in American 'perception' of the Jewish settlements. Reacting to several new plans for settlements, unnamed State Department officials said the new construction encouraged by Netanyahu was 'not helpful' to peace. Until recently, the U.S. position was that the Jewish settlements were 'obstacle' to peace. No wonder then if Netanyahu declared that he was 'not moved by the criticism' from America. Nobody can be moved by such criticism: this criticism is not meant to move someone and rectify his position either.

The American position on the Middle East was one-sided in the post-World War II world and (an) outcome of it was that despite ideological differences several Arab countries were compelled to join the Eastern camp against American injustice towards their cause.

The Arabs do not have such refuge in today's post-Soviet world. Europe is being constantly sidelined in the Middle East jointly by the U.S. and Israel. This will leave the Arabs with no option but to acquire power to lead themselves to their goal.

The U.S. is taking precautions against such an eventuality, but it is said where there is a will, there is a way. This can be true for the U.S. also, if it has a will to achieve a fair peace deal that equally satisfies the Arabs.

-- Saudi Gazette, Riyadh