By:
Jamal Kanj*
October
05, 2011
The
Israeli newspaper Haaretz was flashing on October 2nd with harsh
remarks made by German Chancellor Angela Merkel over Israel’s
decision to build more illegal Israeli settlements in occupied Palestine.
Senior German officials revealed that Merkel was “furious” and “does not believe a word
[Netanyahu] says.” This came just two months after “ungrateful” Netanyahu
enlisted German’s support to thwart Palestinian membership at the UN general
assembly.
Late last month, former US president Bill Clinton declared
in a newspaper interview “Netanyahu killed the peace process.” Clinton was the
sponsor of the Wye
River agreement between
the Palestinians and the Israeli government under Netanyahu in 1998.
The US
financed the implementations of the Wye agreement by reimbursing Israel with
$400 million to “redeploy” from Palestinian towns. While it was paid, Israel is yet
to fulfill its obligations under the agreement.
This comes on the heels of news reports from
earlier last month that previous US
Secretary of Defense called Israel
an “Ungrateful ally.”
Gate served as US
Secretary of Defense when the US
was hoodwinked by Israeli Defense Minister
Barak last January to provide Israel
with unprecedented military aid worth almost additional two billion dollars in
FY 2011, special security arraignments, free access to US military emergency
stockpiles, and further $205 million to finance Israeli technology to develop
short-range rocket defense system.
Ehud Barak promised the US with this incentive package, prime minister Netanyahu would approve a three months
freeze on building illegal settlements and restart the peace negotiation with
the Palestinians. According to media reports, US officials were outraged with
Ehud Barak’s failed promises: “We put all our money on him” but “[he] did
not deliver the goods.”
It is worth noting that the recent outburst
from the German Chancellor is not new. Merkel expressed similar frustration
with Netanyahu last February when the Israeli Prime Minister authorized another
illegal settlement expansion.
“Fool me once shame on you, fool me twice
shame on me.” German chancellor, Western leaders, and the Palestinian
leadership, have been deceived repeatedly by Israeli governments with no
regards to basic human morality and international norms.
Through its 63 year history, amoral Israeli
leaders have skillfully demonstrated mastery in habitual deceit and political
con-artistry.
Despite intermittent indignation at cunning
Israeli officials; impotent Western leaders, mostly for political expediency, have
cosseted Israel
at the expense of their own self professed cherished values.
For instance, the US makes a
mockery of its overuse of the UN Veto power at the whim of Israeli lobby. Instead
of enticing Israel to take the required risk to achieve peace, impunity has emboldened
“ungrateful” Israel to ignore its obligations as a UN
member state while indulging in the building of illegal settlements and in its
oppression of the Palestinian people.
*Jamal Kanj writes frequently
on Arab
World issues and the author of “Children of Catastrophe, Journey from a Palestinian
Refugee Camp to America”, Garnet Publishing, UK. Jamal’s articles
can be read at www.jamalkanj.com, his email address
is jkanj@yahoo.com
