By Noam Chomsky
June 08, 2009
ZNet
Noam Chomsky’s ZSpace Page
The Obama-Netanyahu-Abbas meetings in May, followed by Obama’s speech in Cairo, have been widely interpreted as a turning point in US Middle East policy, leading to consternation in some quarters, exuberance in others. Fairly typical is Middle East analyst Dan Fromkin of the Washington Post, who sees “signs Obama will promote a new regional peace initiative for the Middle East, much like the one championed by Jordan’s King Abdullah… [and also] the first distinct signs that Obama is willing to play hardball with Israel.” WP, May 29. A closer look, however, suggests considerable caution.
King Abdullah insists that “There is no change to the Arab Peace Initiative, and there is no need to amend it. Any talk about amending it, is baseless” AFP, May 16. Abbas, regularly described as the president of the Palestinian Authority his term expired in January, firmly agrees. The Arab Peace Initiative reiterates the long-standing international consensus that Israel must withdraw to the international border, perhaps with “minor and mutual adjustments,” to adopt official US terminology before it departed sharply from world opinion in 1971, endorsing Israel’s rejection of peace with Egypt in favor of settlement expansion in the northeast Sinai. Furthermore, the consensus calls for a Palestinian state to be established in Gaza and the West Bank after Israel’s withdrawal. The Arab Initiative adds that the Arab states should then normalize relations with Israel.
[…]
see
Chomsky on Obama Speech + The 3rd Rail – Obama’s game-changing speech in Egypt
Who will Stand Up To America and Israel? by Paul Craig Roberts
Obama orders Gates to update plan for Iran strike
Obama: I understand why Israel considers Iran an existential threat
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