Tuesday, BBC radio ran a fascinating interview with former US undersecretary for public diplomacy Karen Hughes. Among her briefs, Hughes was in charge of “promoting American values and confronting ideological support for terrorism.” She was the first person to hold such a position.
The interview was interesting for one particular response. When asked whether she understood that Arab anger against the US was in large part spurred by Washington’s support for Israel and perceived bias against the Palestinians, she replied that US policy is in favour of a two-state solution, so any anger at the US is against the details or simply misplaced.
US policy is for a two-state solution, so that’s all good then?
This disingenuous reply came from a person supposed to defend “American values.”
The reply is nonsense of course. Anyone can say that they are environmentalists, but until they get out of their SUVs and start trying to make a difference, they are not. They are either hypocrites or ignorant.
Washington can say as much as it wishes that it wants an independent Palestinian state, but as long as the chances of such a state recede daily, who will believe that the world’s only superpower is really serious?
The very people Hughes was supposed to reach out to are the people who have the evidence of their own eyes to see what “American values” mean on the ground.
The people in the West Bank, where settlements flourish and no one moves from one town to another without having to pass men with guns towards whom they have no recourse to the law. Or in Gaza, where democracy brings starvation and the threat that electricity and water supplies will be cut.
If this is the quality of policy-makers in Washington, then what should we expect from Annapolis?
This is a peace conference where two major parties to the conflict, Hamas and Syria, are not invited and which is designed to avoid any substantive issues. The short answer is: we can expect nothing from Annapolis.
There is no understanding in Washington for what this conflict is about, or indeed what this region is about, and there will be no understanding until this administration is history. That is what we need to understand.
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