No doubt, the subject of the hour is US President George W. Bush’s visit to Israel and Palestine, which begins today, January 9. Both Israel and the Palestinians are taking extraordinary measures to ensure that Bush’s visit proceeds without a hitch. In Jerusalem, where the US President will be staying, a reported 8,000 Israeli police and security guards have been stationed for his protection.
The Palestinians are pulling out all the stops as well, with a reported 4,000 Palestinian police force out to ensure that Bush has a safe trip to Ramallah tomorrow. The roads will be closed, stringent security measures taken at the Muqata’ (presidential headquarters) and residents in the middle of town advised to stock up on essential food stuffs for Thursday since it will be virtually impossible to travel anywhere near the presidential entourage that is expected to pay a visit to Palestine’s leaders.
This is all good and well, and of course expected. George Bush is, after all, the leader of the most powerful country in the world and the one person who can undoubtedly cause the most havoc and destruction singlehandedly. So, his visit is significant, historical if you will. But groundbreaking? Not likely.
Palestinians everywhere are already making snide remarks – on the streets, in taxi cabs, in living rooms. Will Bush accept a meal cooked by Palestinian chefs or does this constitute a “security threat”? He will visit the Muqata but will not pay his respects to Yasser Arafat’s grave. He will, however, make a special visit to Yad Vashem, and sit for a friendly chat with Ariel Sharon’s son. How can the Palestinians not be cynical?
The truth of the matter is Bush’s visit is nothing more than a show, and an expensive one at that. By Israel’s own admission, Bush’s visit will cost them $25,000 an hour in security alone. But how much will this Texan really bring with him. His track record is more than enough to conclude that it will be close to nothing.
Yes, President Bush has been gracious enough to offer the Palestinians a vision of an independent Palestinian state living peacefully alongside Israel. He said it first in 2004 and has repeated it numerously since then. His Secretary of State, eloquent and savvy Condeleezza Rice has made numerous visits here to push forward the so-called peace process and yes, Bush will go down in Palestinian-Israeli history as the man who hosted the Annapolis Middle East Peace Conference. He has even been ambitious enough to determine that a final peace agreement is possible by the end of the year.
But, let’s be honest. The United States has never been a friend to the Palestinians, at least in proportion to its blind loyalty to Israel. Not one US president has ever openly called for the end to Israel’s illegal occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip or put enough pressure on Israel for this to actually happen on the ground. So, it is no surprise that this visit, despite all of the fanfare surrounding it, is being perceived by the Palestinians in particular, as Bush’s last ditch attempt at scoring even a minor goal towards peace in the Middle East before he packs his bags and moves out of the White House.
After all, the United State’s tepid reprimands have hardly stopped the Israeli government from halting its announcement for new tenders to build hundreds of housing units in east Jerusalem settlements such as Har Homa and Maaleh Adumim. The ink was barely dry on Annapolis’ final statement, both sides committing to implement their obligations under the US-brokered roadmap including a settlement freeze, when Israel announced the tenders.
Rice did go as far as saying that “Har Homa is a settlement the United States has opposed from the beginning,” setting the settlement issue at the top of the agenda. But practically, the United States has not withheld any aid to Israel, which would therefore curb this settlement expansion, nor has it ever proposed sanctions on Israel for its illegal settlement activities.
What is more, Bush modified his “vision” in an interview last week with the right-wing Israeli newspaper the Jerusalem Post. While outlining what he believed could be an overall Palestinian-Israeli agreement, he said he envisioned an agreement “based on the 1967 borders – plus.” That tiny word at the end more or less blows international resolutions right out of the water in addition to all peace agreements based on them, which call for an Israeli withdrawal from territory occupied in the 1967 War. “Plus” was never supposed to be in the fine print.
Even Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert was impressed. “He’s the only president who has ever said that. And that’s an amazing achievement for Israel.”
What the Palestinians can hope for from Bush’s visit or any US mediation for that matter is a boost in economic aid. The United States already pledged millions of dollars at the Paris Donor Conference last month – even though Congress only approved roughly half – and if the Abbas government continues to tow a political line that does not clash with America’s policies, the money will most likely keep flowing.
But even the most ambitious economic plan can easily be torpedoed by Israel – something the Palestinians are all too aware of. A sophisticated report issued by the Palestinian Authority following the Paris Conference makes this painfully clear. The report entitled, “Building a Palestinian State – towards peace and prosperity” outlines a clear-cut economic and fiscal plan for the coming years based upon donor aid and internal Palestinian economic policy.
The report is ambitious, well-organized and proves that the Palestinians have the brainpower it takes to sustain a viable and stable economy. However, the final paragraph in the report’s conclusion pulls everything into perspective.
“...if the occupation regime remains at the status quo, the economic outlook is extremely poor. It would make material increases in public investment and a substantive reconstruction effort very difficult.”
So, Bush’s visit may give him a brownie point for effort. It will also undoubtedly further consolidate the American-Israeli love affair. But no one, the Palestinians in particular, should look any further than that.
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