Congress undermines Obama's mid-east peace efforts.

[pnwmom]

http://ncronline.org/news/politics/congress-undermines-obamas-peace-efforts


In response to President Barack Obama’s clear -- albeit understated and unenforced -- calls for an end of the Israeli occupation of most of the Palestinian West Bank, both Republicans and Democrats on Capitol Hill have mobilized to undercut the administration’s timid efforts and throw Congress’ support to the right-wing Israeli government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

For example, as Netanyahu arrogantly rejected Obama’s modest parameters for a peace settlement in a speech before a joint session of Congress last year, members of Congress gave him no less than 29 standing ovations, more than Obama has ever received during his State of the Union speeches. The most raucous applause came when Netanyahu rejected Obama’s call that the starting point for negotiations on the final borders between Israel and a Palestinian state be based on Israel’s internationally recognized borders prior to Israel’s 1967 invasion of the West Bank.

U.N. Security Council Resolution 242 -- long considered the basis for peace by both Democratic and Republican administrations -- reiterates the longstanding international legal principle regarding “the inadmissibility of the acquisition of territory by force.” This was irrelevant to the U.S. Congress, the vast majority of whom gave Netanyahu a particularly enthusiastic standing ovation when he denied that Israeli forces and settlers on the West Bank were foreign occupiers. They cheered when he specifically insisted that Israeli occupation forces would remain as far east as the Jordan Valley, countering Obama’s call for their withdrawal. Congress cheered further when Netanyahu justified his insistence that the West Bank was Jewish land simply because it was “the land of our forefathers ... to which Abraham brought the idea of one God [and] where David set out to confront Goliath.”

The current Congress has also passed a series of resolutions, passed by overwhelming majorities with bipartisan support, apparently designed to undermine the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, weaken Israeli moderates and peace advocates, undercut international law, further militarize the Middle East, and make Israel ever more dependent on the United States.

SNIP

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~Stephen Zunes is a professor of politics at the University of San Francisco.

[elleng]

1. Don't like the way this guy writes too much,

calls President Obama's efforts 'timid,' and netanyahu's attitude 'arrogant,' but not surprised that this current Congress hasn't done anything admirable.

Folks, we've GOT to get rid of these jokers. PLEASE support candidates who will seek really to accomplish things.