Supporting the "Peace Process" and the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt:
Misinformation
By Barry Rubin
| rubinreports.blogspot.co.il | Fri Aug 16 2013 |
http://rubinreports.blogspot.co.il/2013/08/supporting-peace-process-and-muslim.html
There's an Arab proverb that goes like this: When an enemy extends his hand to you cut it off.
If you can't, kiss it. Who do you think is being classified as the cutting or the kissing treatment
today? In contrast to the let's-empower-our enemies approach, two of the best Middle East
expert journalists in the world have just written from different perspectives on the real Middle
East and the results are refreshing. But in other media the odds are fixed at four to one against
sanity.
First, at one think tank, Khaled Abu Toameh has published, “Ramallah vs. the `PeaceProcess.’”
He puts peace process in quotes to show his sarcasm. He tells the story of two Israeli Arab
businessmen who wanted to open a Fox clothing store in the West Bank (like the one I shop at
in Dizengoff Center).
Although given Palestinian Authority (PA) permission and having already made a big investment,
they found themselves the target of attacks and calls for firing bombing the store. The assaults
were even organized by PA journalists. So they gave up, costing 150 jobs for West Bank
Palestinians. I could easily tell the same story a half-dozen times.
As Abu Toameh concludes: “This incident is an indication of the same`anti-normalization’"
movement which [PA leader] Abbas supports will be the first to turn against him if he strikes a
deal with Israel.” But, of course, for both the reason that this is a powerful radical movement
and the factor that he is one of the leaders of the anti-peace camp, Abbas won’t make a deal
ultimately.
“Does John Kerry's Peace Process Have a Chance? ” asks Aaron David Miller. And in subtle
terms he answers: No. He writes:
“Neither Abbas nor Netanyahu wants to say no to America's top diplomat and take the blame for
the collapse of negotiations. This proved sufficient to get them back to negotiations, but more will
be required to keep them there, let alone to reach an accord. Right now, neither has enough
incentives, disincentives, and an urgent desire or need to move forward boldly.
“Unfortunately, right now, the U.S. owns this one more than the parties do. This is not an ideal
situation. It would have been better had real urgency brought Abbas and Netanyahu together
rather than John Kerry.”
In other words, Kerry wants and needs these talks; Netanyahu and Abbas don’t.
I mean it literally when I say that there are only two sensible people given regular access to the
mass media on the Middle East, one is Miller the other is Jackson Diehl of the Washington Post.
(If I have left someone out please remind me. But remember I said, regularly.)
If you want to know the real attitude consider this recent exchange in Israel’s Knesset:
Jamal Zahalka of the Arab nationalist Party, Balad,: "We, the Arabs, were here before you
(the Jews) and we will be here after you!"
The prime minister asked permission to approach the podium and said in answer, "The first
part isn't true, and the second part won't be!"
Remember that he Communist Party is the most moderate of the Arab parties. Fatah and the
PA are more radical and their leaders would not hesitate to repeat |Zahalka’s statement Second,
Zahalka wasn’t afraid to invoke genocide because he knew he was protected by democracy.
That's the real situation. The Palestinian leadership's goal of wiping out Israel has not changed.
Only if it ever does will there be any chance of a two-state solution.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the equation the Washington Post has no less than four op-eds
or editorials in one week on why the United States should support the Muslim Brotherhood in
Egypt.
In Robert Kagan, “American aid Makes the U.S. Complicit in the Egyptian Army’s Acts” gives
the realpolitikversion. This is ludicrous. Was the U.S. thus complicit in the doings of every ally,
including Egypt from 1978 to 2011? Should one dump good allies because of things they do, a
debate that goes back to the onset of the Cold War.
And any way U.S. support for the army would be popular. Indeed, U.S. policy was “complicit”
with the army coup against Mubarak and was complicit to the Mursi Islamist regime which it
helped install, too!
Then we have the liberal human rights/democracy project view in Michele Dunne:
"With Morsi’s ouster, time for a new U.S. policy toward Egypt," because a U.S. policy
supporting human rights must ensure that the totalitarian Muslim Brotherhood is part of the
government (and no doubt would encourage stability) And we have, third, Reuel Marc Gerecht:
"In Egypt, the popularity of Islamism shall endure," which gives the conservative version for
why we need the Brotherhood in power. Yet after all, just because the enemy can endure is not
a reason to refuse to fight them. On the contrary, it is necessary at minimum to ensure it doesn't
become stronger. Finally we have an editorial,The Post’s View: Egypt’s military should hear from
Obama administration, which demands that the Obama Administration also pressures the military.
Let's be frank: the Egyptian army did a great service not just to Egypt's people but also to the U.S.
government because it saved its strategic balance in the Middle East.
Only one op-ed piece, Jackson Diehl: "Egypt’s ‘democrats’ abandon democracy," pointed out a
rather salient issue. The moderates themselves stopped supporting the status quo and begged
for a coup! They support the government now! They want the Obama Administration to back
the military regime! Good grief.
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