Israel Matzav

Obama's Nobel will hurt the 'peace process'

In an earlier post, I discussed how President Obama's misbegotten Nobel peace prize may adversely affect the possibility of stopping Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons. In this post, I discuss how Obama's Nobel peace prize will lessen the possibility of Israel reaching a peace accord with the 'Palestinians.' This is illustrated by Obama's initial reaction to receiving the Nobel:

"We must all do our part to resolve those conflicts that have caused so much pain and hardship over so many years," Obama told reporters in the White House Rose Garden.

"And that effort must include an unwavering commitment that finally realizes that the rights of all Israelis and Palestinians to live in peace and security in nations of their own."

Note that - as I have argued consistently since he took office and even before - Obama has made resolving the Israeli-Arab 'Palestinian' conflict the keystone of his foreign policy.

But the conflict is currently unresolvable and is unlikely to be resolvable at any time in the foreseeable future. The conflict cannot be resolved until the 'Palestinians' accept Israel's right to exist as a Jewish state in its current location. And the 'Palestinians' are further than ever from that acceptance.

The effect of decades of incitement to destroy Israel is fully reflected in Palestinian polls. A June 5-7 poll by the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research found that three-quarters of Palestinians reject any possibility of reconciliation with Israel in this generation, even if a final peace agreement were signed and an independent Palestinian state created.

As long as Obama continues to push Israel to make 'concessions' and 'gestures' without any demand for reciprocity from the 'Palestinians,' as long as he continues to to demand that Israel move ahead with the 'road map' regardless of the 'Palestinian' failure to fulfill any of their obligations under the 'road map,' there is no chance of peace.

Obama will justifiably take the Nobel as an international stamp of approval for his approach to his number one foreign policy priority - resolving the Israeli-Arab conflict. He will continue to pursue the same misguided policy that has encouraged the 'Palestinians' to voice maximalist demands while waiting for the United States to 'deliver' Israel on a silver platter. Since that priority and the manner in which it is being pursued are deeply misguided, the Nobel will only move peace further away and not bring it closer.

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 10:15 AM