Letter of response to Obama's Speech

Friday, May 20, 2011

Dear Obama,

Your speech was very informative in raising awareness of our story of freedom, and as an Arab I very much appreciated it. It was as “hopeful” as the speech you gave in Cairo two years ago.

I could only truly falter one comment in an almost perfect speech. You mentioned that Palestine should be a “sovereign non-militarized state”. I foresee this proposal would be an exceptionally unpopular card to play in negotiations. If it is a matter of "trust", do you also believe that we as Arabs would trust Israel to be the only military force? Ironically, this is the current status-quo that cannot provide stability, and you mentioned the problem of instability in the very same speech.

Israel has shown time and time again that they cannot handle situations in a non-violent manner.
There is the matter for them to adhere to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons as well as the subject on illegal use of white-phosphorous chemical weapons.

Could you not propose to make them non-militarised as well? That would most likely mean that international security would be required in the region until true stability is reached on either side when they are BOTH able to provide a legitimate defence force. That would definitely provide a peaceful solution for BOTH to enjoy.

This would of course also mean ownership of responsibility with regards to the U.S. foreign aid which is used specifically for the Israeli war machine that should be halted just as urgently as the illegal settlements you mentioned in your speech.

If there is no pure intention of “courage” to act on your powerful words, then it is otherwise a lovely display of smoke and mirrors.

Arabs are not entirely naïve and I hope respect and dignity will be shown to provide a level playing field in which both Arabs and Jews can enjoy the harmony they once experienced many centuries before colonisation plagued their lands.

I'm sure as a leader of an Independent country, you would most definitely agree.

Regards,
Adel Helal

Sent to the White House via http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact

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RE:

The White House, Washington

June 10, 2011 Dear Friend: Thank you for writing.  I have heard from many Americans concerned about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and I appreciate your perspective.  I remain committed to a sustained diplomatic effort to promote peace in the region, because achieving a secure and lasting peace is critical not only for Israelis and Palestinians, but also for their neighbors and the United States.  Resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict demands our immediate and continued attention.  For generations, the conflict has taken a terrible human toll, and continued instability in the Middle East makes us all less safe.  We must open a more hopeful chapter in the story of the Holy Land. Through comprehensive and sustained efforts, we can achieve the goal of two states:  a Jewish state of Israel and a viable Palestinian state, living side by side in peace and security.  This approach requires working with Israelis, Palestinians, and other stakeholders over the long term, and my Administration will do just that. I encourage you to join me online and read more about my Administration's approach to this complex issue and other critical foreign policy matters at:  www.whitehouse.gov/agenda/foreign_policy. Again, thank you for sharing your thoughts.  Sincerely, Barack Obama

Netanyahu Exposed

The speech Obama gave last month to the Middle East was spoken perfectly if one were to dissect it using lexical analysis. The structure, tone and context of the speech, whilst trying to appease two cultures with a deep-seeded, bitter conflict was actually admirable. But that is as far as it goes because ultimately a US president cannot give more than what Obama gave: a speech.

There was admiration in his words as he bounced around the joy of witnessing history in the making with regards to the freedom fighters of Egypt and Tunisia, then a stern reminder of the failure of terrorism, and then there was a teasing and a dancing about of his words while trying to work his way through stating what has always been discussed for many years with Israel, and even though nothing new was mentioned, what made the speech successful from an Arab perspective is that it called Netanyahu's bluff.

It exposed him for what he really is, a manipulator of his own words. Netanyahu has always been calling out for a two-state solution as being the "only solution for peace" because he knows very well that a single-state, multi-cultured, purely democratic country involving a majority Arab and minority Jewish population would vote out and subsequently end the Jewish leadership and the identity of a Jewish state entirely.

What this speech showed, as obvious as the call for a two-state solution was, is that Obama’s call to action for Netanyahu to begin implementing such a notion could not possibly be carried out by the leader of Israel. After all, he has a Promised Land to fulfil for his people.

His immediate response by meeting with Obama to settle his "differences" proved that he really wants one thing that can no longer be denied through his PR campaigns and his "contempt" for the status quo: Arab land completely annexed from the Sea to the Jordan River, and nothing left for the Palestinians. What he fails to hide is that he has no intention to consider a viable "defensible" state for the Palestinians because frankly he doesn’t really care. His subsequent speeches to provide "clarification" of what Obama "really" meant never once mentioned the best interests for the Palestinians, which naturally would be a topic of conversation if a leader of a democracy wanted a sustainable region for all people to thrive in.

Although there will be no obvious progress following the back and forth of the Obama/Netanyahu speeches, the exposure of the lies that seeps through the very pores of the Israeli Prime Minister was there for all to see.

Lo and behold, once the penny dropped there was no looking back, and the result of this was the exposure of the Likud Platform, which looks strikingly similar in intent to the Hamas Charter:

Likud Platform
http://www.knesset.gov.il/elections/knesset15/elikud_m.htm