I am not a politician nor do I claim to be an expert on world politics. I am a Muslim first, an Arab second and a person who would like to see peace and justice for the people of Palestine; hence, I was very interested in following the 2008 2008 presidential race.
The world, including the Americans after the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and the financial crash, was ready for a new era, a new world order and a new man or woman in the White House.
George W. Bush, his aids and his party saw in raging war the only solution for every conflict around the world, in particular those conflicts which do not suit America's interests or those of its spoiled and out-of-control child, Israel. Threats of sanctions, offensive actions and war from Bush, his Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and the White House spokesmen made headlines in one part of the world or another, from Korea to Iran to Syria to Pakistan to Afghanistan even to Moscow over the conflict in Georgia.
Israel, America's un-united state, has been running the show in the Palestinian conflict with the blessing of the US and its presidents for decades, from its recognition as a state by Harry Truman to its unlimited support by George W. Bush. Israel's monstrous and savage attack on Gaza and the killing of hundreds of children and innocent civilians under the watchful eyes of the world and America's justification and support of the Jewish state in the UN, the Security Council and every step of the way leave no one in doubt that Israel under the present American policy can get away with even murder. The double-standard policy that the US applies in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict is painful but more painful is the fact that Israel was using American-made weapons and military hardware to slaughter children, destroy homes, schools and hospitals in the name of self-defense and security. And let us not forget that forbidden weapons were previously used by American forces in Fallujah.
Now that Barack Obama is in the White House, the question in my and everybody's minds is: Does Obama want to make a difference? Does he want to defy the Zionist lobbyists and challenge the Jewish power in American? Can Obama control Israel and tame the beast of the Middle East where others did not even dare to try? Will Obama survive conspirers hidden in the shadows around him? It is indeed a difficult and challenging road ahead for the new, young, black president.
The signs are certainly positive. Obama's press releases and speeches about a new American foreign policy in the Middle East, tougher control over lobbyists and shutting down different prisons around the world, including Guantanamo, is definitely a step in the right direction.
Let's be optimistic and hope he rectifies Bush's unfavorable legacy in the Middle East. At the same time, let us be realistic and manage our expectations. I will be content with some justice for the Palestinians.
