World events took an interesting turn recently. The Goldstone report wreaked havoc at the beginning of the week but was considerably overshadowed by Iran’s revelation of another nuclear facility on Sept. 25.
The Iran nuclear threat — although theater is a more suitable term — was highlighted repeatedly, first by the US President Barack Obama during a UN speech on Sept. 23, then again by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu the next day. The latter came armed with maps and alluded relentlessly to the Holocaust memories, following an ever so predictable, albeit insensitive and deceptive pattern.
This charade was meant to distract from the nearly 600-page UN report prepared by South African Judge Richard Goldstone and others; its subject was primarily Israeli war crimes in Gaza. Confirming that Israel wantonly used weapons, including illegal weapons, against a defenseless civilian population in Gaza and saying that Israel not only committed war crimes but may have also committed crimes against humanity, the findings of the report were all set aside. The report was utterly rejected by Netanyahu and his ilk, arrogantly disregarded and shelved.
Concurrently, Israel’s official statement regarding the IAEA’s pressure on Israel to sign on to the Non-Proliferation Treaty was that Israel “deplored” such a notion. The Israeli conceit may be redundant, but is as ever infuriating.
Many of Israel’s devoted supporters accused the Goldstone mission of fabricating conclusions before the investigations even came to a close.
And so yet again, Israel unhesitatingly established that it is above the law, promptly and successfully turning the world’s attention to an alleged greater menace: Iran.
It seems that Obama is also learning some painful lessons regarding the balance of power between the US and Israel. He began negotiations in Washington this past week — along with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas — with a strong stance for a complete freeze of all settlement activity. He concluded with clear calls for the Palestinians to continue down the road of diplomacy in spite of Israel’s refusal to adhere to international law. In the words of Israeli writer, Uri Avnery, “No point denying it: in the first round of the match between Barack Obama and Benjamin Netanyahu, Obama was beaten.” Learning from past history, one can hardly be optimistic and expect a US victory in the second round, or anytime soon for that matter. And thereafter, Obama followed Israeli desires to the letter. Israel’s recent use of illegal weapons on civilians, its arsenal of hundreds of nuclear weapons and its refusal to consider disarmament paled in comparison to the potential threat that could arise should Iran seek a nuclear weapon at some future time.
Obama’s words at the UN to Ahmedinejad and the people of Iran were clear: “They are going to have to make a choice: Are they willing to go down the path to greater prosperity and security for Iran, giving up the acquisition of nuclear weapons ... or will they continue down a path that is going to lead to confrontation?”
This is sure to ignite a war of words, to the delight of Netanyahu and his extremist government. But the outcome will certainly go beyond the realm of words.
It seems that Obama’s rebuke and Netanyahu’s declarations could actually lead to damage to the Non-Proliferation Treaty and indeed to us all, by encouraging nations which, until this point, have no nuclear weapons to expedite the creation of their own arsenal. After all, what we have learned from this episode is that nations who do not yet possess weapons of mass destruction had better get on the band-wagon and make some, for it seems that without them, they are little more than sitting ducks.
How ironic it is, and what a sweet talker Netanyahu is, to successfully divert the worlds eye, ears and conscience away from what he has done, to the dangerous notion of what another man who, up to now can only be blamed for fiery speeches, might do in the future.
As for Ahmedinejad’s crusade, it is very possible that in the end, the ones who will pay for his bold declarations will be the Palestinians who, after the scourge of Israel’s Operation Cast Lead nearly one year ago, still await the bare necessities to rebuild, still thirst for clean water and basic sustenance. Netanyahu has been tireless at drawing parallels between Iran and Gaza, presenting them both to the world as dire threats to the existence of the Jewish state. When addressing the UN in New York on Sept. 24, he said, “The struggle against Iran pits civilization against barbarism. This Iranian regime is fueled by extreme fundamentalism. What starts as attacks on Jews always ends up engulfing others. This regime embodies the extremes of Islamic fundamentalism.”
Interesting words from a man whose former administration and current administration could very well face the International Criminal Court for carrying out crimes against humanity.
Such utterances make one wonder, just who in the world we should trust, and who in the world we should fear.
For the time being, however, one can only hope that the international community will reject all attempts to be blinded by Netanyahu’s fear-mongering, and insist on a stern and decisive investigation into the alleged war crimes in Gaza, as presented in the Goldstone report so that the real culprits, not the imagined ones in Tehran, pay for their heinous crimes against the defenseless people of the strip.
— Ramzy Baroud (www.ramzybaroud.net) is an author and editor of PalestineChronicle.com. His work has been published in many newspapers, journals and anthologies around the world.
