Obama and the truth

President Obama often turns to the “truth” when talking about the Middle East. In fact, he used that word five times in his 2009 Cairo speech and four times in his Middle East doctrine speech at the White house last week.

In 2009, the president proclaimed before his Cairo audience that “the truth is that America and Islam are not exclusive”, that “Islam is a part of America, and America holds within her the truth that regardless of race, religion, or station in life, all of us share common aspirations.” He also said “there is one rule that lies at the heart of every religion – that we do unto others as we would have them do unto us. This truth transcends nations and peoples.”

In his doctrine speech last week, Obama said that America would assist civil societies “who speak uncomfortable truths”, that “the truth cannot be hidden”, and that “precisely because of our friendship (America and Israel it is important that we tell the truth: the status quo is unsustainable,Israel must act boldly to advance a lasting peace” and that America "holds these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal."

Before an AIPAC audience that same week he reiterated the “fundamental truth that has guided presidents and prime ministers for more than 60 years: that even while we may at times disagree, as friends sometimes will, the bonds between the United States and Israel are unbreakable.”

All of these truths may have merit, but for truth to become the theme for Middle East peace and prosperity, President Obama and his various audiences should also consider the following noteworthy truths:

1) Jerusalem has been the capital of the Jewish people for over 3,000 years and that of the State of Israel since its re-establishment, with a large Jewish majority since 1860. Jerusalem is referred to thousands of times in Jewish scriptures; Jews pray towards Jerusalem and yearned to return to it during 2,000 years of forced exile. Jerusalem was never the capital of an Arab state, doesn’t appear once in the Koran and Muslims pray towards Mecca;

2) The 1967 borders, referred to by Obama and others, are in essence the 1949 armistice borders drawn after Israel’s victorious 1948 War of Independence;

3) Although there was never a sovereign Palestinian state at any point in the history of mankind, Israel accepted the UN’s 1947 partition plan. The Arabs did not, and instead reciprocated with war, and another war, and then a couple of more wars, simultaneously combined with more than 70 years of terror against innocent civilians. Therefore, aside from its biblical and historical rights, Israel has more than 25,000 reasons, one for each slain soldier and terror victim, to refuse the return to 1967 borders;

4) Peace could have prevailed at any point during the century-long conflict between Israel and its Arab enemies had the Arabs only agreed to put down their arms. In contrast, if Israel would put down its arms it would cease to exist;

5) With the rapidly changing world, one of the few theories of International Relations that still holds water is that “true Democracies do not go to war against true Democracies.” Israel is the only true democracy in the Mideast and therefore, as Prime Minister Netanyahu pointed out in his 2011 AIPAC speech, “it's time to recognize this basic truth: Israel is not what's wrong about the Middle East. Israel is what's right about the Middle East.”

Acknowledging these telling truths is the preface to peace and prosperity.

Obama corrects his mistake

Barack Obama corrected the harsh impression Israel gained from his May 19 Middle East speech in one of the most pro-Israeli addresses ever delivered by an American president.

He explained to the 11,000 delegates at the American Israeli Public Affairs Committee –AIPAC conference Sunday, May 22 that the final Israeli-Palestinian borders would differ from the 1967 lines because of the "mutually agreed swaps" he had also advocated.

Obama reverted to the guarantee President Bush gave Prime Minister Ariel Sharon in 2004 against a return to the indefensible 1967 boundaries, adding that demographic changes on the ground and the interests of both sides made it unrealistic and were bound to be changed in negotiations.

The US president thus addressed the cardinal objection raised insistently by Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu when they met at the White House Friday, May 20, although Netanyahu was accused by critics at home of overstating the case.  Netanyahu responded by saying he is determined to work with Obama on finding ways to renew peace talks and voiced deep appreciation for his efforts and speech.

Obama was also influenced by the heated criticism he encountered in the American media, which not only ignored the principles he set forth in his wider Middle East vision, but accused him of pandering to the Palestinian Authority chairman Mahmoud Abbas to lure him back to the table after two years.

In a speech aimed at pleasing his solidly pro-Israeli audience, Obama offered another key concession by clarifying his early comment:

Last Thursday, he said the future Palestinian state would share borders with Jordan, Egypt and Israel, but did not refer to the security provisions demanded by Israel, such as a military presence on the Jordan River border. Sunday, the US President explained that the IDF withdrawal from the territory which would be assigned to the Palestinian state in peace negotiations would be graded to match the guaranteed ability of the new state and its security forces to prevent terror, arms smuggling and infiltration. Otherwise, Israel would stay on the West Bank.

Military sources stress this correction is vitally important because it comes close to Israel's on security perception.

Obama stood by his original definition of a non-militarized rather than a demilitarized Palestinian state in view of the armed force needed to fight terror. He stressed that both states must enjoy the right to self-defense.

He also repeated his earlier assertion that the status quo is unsustainable for three reasons:

1.  The Palestinian population west of the Jordan River is increasing rapidly making it harder for Israel to remain a Jewish democratic state.
2.  Technological advances will jeopardize Israel's presence on the West Bank. He was alluding to the pileup of long and short-range missiles in its enemies arsenals.
3.  A new Arab generation is shaping the region. Therefore, Israel cannot rely on any peace treaty with one or more Arab rulers. "The world is moving too fast and is too impatient," said Obama.

At the same time, he offered Israel some important commitments:

The US will maintain Israel's qualitative military edge and has an unbreakable commitment to Israel as the homeland of the Jewish people. He vowed to prevent Iran acquiring nuclear weapons and oppose any effort to "chip away at Israel's legitimacy." The US opposed the Palestinian plan to ask the UNto recognize a unilaterally declared state.

Israel cannot be expected to negotiate with a party dedicated to its destruction, namely Hamas, he said. Hamas must release Gilead Shalit after holding him for five long years, he said. The US will stand up against any attempt to single out Israel at the UN or any international forum.

The Israeli prime minister addresses the AIPAC conference Monday.

DEBKAfile