Carter urges 'supine' Europe to break with US over Gaza blockade
Jimmy Carter is calling on Britain and the rest of Europe to break with the US over the embargo on Gaza and has described the EU's position on the Israeli-Palestinian dispute as "supine" and its failure to criticise the Israeli blockade of Gaza as "embarrassing".
I couldn't agree with him more. Since Hamas were democratically elected, Europe's decision to go along with the American boycott has been a disgrace and a mark of shame on the entire continent.Referring to the possibility of Europe breaking with the US in an interview with the Guardian, he said: "Why not? They're not our vassals. They occupy an equal position with the US."
The blockade on Hamas-ruled Gaza, imposed by the US, EU, UN and Russia - the so-called Quartet - after the organisation's election victory in 2006, was "one of the greatest human rights crimes on Earth," since it meant the "imprisonment of 1.6 million people, 1 million of whom are refugees". "Most families in Gaza are eating only one meal per day. To see Europeans going along with this is embarrassing," Carter said.
Why are we punishing these people? Because we disagree with the democratic choice they made?
How can we say that we favour democracy and then punish people for choosing democratic representatives that we dislike? It has already been revealed that Israel is having discussions with Hamas through an Egyptian mediator, so why are we keeping up this awful boycott?
I have talked a lot recently about the various ways that Gordon Brown should define his Labour government as different from Blair's New Labour government, and a break with the US over the way it treats the Palestinians would be an ideal place to start. Traditional Labour supporters identify strongly with the occupied people and not with the occupiers as Blair did. The US treatment of the Palestinians in Gaza is immoral and wrong and amounts to collective punishment. I have no faith that Brown will do so, but his Labour government should break with the US on this subject and Carter is bang on the money and very brave for publicly coming out and pointing the way.
There is no need for us to join the US in this disgraceful act towards an occupied people.
The decision of Bush and Olmert to ignore the democratic wishes of the Palestinian people - and to punish them for making a decision that the US and Israel do not like - is only turning the population of the West Bank towards Hamas and away from Fatah and Abbas:He [Carter] called on the EU to reassess its stance if Hamas agreed to a ceasefire in Gaza. "Let the Europeans lift the embargo and say we will protect the rights of Palestinians in Gaza, and even send observers to Rafah gate [Gaza's crossing into Egypt] to ensure the Palestinians don't violate it."
Although it is 27 years since he left the White House, Carter recently met Hamas leaders in Damascus. He declared a breakthrough in persuading the organisation to offer a Gaza ceasefire and a halt to Palestinian rocket attacks on Israel if Israel stopped its air and ground strikes on the territory.
Carter described western governments' self-imposed ban on talking to Hamas as unrealistic and said everyone knew Israel was negotiating with the organisation through an Egyptian mediator, Omar Suleiman. Suleiman took the Hamas ceasefire offer to Jerusalem last week.
Israel was still hesitating over the ceasefire, Carter confirmed yesterday. "I talked to Mr Suleiman the day before yesterday. I hope the Israelis will accept," he said.
While being scrupulously polite to the Palestinian Authority president, Mahmoud Abbas, and prime minister, Salam Fayyad, who represent the Fatah movement, he was scathing about their exclusion of Hamas. He described the Fatah-only government as a "subterfuge" aimed at getting round Hamas's election victory two years ago. "The top opinion pollster in Ramallah told me the other day that opinion on the West Bank is shifting to Hamas, because people believe Fatah has sold out to Israel and the US," he said.And Carter has also brought up who has drafted the conditions of the agreement that Europe, Israel and the US are now imposing on Gaza:
Carter said the Quartet's policy of not talking to Hamas unless it recognised Israel and fulfilled two other conditions had been drafted by Elliot Abrams, an official in the national security council at the White House. He called Abrams "a very militant supporter of Israel".It'll never happen in a million years, for the simple reason that the Palestinians are too weak and Israel is too strong for Europe to break with the US over this, but if Gordon Brown is looking for a moral stance to define his government then this is it."The Quartet's final document had been drafted in Washington in advance, and not a line was changed," he said.
For the first time in history the international community is imposing sanctions on an occupied people rather than on their occupiers. And we are doing so because we disagree with the democratic choice that they made.
This is simply disgraceful. Carter is pointing the way. Europe should break with the virulently pro-Israeli nutbags who currently occupy the White House and do what is right. What's Brown afraid of? Bush is already a dreadful lame duck president; break with him, and do what is morally right.
Click title for full article.
4 comments:
I think the Cold War led most Americans to believe that instituting democracy automatically creates pro-Western governments, and also governments that "know their place".
When something else happens, such as in Venezuela, Pakistan or Palestine, then "obviously" this is an aberration and the government is not "legitimate". In such cases, a return to authoritarianism is advocated by the West.
"For the first time in history the international community is imposing sanctions on an occupied people rather than on their occupiers. And we are doing so because we disagree with the democratic choice that they made."
Bush says we're doing it to "protect" them from the consequences of their "bad choice". We all know he's crazy, but I, like Carter, am mystified why Europe still believes in this neocon garbage. It's time for Brown, at least, to make clear that the "special relationship" has gone astray. The neocons will continue to play the "you owe us" card for another century if Europe continues to allow it to be effective.
Todd,
I find it beyond depressing that Europe continue to bark the same tune as this neo-con dog. And it is simply appalling that we are sanctioning the occupied rather than the occupiers because, as you say, Bush thinks they made "a bad choice".
Brown will never, in my opinion, break with the US over this, even though what Carter says makes perfect sense. And I also think, deep down, all British Prime Minsters realise that there is only one special relationship the US enjoys, and that is with Israel.
The conclussion drawn here is: The Hamas were elected, therefore they are legitimate. But their platform is the destruction of a recognised state. Therefore, turn the conclusion around and say: Since most of the people in Gaza voted for Hamas, most of the people (in Gaza) are terrorists.
The conclussion drawn here is: The Hamas were elected, therefore they are legitimate.
Yes, that's how the democratic process works. Or do you know a better system which the rest of us are unaware of?
And the people of Gaza backed them because they have seen no discernible difference in their lives produced by the "moderate" Abbas.
Unless Israel show that moderation is the way to produce tangible results, then I'm afraid people will vote for alternatives.
The Palestinians want an end to the occupation and they will vote for whoever they think might deliver that. Wouldn't you?
Post a Comment