Author of The Lemon Tree: An Arab, a Jew, and the Heart of the Middle East writes the following:
Sandy Tolan: Obama and the Perils of Gaza.
Sandy Tolan: Obama and the Perils of Gaza.
If Obama does not say unequivocally that Israel's current folly, with its 85:1 death ratio, is inhumane, unacceptable, and in no one's interest - least of all Israel's own - he will risk squandering his great promise to remake America's image in the world.
Throughout the campaign, one of Obama's biggest appeals was in vanquishing George W. Bush's horrific international legacy: his presidential defense of torture, smug disregard for the rule of law, and lies in pursuit of war. Around the world leaders and ordinary people alike dared to hope that Obama, with roots in Africa, Indonesia and even Hawaii, could bring a worldly wisdom and empathy to peoples sickened by an America-first brutality.
Now Israel's assault on Gaza threatens to smack down all such expectations. For nearly two weeks the Obama team justified its silence on Gaza with its convenient "one president at a time" mantra - one it's been quick to abandon on the economy, or the terrorist attacks in Mumbai. Finally, after Israeli mortar shells killed 42 people at a U.N.-run school, Obama allowed that "the loss of civilian life in Gaza and Israel is a source of deep concern." In a conflict whose latest chapter has killed more than 1000 Palestinians, compared with 13 Israelis, this faux even-handedness was as transparent as it was one-sided. Of course we should mourn all the innocent dead, but ignoring the outsized brutality of Israel's offensive, which is as bad for Israel as it is for America, presents huge hazards for the president elect.
Against Obama's near silence rise ghastly mountains of rubble - the latest being the U.N. compound in Gaza City - there for all of the Arab and Muslim worlds to see. Atop one such pile, a schoolgirl's severed forearm; beneath another, an entire family. As these images build fury across the region and beyond, Obama deepens the pain with his tacit message that his American administration, in the end, may not be any different from the others.
Obama has been such a huge disappintment on this issue.
There will be no celebrating in our home on Jan. 20, that's for sure.
Posted by: Judy | January 16, 2009 at 04:26 PM
wats tis the palestines ois murdered and obama is wanting to save his chair of president be afraid of TRINITY AND THE DIVINE LAW
Posted by: sayed | January 17, 2009 at 01:47 AM
I'm curious to see what he'll do/say about this during his first week in office. The 'one president at a time' line is frustrating, but true. And at least we can be somewhat certain that his administration's response won't be worse than what we're getting now...
Posted by: Elizabeth | January 19, 2009 at 10:34 AM
Sandy's comments about Israel and the Arabs are quite naive and absurd.
Best, Neal
Posted by: neal hurwitz | February 16, 2009 at 09:06 AM
Hasbara rhetorical feint #74 - when the arguments are irrefutable, call them naive and absurd.
Sorry Neal, this is not really an argument, it's name calling. If you really think the comments are absurd, write a post ON YOUR BLOG detailing the logical fallacies.
Otherwise, your comment is but sound and fury, signifying nothing.
I only bother to notice it because it's a typical and often-used strategy by apologists for Israel - when the facts become too real to ignore, and too well-argued to refute, they say - oh, just naive.
Sign of a bankrupt position, Neal.
Posted by: Leila Abu-Saba | February 16, 2009 at 10:33 AM