U.S. Secretary of State Blinken arrived in Israel today “to build on the ceasefire, discuss relief efforts, and lay the groundwork for brighter futures for Israelis and Palestinians” according to his spokesman, Ned Price.
If this wasn’t so perverse it would be funny.
One thing we know for certain here in Israel: after decades of efforts by Washington to “improve the futures” for Israelis and Palestinian Arabs: the United States has shown itself totally incompetent; unable to do anything of the kind.
In fact, after watching these efforts first hand on the ground in Jerusalem since 1991, I believe I can make a strong case for the argument that – with the exception of the years 2017-2020 – the USA has made the future for Jews and Arabs here a great deal bleaker.
Show me one positive achievement attained on the “road map to peace” pursued by Washington – whether under George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, G.W. Bush, Barak Obama and, since January, Joe Biden.
Just one.
Only a deluded fool, or dyed-in-the-wool leftist, would try to argue that Israel and/or the P Arabs are closer to peace now than they were in 1991. And only a disconnected pothead would pen poems about the brave new world that exists for the Jews in 2021 compared to the hatred the Jews were subjected to in the antisemitic world of the last century.
The past 17 days have revealed how despairingly far we yet are from finding any kind of real peace in this place. For sure no peace will come from the new gang in Washington.
Blinken would do Israel a very great service if he would simply turn around and go right back to where he came from.