by Bantarto Bandoro Source: The Jakarta Post
In a vote of 14-0, the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) approved Resolution 1860 calling for an immediate cease-fire to the Gaza conflict. The United States abstained from voting, presumably
because the resolution didn't affect its current position very much.
The cease-fire resolution, drafted by Britain and backed by the United States and France - all veto-wielding members of the UNSC - with amendments by key Arab negotiators including the foreign ministers of Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Morocco and Qatar, came out after nearly a week of intensive diplomatic moves by the international community to de-escalate, if not to end, the Gaza crisis which has claimed more than 800 Palestinian lives.
From a moral perspective, it is in the interest of all to see the war end soon. But many question the resolution's practicality as the warring parties continue to resist because the resolution does not represent - and even undermines - their interests.
A student of mine asked whether there is a difference between the 2006 Israeli bombardment of Southern Lebanon and the current war in Gaza.
My answer is partly no. In both cases the wars have dragged world diplomats to the UNSC to issue cease-fire resolutions.
Both cases have also showed the extent to which the prospects for a Middle East deal seem minuscule. But there is a way out, and both sides know what they must do. This is where the strategic role of the diplomats enters the picture.
Israel and Hamas have justified their military actions on the basis of self-defense. Most sadly and internationally condemned, however, is that the Israelis' actions have claimed the lives of many innocent Palestinian civilians. This has led the international community to launch a massive protest.
Ways to end the fighting include a long-term political solution, the deployment of international forces and an initial cease-fire. At the diplomatic level, countries inside as well as outside the Middle East region seem to be in agreement that the war in Gaza should end.
The post-UNSC Resolution 1860 will eventually see whether the diplomats will be able to significantly influence theto adhere to the initial cease-fire resolution and uphold the truce.
Megaphone diplomacy was revealed when president Yudhoyono talked on the phone over the weekend with France's president Nicolas Sarkozy - the current president of the UNSCboth of whom see the need to end the war in Gaza.
In this war, the main argument is perhaps not when and how cease-fire Resolution 1860 should be employed, but whether the resolution serves and protects their respective interests.
Here the job of the diplomats is to convince the "warriors" that a cease-fire would only be the beginning andshould prescribe to dialog over acts of terror.
We see that every political leader and diplomat wants to be seenif not to be deserved - as a major player in what one may call the cease-fire game.
The appearance of peacemaking suggests international power and prestige and is accompanied by their endless meetings.
Politicians and diplomats thrive on the process, and it is politically correct to talk about ending the "suffering of the Palestinians". As a result, the field has become even more crowded, with the UN Secretary-General, Turkey, Russia, numerous European nations, Qatar, Egyptfar more quietly - the outgoing Bush administration completing the group.
It is obvious that no war ends without a cessation of hostilities.
It is also true to say that war is a momentary event and there is a time when the warring parties are ready to enter a stage when they - with an intermediary perhapswill go to the negotiating table.
Representatives of the Palestinian Fatah and Hamas were in Cairo to discuss the crisis. But beyond this stage, does one expect Hamas and Israel to abandon their war objectives?
On the one hand, the level of trust, at least at the moment, between Israel and Hamas is nonexistent. Diplomats, on the other hand, are aware that the gap between public relations and the substance of the UNSC Resolution 1860 that hopefully will lead to an end of the conflict is seemingly huge.
The initial cease-fire is now in place to avert a larger war in the Middle East. But the statements made by the officials of Hamas and Israel about Resolution 1860 are a clear indication of their unwillingness to abandon their strategy of a much more open war.
It is only a matter of time when Iran and Syria, a long-time patron of the Hamas, will become involved in the crisis.
If Israel does continue its military operations until after the inauguration of Barack Obama as the next US president, then it will be time for the United States to exert even stronger pressure on Israel.
Diplomats, particularly from those countries considered to be stakeholders in the Gaza crisis, will presumably not take a single minute to stretch their legs given the warnings from Israel and Hamas of their next war strategy.
They must be sure that, in spite of strong resistance from the Israelis and Hamas, the resolution will lead to a durable truce in the Gaza Strip, or we will see that a premature end will simply serve as the beginning point for the next and expanded round of fighting due to the continued tension and skepticism on both sides. For a cease-fire to be successful, the diplomats should be weaving a net of trust among the "warriors" and only then can the diplomats further proceed with future peace proposals.
The writer is a lecturer in the International Relations Postgraduate Studies Program at the University of Indonesia in Jakarta.
Showing posts with label Israel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Israel. Show all posts
Bring the diplomats in, send the warriors out
Obama on Israel Gaza Conflict
By Beth Shaw
Barack Obama speaks out on the Israel Gaza conflict? No. Are you kidding!?! Of course not. Read about his reaction and the reaction of others to his reaction below.
The Middle East is exploding. I realize that’s not something that is new, but this particular war is new. Israel finally responded to the constant rocket attacks on Southern Israel by Hamas on December 27th. Last night, during the night, they pushed into Gaza on the ground with tanks and boots on the ground.
All hell has broken loose.
Hamas, predictably, carried on about how they were being picked on by Israel and boasted that they would kill every Jew in the world and renew suicide bombings. Not necessarily in that order. As Israeli troops pushed into Gaza, Hamas started crying foul and saying they never said anything bad about Israelis, they were just joking … haha …. they take it all back. Make those mean ol’ Jews go back to Israel!
Meanwhile, world leaders are weighing in. Surprisingly, even Arab nations have not run to the side of Palistine. Iran being the exception, of course. Egypt has refused to open the border between their two nations, having closed it a year or so ago because they were as tired of being beat up by Hamas as Israel was. Jordan has taken a hands off approach. The European Union has come down on the side of Israel as has California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger! Heh! The White House has taken a hard line stance against the terrorist attacks of Hamas against Israel as part of the Global War on Terrorism.
France has condemned Israel’s self defense. But then … well … that’s France.
And so, the world looked to President-elect Barack Obama to step up to the plate to make a statement. Is he for Israel? Is he for Hamas? Will he stand by his campaign promises? Each side waits and wonders, depending on which group he was talking to and making promises to at any given time. What, what, oh what will the soon to be President do?
And there is silence.
Seriously, does this surprise anyone? This is a man who voted ‘Present’ when any controversial vote was taken during the entire time he was a Illinois State Senator and barely darkened the Halls of Congress while he was a United States Senator. Controversy obviously makes him quite uncomfortable.
You know what they say, avoiding conflict creates unavoidable conflict. Such is the case for Obama. Everyone is getting mad at him for doing nothing. I’m still surprised that his avoidance of controversial issues surprises anyone.
He has sent his people out to tell anyone asking questions that he’s observing and absorbing and studying world events. He’s pondering things. Thinking about it. Looking at it. Well, that makes me feel better! Ha! Then they tell people to back off cause he’s not President yet. Canned statement for every controversial event.
Khaled Meshaal, the leader of the Hamas Islamist movement, is furious. He says Obama didn’t hesitate to make comments about the terrorist attacks on Mumbai, India. Why then does he refuse to comment on what he views as the Israeli aggression on Gaza? He seems to view that as Obama’s support of Israel. See, when you don’t take sides, then every side thinks you are against them. This is something most of us learn on the elementary school playground. But if you are attending the most exclusive and expensive private school in the country as Obama did, I guess you don’t have to worry about playground politics.
Not to worry. Obama is out of sight during this conflict, but that doesn’t mean he’s not working. He still wants needs your money. I got an email from him just today telling me how important it was for me to donate anything I could to his ‘Obama for America’ fund. I don’t know what that fund is being used for. It might be for his offshore accounts for all I know. If you don’t want to donate to his various funds, then you can buy some Obama commemorative stuff that’s for sale everywhere.
For a man that raised more money than any presidential candidate ever, he still seems to need a lot of our money. If not in donations, then by taxing us into poverty.
Read More..
The Middle East is exploding. I realize that’s not something that is new, but this particular war is new. Israel finally responded to the constant rocket attacks on Southern Israel by Hamas on December 27th. Last night, during the night, they pushed into Gaza on the ground with tanks and boots on the ground.
All hell has broken loose.
Hamas, predictably, carried on about how they were being picked on by Israel and boasted that they would kill every Jew in the world and renew suicide bombings. Not necessarily in that order. As Israeli troops pushed into Gaza, Hamas started crying foul and saying they never said anything bad about Israelis, they were just joking … haha …. they take it all back. Make those mean ol’ Jews go back to Israel!
Meanwhile, world leaders are weighing in. Surprisingly, even Arab nations have not run to the side of Palistine. Iran being the exception, of course. Egypt has refused to open the border between their two nations, having closed it a year or so ago because they were as tired of being beat up by Hamas as Israel was. Jordan has taken a hands off approach. The European Union has come down on the side of Israel as has California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger! Heh! The White House has taken a hard line stance against the terrorist attacks of Hamas against Israel as part of the Global War on Terrorism.
France has condemned Israel’s self defense. But then … well … that’s France.
And so, the world looked to President-elect Barack Obama to step up to the plate to make a statement. Is he for Israel? Is he for Hamas? Will he stand by his campaign promises? Each side waits and wonders, depending on which group he was talking to and making promises to at any given time. What, what, oh what will the soon to be President do?
And there is silence.
Seriously, does this surprise anyone? This is a man who voted ‘Present’ when any controversial vote was taken during the entire time he was a Illinois State Senator and barely darkened the Halls of Congress while he was a United States Senator. Controversy obviously makes him quite uncomfortable.
You know what they say, avoiding conflict creates unavoidable conflict. Such is the case for Obama. Everyone is getting mad at him for doing nothing. I’m still surprised that his avoidance of controversial issues surprises anyone.
He has sent his people out to tell anyone asking questions that he’s observing and absorbing and studying world events. He’s pondering things. Thinking about it. Looking at it. Well, that makes me feel better! Ha! Then they tell people to back off cause he’s not President yet. Canned statement for every controversial event.
Khaled Meshaal, the leader of the Hamas Islamist movement, is furious. He says Obama didn’t hesitate to make comments about the terrorist attacks on Mumbai, India. Why then does he refuse to comment on what he views as the Israeli aggression on Gaza? He seems to view that as Obama’s support of Israel. See, when you don’t take sides, then every side thinks you are against them. This is something most of us learn on the elementary school playground. But if you are attending the most exclusive and expensive private school in the country as Obama did, I guess you don’t have to worry about playground politics.
Not to worry. Obama is out of sight during this conflict, but that doesn’t mean he’s not working. He still wants needs your money. I got an email from him just today telling me how important it was for me to donate anything I could to his ‘Obama for America’ fund. I don’t know what that fund is being used for. It might be for his offshore accounts for all I know. If you don’t want to donate to his various funds, then you can buy some Obama commemorative stuff that’s for sale everywhere.
For a man that raised more money than any presidential candidate ever, he still seems to need a lot of our money. If not in donations, then by taxing us into poverty.
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