September 07, 2024
By Nasser Kandil
– The killing of dual U.S.-Israeli national, Hersh Goldberg-Polin, prompted a swift response from Washington, with U.S. President Joe Biden immediately holding Hamas responsible. Just moments after news broke that the Israeli hostages had been found dead, Biden declared that Hamas would “pay the price” for killing an American citizen. However, Hamas insisted that the Israeli military was responsible for the deaths, whether through airstrikes or during the crossfire in the operation purportedly aimed at rescuing them.
– Yesterday, Turkish-American citizen Aysenur Ezgi Eygi was unmistakably killed by Israeli forces during a peaceful protest in Nablus. The White House responded with a mere expression of “concern” and a request for an Israeli investigation into the incident.
– Despite this, Washington continues to claim that it is a neutral mediator in the ongoing Gaza war, while U.S. officials openly support the Israeli military’s actions, which have claimed the lives of women and children. Washington even goes so far as to threaten international court judges who dare to take any steps that might challenge the occupying entity, and it shamelessly remains the primary source of funding and arms for Israeli forces – resources used in a war that the world condemns, yet the U.S. denies.
– A few days ago, the U.S. announced that it was drafting a final proposal to resolve the Gaza conflict. When asked what they would do if this attempt failed, American officials suggested they might withdraw from mediation. This raised the question: Should Palestinians and Arabs really be concerned if Washington steps down as a mediator?
– During the 2006 Lebanon war, the U.S. was not directly mediating but was involved in negotiations around a U.N. Security Council resolution to end the war. When the occupying entity could no longer sustain the war effort, it accepted a resolution that didn’t meet its demands. Now, once again, the occupying entity has not matured enough to end its current war, nor has its leadership fully grasped its inability to continue. As a result, it’s ignoring even U.S. mediation.
– Wouldn’t it be better for the Palestinians if Washington ended its mediation, allowing the matter to go to the U.N. Security Council, as in 2006, where the balance of power is more equitable, and agreements are less prone to manipulation?
– It may not be easy for the Palestinians to request an end to U.S. mediation, but if it happens, they won’t mourn the loss – and they certainly won’t be the ones to lose.
