By Kevin Gosztola
Obama recently told reporters, in response to criticism he has received for being silent on Israel’s military annihilation of Gaza:
“After January 20 I am going to have plenty to say about the issue and I am not backing away at all from what I said during the campaign, that … at the beginning of our administration, we are going to engage effectively and consistently in trying to resolve the conflict that existed in the Middle East…Until then, my job is to monitor the situation, put together the best possible national security team so that we hit the ground running once we are responsible for national security issues.”
First off, Obama spoke in the past tense. He said “the conflict that existed.”
How do you resolve a conflict that existed? Existed implies that it does not exist anymore and if a problem does not exist anymore, what will there be to resolve?
Either this is some Freudian slip or perhaps January 20th is some kind of key date. Will this all be over by January 20th? Does Obama know something we don’t know about Israeli’s operations? Will the endgame be reached by the time Obama is inaugurated?
Obviously, the problem will not go away after President-elect Obama becomes President Obama.
As Obama says “no comment” and claims to be “monitoring” the situation, the American public and more importantly, the world looks on dumbfounded.
Both America and the world desired hope and change—a change from the way things are done in Washington. Obama has not even been inaugurated yet and there is now a huge reason to doubt that Obama will be anything different from his predecessors on the issue of Israel and most likely the global “war on terror.”
Should we start counseling people to prepare to be disappointed? Should we be creating areas in public for those who will become demoralized to go to and seek refuge?
Not yet. No, instead I suggest that we play a game of 20 Questions. That’s right. I’m sure that if we keep asking eventually Obama will say something that will let us know what he really thinks about the situation.
Of course, silence says a lot. Most of the mainstream thinking is that Israel has a right to defend itself and Hamas’ rocket firing started this and Israel agreed to a truce which Hamas broke or maybe Israel broke it but Hamas uses civilians as “human shields” and parents train their children to die and Israel has a “right to exist” and Hamas wants to wipe Israel off the map and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said that and Ahmadinejad is a Holocaust denier and Hugo Chavez supports Iran and should be assassinated and…
By not speaking, the people of America and the world can only conclude that Obama hasn’t much to add to the unfolding horror in the Middle East. When considering his speech to AIPAC during the election, such a conclusion may not be a bad one.
However, change happened on Nov. 4th. Change came to America in November. And, with change here in America to stay, let’s not doubt Obama. Instead, let’s play a game.
A game of 20 questions. One on one, the citizens of the world might be able to deduce what Obama is thinking and pry some of his thoughts from his brain.
CITIZENS OF THE WORLD: Is it a person, place, or thing?
OBAMA: Umm, yes. A combination.
CITIZENS OF THE WORLD: Is it an idea or maybe a plan?
OBAMA: Yes
CITIZENS OF THE WORLD: Does it involve the Palestinian Territories and Israel?
OBAMA: Yes
CITIZENS OF THE WORLD: Does it involve solving the conflict between Israel and Palestinians?
OBAMA: Uh…well, yes but maybe not in one term or even two terms but…I guess that’s a yes.
CITIZENS OF THE WORLD: What do you think of the situation unfolding in Gaza?
OBAMA: Nice try.
CITIZENS OF THE WORLD: Dammit!
OBAMA: There’s only one president at a time. Only one.
CITIZENS OF THE WORLD: C’mon? Do you have to wait? Do you?
OBAMA: Yes. And that counts as a question. We’re at…
CITIZENS OF THE WORLD: What?!!
OBAMA: Just kidding. We’re at four.
CITIZENS OF THE WORLD: Does it involve talking with America’s enemies?
OBAMA: Hopefully. America will try but America does not negotiate with terrorists.
CITIZENS OF THE WORLD: Oh, are we still sticking by that? I thought we got change.
OBAMA: America must face down enemies who seek America’s and Israel’s destruction.
CITIZENS OF THE WORLD: I thought there was only one president at a time.
OBAMA: There is. Continue.
CITIZENS OF THE WORLD: Does it involve getting rid of Hamas?
OBAMA: It involves getting rid of Hamas rockets. Hamas is an enemy of Israel and will have to change. So, both yes and no.
CITIZENS OF THE WORLD: (There’s that word change again.) Does it involve ending Israeli apartheid?
OBAMA: (These people are almost as bad as Helen Thomas.) I’d have to say no, but go to our website and vote it to the top. If it makes it, we may be able to work something out.
CITIZENS OF THE WORLD: (Website? Who does this guy think he is?) Does it involve compassion and understanding for the Palestinians?
OBAMA: (I thought it was time for another briefing from Tzipi Livni or Condoleezza.) Uh…If certain elements can decide to stop arming themselves and negotiate peace, yes.
CITIZENS OF THE WORLD: Does it involve increasing military assistance and economic assistance to Israel?
OBAMA: Probably.
CITIZENS OF THE WORLD: (Dammit!) How do you plan to keep Israel from creating extremism through its use of blockades and occupations?
OBAMA: (Man, these people really want change.) Sorry. I said there was only one president at a time. Bush is our commander-in-chief. I will talk immediately after Jan. 20.
CITIZENS OF THE WORLD: But, Bush is the worst president ever and…
OBAMA: I know. I know. That’s why I won. I have time for a few more questions.
CITIZENS OF THE WORLD: How close are we to the plan?
OBAMA: Close.
CITIZENS OF THE WORLD: Does it involve Jimmy Carter?
OBAMA: Former president Jimmy Carter? We talk on the phone occasionally.
CITIZENS OF THE WORLD: Does it involve blocking ceasefire agreements at the United Nations?
OBAMA: Uh… not that I know of. I cannot make any claims though.
CITIZENS OF THE WORLD: Does it involve an end to the bloodshed Palestinians are experiencing in hospitals, schools, and mosques?
OBAMA: Look, obviously we would want any humanitarian crisis to be dealt with as it has been before.
CITIZENS OF THE WORLD: Does it involve an end to the horror and humiliation the Occupied Gaza Strip is experiencing?
OBAMA: I hope peace can be made and I hope possibly any hardships Palestinians are facing can end. Israelis want peace too and so that will be…My agenda will think of ending any terror it can.
CITIZENS OF THE WORLD: Does it involve the Israelis giving up anything for the Palestinians like might Israel grant Palestinians the right of return?
OBAMA: Well, we will make sure that terrorist groups disarm or are barred from the political process and then hopefully when Israeli is properly recognized, we might see Palestinians return.
CITIZENS OF THE WORLD: Is that a yes or no?
OBAMA: I think I’ve said more than I wanted to say. I’m just monitoring the situation, remember? I agreed to sit down and let you guess what I was thinking and well, I got a phone call here from John Bolton.
CITIZENS OF THE WORLD: Did we reach twenty questions?
OBAMA: I don’t know. I lost track. Go ahead and leave anything with me and I will get back to you after January 20th.
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Well, if you aren’t sure what he’s thinking, try his campaign’s Israel Fact Sheet. If that doesn’t help you, I don’t know what will.
Not only has Obama kept silent but worse—he was silent while golfing.
Obama should have learned something from Bush who used to talk with reporters and then tell them to watch his tee shot.
For those who remember the powerful Special Comment given by Keith Olbermann on Bush golfing, Obama should know that golfing is the last thing an American who is going to be president of the United States should be caught doing while refusing to speak about atrocities unfolding which the U.S. happens to tacitly and explicitly support.
Exiled Hamas leader Khalid Mish’al has a comment posted on The Guardian and said:
Once again, Washington and Europe have opted to aid and abet the jailer, occupier and aggressor, and to condemn its victims. We hoped Barack Obama would break with George Bush’s disastrous legacy but his start is not encouraging. While he swiftly moved to denounce the Mumbai attacks, he remains tongue-tied after 10 days of slaughter in Gaza. But my people are not alone. Millions of freedom-loving men and women stand by its struggle for justice and liberation – witness daily protests against Israeli aggression, not only in the Arab and Islamic region, but worldwide.
Obama’s success as president will depend on how many formalities, accepted truths, and traditions he has the fortitude to take on and transform. As of now, it does not look like Obama will be taking on any formalities like, oh, the Israeli Lobby in the U.S. or the state of Israel as president.
“Tongue-tied” is a kind word for it. Really, Obama is engaging in self-censorship like he did during the election and Americans should expect it to continue during his presidency.