It is extremely sad and painful to see that the US is not serious in its endeavour to establish peace in the Middle East by resolving the thorny Palestinian-Israeli conflict. Recently, the US has vetoed the UN Security Council Resolution that condemns Jewish settlement activity in the Israeli-occupied territories. Ironically, all the other 14 members voted in favour of the resolution. The US is the only country that vetoed the resolution showing its true colours that betray its bias in favouring Israel in an illegal activity that is condemned worldwide and also violates the Geneva Conventions to which Israel itself is a signatory.
Moreover, pressure tactics were used by the US to force President Mahmud Abbas to withdraw the Palestinian-sponsored draft resolution. Both President Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton asked the Palestinian President to withdraw the draft resolution, which was justifiably refused.
The promise of hope and goodwill that the newly-elected President Obama brought when he came into power seem to have been lost in the cobwebs of intricate relationship between internal politics of the US and its foreign policy.
It seems that Obamas powerful words of hope have drowned in the echo of the thunderous applause he received at the Cairo University when he made an all-out effort in a 6000-word speech to reach out to the Muslim world. Addressing the crowd, the President said, At the same time, Israelis must acknowledge that just as Israels right to exist cannot be denied, neither can Palestines. The United States does not accept the legitimacy of continued Israeli settlements. This construction violates previous agreements and undermines efforts to achieve peace. It is time for these settlements to stop.
It is high time that the Obama administration realise that actions speak louder than words. With this high-handed, biased attitude of the US, where actions do not correspond with words there is no doubt that peace in the Middle East will remain elusive in the times to come.
ZAINAB IHSAN
Lahore
