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Wrong on all counts, and in the interest of no one!

Mar 28,2019 - Last updated at Mar 28,2019

Those of us in this part of the world who believe in justice and peace for all, in accordance with international legitimacy and the rule of law, find the current US administration’s “engagement” with the Arab-Israeli conflict not only obviously laughable and counterproductive, but also subversive and dangerous.

The previous administration, that of president Barak Obama, was extremely biased toward Israel, of course, but in attempting to broker a peace deal between the Palestinians and the Israelis, it showed an acceptable degree of understanding of the complexity of issues at hand.

Though it failed to pressure the Israelis to live up to the commitments they made and the agreements they signed, which stipulate the withdrawal from Palestinian and Arab lands which Israel occupied by force, it was committed to a two-state solution that takes into account Palestinian and Arab rights and demands. And it did its best, as in the case of previous administrations, to act as a responsible mediator and an honest broker.

By contrast, the Trump administration is acting unilaterally and irresponsibly: “meddling” rather than “mediating”, siding with the radicals and extremists in Israel and toying dangerously with human rights, human laws and, consequently, human lives.

All steps and decisions it has taken so far, which completely align with the Israeli position and utterly disregard the Palestinians and the Arabs, are callously unprecedented.

It is pressuring the victims, rather than the victimisers, inflaming the situation rather than calming it and pushing the region in the direction of more conflict and more danger.

The misguided decision to relocate the US embassy from Tel Aviv to West Jerusalem disappointed not only the Palestinians, the Arabs and billions of Muslims throughout the world, to whom Jerusalem is most precious and most sacred, but all countries and peoples in the globe that advocate equitable peace.

The equally provocative and reckless decision taken a few days ago, recognising Israel’s illegal occupation and annexation of the Golan Heights, also disappointed billions of Arabs, Muslims and peace advocates the world over.

The question to ask is: Do these decisions further the cause of security and peace in the region, not only for the Palestinians and Arabs, but also for the Israelis?

The only consequences of these, and other, bad moves the Trump administration has taken and is likely to take, are: subverting peace and making the region more dangerous for all, encouraging Israel and other forces in the region to disregard legitimacy and laws and commit more atrocities and aggression, creating a situation and an environment in which the extremists, radicals and terrorists will thrive and prosper, embarrassing and alienating the US’ Arab “peace partners” and allies, damaging the US’ image in the region even further, creating a lot of anger and negative energy and so on and so forth.

In sum, all of the moves, steps and decisions taken by the Trump administration vis-à-vis the Middle East so far are fallacious and erroneous on all counts.

And they are in the interest of no one.

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