by Elias Bakkali

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BRUSSELS, BELGIUM - Whenever I try to speak about American foreign policy in Palestine I fear being labeled with anti-Semitism, despite of the fact that I am a Semite myself, but reality reveals nothing but a Zionist dominated Bush administration. If you open a thesaurus and search for the synonyms of the word "mediation" you will encounter terms like "arbitration", "conciliation" or "interposition". "Honest broker", "interceder", "moderator", "middleman" and "go-between" are all synonyms for the term "mediator".

Neutrality is the keyword that justifies one's status of a mediator and, in international relations, the rule of international law forms the pillar that supports one's legitimacy of mediation. It seems Washington has lost these characteristics, neutrality and rule of international law, which are, both, essential in any process of mediation.

There are two aspects that mark the present American view of the Middle East and make it, rather, ineffective and undermine its status of mediator: the existence of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), the most power lobby as far as American foreign policy is concerned and the idea that Washington is doing God's work. The AIPAC has pushed Washington's neutrality into irrelevance and Washington's idea of doing God's work, on the other hand, has made it forget about international law too often.

The AIPAC is frequently mentioned in reports and articles in which Muslim authors or Americans from the opposition express their view about the relationship between Washington and Tel Aviv, or, rather Jerusalem. It is not a surprise when people like Ari Fleischer, a Jew, and present White House Press Secretary, express, repeatedly, Washington's pro-Israel positions.

It is a common practice for American lobbies to invite politicians to annual meeting or conferences. The number of influential Americans attending the AIPAC conferences lies far above those attending conferences of other lobbies.

"Greetings from Jerusalem, the eternal capital of the Jewish people for the past 3000 years, and of the State of Israel for the past 54 years and forever. I apologize for not being with you personally this year but I wish to share with you this message of determination, unity and hope for a new horizon, as you gather for this important conference."

Ariel Sharon, known to many as 'the butcher of Sabra and Shatila', was welcomed with warm applauding as he addressed the conference through satellite. Nancy Pelosi, Tom DeLay, Bob Menendez, John McCain and various other Representatives and Senators, Democrats and Republicans, from different states were there to express the special relationship between the United States of America and the State of Israel and recruit voices for the next elections.

The first man to speak after Sharon that day is the first man in America after the President of the United States, Tom Daschle, leader of the Democrats. Daschle's words did not differ much from Sharon's, only his voice sounded a bit younger.

"I soon found that my instincts and my conscience and my sense of America's national security needs were very much in alliance with your mission. And that is why, to this day, I believe our commitment to Israel must be unshakeable. It must be absolute. And it must be maintainedä Israel has always had fair-weather friends. But what it needs now is foul-weather friends. And as long as I am Majority Leader, the United States Senate will be friend to Israel in fair weather -- and in foulä The men and equipment that traversed the Burma Road helped break the Arab siege of Jerusalem, and keep the capital of Israel in Israeli handsä I tell that story for two reasons. The first is to underscore our connection to Israel. Whether it has been manpower or money, America and Israel always have, and always will, stand shoulder to shoulder."

Americans who determine the agenda in Washington hold the speeches at the AIPAC Policy Conferences. Their opinions cannot be merely categorized under freedom of expression but are, rather, official statements of American foreign policy. Palestinian terror has to stop and Palestinians have to accept the offers put forward by Israeli leaders. Not in one speech were Palestinian casualties mentioned.

Religious rhetoric permeated the whole conference. Biblical stories are told with passion. Daschle goes back in history and speaks about triumphant Hebrew leaders and, probably ancestors of some Israelis, such as Judah Maccabee and does not go a bit further back in history to speak about Abraham's son Ishmael who is the ancestor of the Arabs. Nor does Daschle mention the correspondence between McMahon and the Sheriff of Mecca, the Mandate of Palestine or the Covenant. The UN resolutions that were mentioned were those expressing obligations of Arab states. According to Daschle, Syria has to enforce UN Resolution 425 and should stop supporting activists in Lebanon but fails to mention UN Resolutions 93, 242, and 338 which order the Hebrew state to give the Golan Heights back to Syria. The unconditional pro-Israel attitude of the American administration leaves no space for neutrality which is a required characteristic of a mediator and makes Washington's mediation unrealistic and, therefore, ineffective for the peace process.

With no less influence, a, rather, anti-Islamic intellectual elite educates America's political class. Richard Pipes, who was a former advisor to Ronald Reagan, warned the international community of the threat posed by the Soviet Union. Today, his son Daniel, a prominent American scholar, warns the world of the great threat posed by the Islamic world. The fact that Daniel Pipes is a Jew is perhaps irrelevant but certainly noteworthy.

In the Philadelphia Middle East Forum, the lobby group that promotes his thoughts, Daniel ponders about the dangers that threaten the New World Order.

"I don't think that Islam is hopeless, but I think that Muslims don't know where they fit in the modern world."

Daniel explains further how his father, a Polish Jewish refugee who migrated to the US before World War II, explained to him why mere containment did not work to fight the Soviets. Today, as well, Daniel preaches a similar idea that the threat from the Islamic world needs more than mere containment. Action is what the young Pipes is looking for.

"The US government tends to make a sharp distinction between good Islam and a bad Islam. But this is often an indication of its cowardice."

Richard Pipes molded personalities in previous American administrations; Daniel is doing his job with the present administration. Richard completed his mission with the fall of the Soviet Union whereas his son has just started his own mission with determination and a clear statement:

"We must live with the Muslim world but we need a new set of leaders within it".

Except for the prominent Zionist presence in the American political apparatus, Washington strongly believes in a divine mission it has to fulfill. "Generally speaking, it is hard for our senior military people to believe that we are not loved. We are doing God's work, and if people don't appreciate it there is something wrong with them" , says Kurt Campbell, former deputy assistant defense secretary.

This attitude of 'we are inspired so follow us' is clearly reflected in American foreign policy.

The most recent event in which we witnessed America's divine mission is the so-called 'war on terror'. The famous State of the Union Speech in which Bush Jr. warned the world of the 'axis of evil' is still fresh in our minds. America gave the world two options: 'you are either with us or with them'. Even now, America is ready to wage a war to 'free' the oppressed people of Iraq even if no international resolutions permit Washington to do so. Powell made it clear to America's closest allies; America will go to war even if it will have to go alone. We see a clear superiority of the American mission to international law, international institutions and the whole world community.

In the Palestinian question, Washington is no less dogmatic than it is in other international affairs. Led by fundamentalist Christians and Zionists Washington has a very clear view of its mission in the so-called peace process. Israel is the homeland of the Children of Israel and Jerusalem is their eternal undivided capital.

Some critics go even further with their suspicions of the American biblical administration. According to some, in a strong alliance with the Zionists, the Protestants have as their mission the return of the Children of Israel back to Palestine to hasten the return of Christ, and the Zionist faction does not feel threatened by this mission as long as Israel is secure. Not many critics share this suspicion but all of them agree that the American administration acts frequently from a dogmatic point of view and bases its foreign policy partially on it. The peace process has many times walked into dead ends due to its only mediator's attitude.

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FOOTNOTES: http://www.aipac.org/result.cfm?id=1331
http://www.aipac.org/result.cfm?id=1327
Financial Times, Financial Times Weekend, 'A battle with a hostile world', London, 11 January 2003, pg. I.
Financial Times, Financial Times Weekend, 'A battle with a hostile world', London, 11 January 2003, pg. III.
Financial Times, Financial Times Weekend, 'A battle with a hostile world', London, 11 January 2003, pg. III.
French, Howard W., International Herald Tribune, 'As Seoul grows bolder, Washington feels unappreciated', Paris, 27 January 2003, pg. 7

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ELIAS BAKKALI says of himself: "My full name is Elias Bakkali. I am 25 years old. I was born in the Netherlands, raised in Tangier, and live, at the moment, temporarily in Brussels for my internship. I study European Law and will graduate in July 2003. After September 2003 I'll be back in The Hague, The Netherlands.

Plans: go back to Morocco as soon as possible. Things here in Europe are, for an Arab and a Muslim, not as they used to be before. It is a pity...but that's how life/politics go(es)" This is Mr. Bakkali's first article for The World's Magazine.