The ineffective American placebo effect

Jameel W. Karaki
A Hollywood movieـdrama has been presented to the Arab World by the American administration called ''The twoـstate solution" that has been the basis for serious peace negotiations since the 1967 ArabـIsraeli War. When Arabs decided to join the cast and crew of this movie and participate in its action. Israel in turn expanded its settlements in the West Bank and a large number of disgruntled Arabs started to disbelieve the peace process.
Reinvigorating the peace talks between Israel and the Palestine Authority and relinquishing preference for the use of force to address the region''s problems by the American administration will never lead to a twoـstate solution or solve the historical IsraeliـPalestinian conflict. Yet, it works as a dummy medication (placebo effect) for all those who believe in this solution of the ArabـIsraeli dilemma.
For most Arabs, President Obama is proـIsrael too. They believe that he is just different in his speeches as compared to his two predecessors namely Bill Clinton and George W. Bush. We should admit that President Obama possesses professional oratory skills. He knows precisely what others want to hear. In addition, he was wise enough to choose Cairo as the first station to launch his speech to the Arab World because Egypt is considered as an important center for culture, learning and knowledge.
President Obama''s new Middle East policy, that addresses the needs, interests and aspirations of all those who believe in his expected change will not lead to any sort of concessions from the Israeli side even if Arabs keep offering concessions under the name of the art of negotiation and the theory of meekness.
The twoـstate solution is impossible and unrealistic for many reasons. First of all, creating two states means the existence of two independent states preserving their own security, economy and political life. In contrast, the security of Israel is a threat to Palestine and some of the Arab countries, while the security of Palestine is a threat to the Israeli regime and its existence in the Middle East.
Secondly, the White House is a good listener of the sentiments of Arabs but yet, it is a vital protector and supporter of the Israeli regime in the Middle East. The twoـstate solution is also futile because it requires offering both sides; the Palestinians as well as Israelis their needs and interests on an equal basis. Under the umbrella of the twoـstate solution, the West Bank is supposed to be a Palestine state yet, Israel rejected calls by President Obama to freeze settlement construction in the West Bank, a move that would merge up the Palestinian state with the Gaza Strip, as part of a broader peace agreement. On the other hand, Palestine is divided into two authorities and its leaders ignore calls for the formation of one authority to accomplish the peace process and create internal stability.
Negotiating with Israel under the American sponsorship is a new chapter of the decisive American diplomacy regarding this issue. The U.S. can freeze the construction of the settlements by cutting down on its aid to Israel or imposing sanctions against it. It has the absolute power to impose sanctions and judgments against any country in this world.
President Obama will fail to achieve any realistic progress with his twoـstate solution. And both sides will keep the conflict ongoing for all future generations to come, in a way that the issue will become a challenge for the American interests in the region. This solution works only as placebo effect for all those who believe in the solution of the Arabـ Israeli dilemma. It is a placebo effect for Arabs who have got addicted to the American supply of dummy medications.