In the past, the United States at least seemed to be working toward a solution to the Palestinian issue, which is really at the heart of the Middle East problem. These days, the U.S. administration is openly ignoring the reality of the situation, and everything it does seems to fuel a fire that has already become an inferno. Hence, there is global panic that the issue is getting out of hand.
It all started when U.S. President Donald Trump declared Jerusalem the capital of Israel and moved the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to this ancient city. The international community, led by Turkey, had the American administration's moves condemned at the United Nations General Assembly; yet, the White House remained defiant and continued to take steps to torpedo Middle East peace prospects.
The U.S. has been misled by the notion that if it continues to push the Palestinians into a corner and a state of hopelessness, they will totally submit to the whims of the Israelis and a settlement in the Middle East will be achieved. They are terribly mistaken.
People who are hopeless, who cannot picture a promising future or who are oppressed will only revolt. Some will become terrorists, while some will simply become suicidal. Then, all you will get is more violence that could well spill into U.S. soil.
Washington's latest decision to cut aid funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) is yet another example of the ever-narrowing thinking that is dominating the White House.
It has been condemned by European Union countries as well as U.S. allies in the Middle East. Germany has offered to provide funds for the UNRWA.
To condemn the Palestinians to more depravity, hunger and hopelessness is counterproductive to the state of Israel. Today, Israel being run by a radical right-wing administration that may convince the Trump administration to take harsh steps against Palestinians that may seem like great gains by the Jewish state; however, in the long run, the moves will only prove counterproductive and may even threaten the future of the country.
This is also a burden on the U.S. The American administration, steered by the son-in-law of the president, may commit colossal mistakes in the Middle East, especially regarding the Palestinians; however, future American administrations will pay the price for all these follies.
Israel should not seek to scuttle the Palestinians but instead help them survive at least with the meager funds the world has to offer. It is sad that Israel is not happy with the aid efforts of countries like Turkey through its Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA), saying this agency is playing into the hands of the Palestinian guerrilla organizations and is trying to halt these efforts. Yet, TİKA and organizations like this are the only remaining hope for the Palestinian people to survive through the most meager means.
It is so sad to see some Arab regimes playing into the hands of Israel while the Palestinian people continue to suffer.
