Jan 22, 2013
WASHINGTON // Scores of foreign dignitaries and diplomats were
among the hundreds of high-profile guests seated near Barack Obama on
the western steps of the Capitol yesterday as he promised to "preserve,
protect and defend" the Constitution of the United States.
With its pomp and ceremony, a US presidential inauguration is
frequently touted here as an inspiring example for less fortunate
countries of peaceful and orderly transitions of power.
But
one diplomat from a people long denied statehood, in some ways as a
direct result of US policy, had no seat at the festivities yesterday.
"You know it's a funny thing," said Maen Rashid Areikat, the
Palestinian envoy to Washington, about not receiving an invitation to Mr
Obama's swearing-in. "Technically we are not on their diplomatic list
because we are not recognised as a full-fledged state.
"When we checked last they told us that because we changed
addresses and emails," he said, his voice trailing off. "It could be
technical, it could be logistical. But I don't feel angry."
Mr Areikat's exclusion from the inaugural ceremony may not have
been intentional, but it somehow fits Washington's view of Palestinians
and their cause.
Officially the chief representative of the
Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) in the US, Mr Areikat has one of
the most thankless jobs of any diplomat in Washington, and his
unflagging optimism is an enduring asset as he tries to change
perceptions of members of Congress from both parties, many of whom
either do not support the Palestinian cause or are ignorant about it.
The White House, for its part, is wary of any involvement in the
Palestinian-Israeli peace process, even as it engages with the new
democracies of the Middle East.
Virtually no Middle East
analyst expects Mr Obama to spend much time or political capital in his
second term attempting to restart the peace process. More strategically
important foreign policy challenges in the Middle East and Asia will
absorb the administration's attention.
Today's almost certain victory for prime minister Benjamin
Netanyahu and his Likud party in Israel's parliamentary elections
signals another crippling blow to any move towards Palestinian
statehood.
With the expansion of Jewish settlements on occupied Palestinian land
continuing apace and no political pressure within rightward moving
Israel for concessions, the land-for-peace premise that has been the
basis for negotiations is crumbling.
When Mr Areikat first came to Washington just after Mr Obama first
entered office in 2009, real change seemed more possible than ever
because Mr Obama had made finding a solution to the Palestinian-Israeli
conflict a priority and was pushing for a settlement freeze.
But the US president made the mistake of blinking first when Mr
Netanyahu refused to accept a freeze as a precondition to talks, Mr
Areikat said.
The US administration "should have stood fast
and resisted the pressure and continued to demand that Netanyahu cease
the settlement activities", he said. "Four years later we see where the
settlement enterprise has taken us.
"Of course, we were disappointed by the fact that the
administration did not pursue its objectives with resolve, and at the
first confrontation they backed down."
But Mr Areikat, in the
face all facts to the contrary, believes that Middle East peace is still
a core US interest and that Mr Obama's second term holds glimmers of
promise.
Only a two-state solution can ensure Israel's long-term security,
and if this is one of the pillars of US policy in the region, then the
second Obama administration must stay involved, Mr Areikat said.
John Kerry's nomination for secretary of state is promising because he
is an advocate of a strong US role in the Middle East and in resolving
its conflicts, he added. "But presidential involvement in any effort is
crucial."
Mr Areikat also sees opportunity in the US policy of engagement with the new democracies of the Middle East, especially Egypt.
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