The Moment of Truth

Dear Mr. President George W. Bush,

Of course, I am not in a position to confirm whether Mr. Ariel Sharon, the actual Israeli Prime Minister might have said one day “We control America” [1], Nevertheless, I am very worried because there are already many disturbing signals, not only to suggest that Mr. Sharon might have indeed said that shameful sentence but, on top of that, Mr. Sharon might be very serious that the USA policy toward the Muslim countries in general and the Arab world in particular must be decided in close coordination with Israel and in accordance with the interests of Israel.. That is, in my opinion, the reason why Mr. Sharon compared you to Mr. Neville Chamberlain [2] once you decided to wage a war against Afghanistan (a Muslim country) without consulting him in advance.

In the same spirit, I find very strange the letter addressed to you by 52 ! USA Senators on a paper letterhead of the AIPAC, “America’s pro-Israel Lobby” [3] .. Is it normal that USA Lawmakers send a letter to the USA President on a pro-foreign country organization’s paper letterhead ?? In my opinion that letter gave a clear signal to Mr. Sharon not to worry about the official USA position nor to give importance to your famous “ENOUGH IS ENOUGH”. That is also why Mr. Sharon, brushed off your demand in a defiant speech to the Knesset, insisting that his aggression against the Palestinian people would end only when its mission had been accomplished [4]. In yet another attempt to put more pressure on your Presidency, Mr. Sharon ordered Mr. Benjamin Netanyahu, the former Israeli PM, to challenge you in Washington D.C.. That is how Mr. Netanyahu chided the USA, before the USA Senate, for pressuring Israel [5] + [6]. He repeated the same exercise in separate meetings with the Vice-President and the National Security Advisor.. Mr. Netanyahu went even further by advising you that the USA attack on Iraq should be mounted as soon as possible.. He added that postponing an attack on Baghdad was actually encouraging Middle East violence.

On yet another front, it seems that Mr. Sharon had instructed Mr. Ehud Barak, another former Israeli PM, to come next week to the USA to put additional pressure on your administration thus for the full benefit and advantage of Israel.

Dear President Bush,

Of course I imagine the influence of the Pro-Israeli lobbying groups particularly on the major USA media nevertheless I don’t share the opinion of your brother Mr. Neil Bush who considers that politicians shape policies based on public opinion [7] . We all know that, as far as the Arab/Israeli conflict is ! concerned, the average Americans are mislead by the pro-Israeli major USA media.. The foreign policy of the USA President should not be influenced neither by the public opinion nor by whatsoever lobbying groups especially in a world where the supremacy and the leadership of the USA, the only superpower, are unchallenged.

Of course it is very legitimate that you are very careful especially that your father, President George Prescott Bush, admitted in a media interview in 1991 that he had been virtually blackmailed to grant a $10 billion dollar loan guaranty to Israel, compliments of the American taxpayers [8].

“THIS IS YOUR MOMENT OF TRUTH”

Backing down to the Israeli pressure must not be an option:

1.- That will not help you to solve the problem in the Middle East nor will it be the best way for the USA to be respected in the world in general and in 57 Muslim coun! tries in particular.

2.- Pro-Israeli lobbying groups would put even more pressure on you in the future.

3.- You owe nothing to the pro-Israeli lobbying groups.. More than 90% of the USA registered Jews voted for Gore/Lieberman in the last presidential election.

4.- No matter how much you may favor Israel, the majority of the USA registered Jews will vote for the Democratic Party simply because the Democrats give them more advantages.. You may still remember that the three top key positions in the Clinton administration were held by Jews: The National Security Advisor, the  Secretary of State and the Secretary of Defense.

5.- It is not normal that the most powerful nation on earth to be terrorized by lobbying groups favoring a community representing less than 2% of its population.

Dear Mr. President,

Please allow me to tell you the following:

The entire world community mandated you to make the Israelis understand that ! they MUST respect the international laws and implement the relevant UN resolutions.. It will not be good for the image and prestige of the USA should Mr. Colin Powell fail to stop Ariel Sharon defying the whole world !! It is non-sense to say that, because Israel is a democracy, it should remain unpunished for keeping violating the international laws as well as the UN resolutions..

Concerning Mr. Ariel Sharon as a person, i suggest that you read what he said about himself and how he wanteells be seen and remembered.[9]. By the way, it is useless to discuss peace plans with Mr. Sharon.. He is simply not interested in making peace based on justice.. His agenda is very clear:

Bring security to Israel by force: To kill ten Palestinians (Muslims and Christians alike) every time a Jew is killed by the Palestinians.

Accelerate the construction of more settlements in Arab Occupied Territories ! so that the removal of the settlers from the occupied territories becomes rather impossible.

Provoke the Palestinians every time there is a relatively calm period so that the unrest which follow his provocation gives him an excuse not to start to negotiate peace with the Palestinians.

He is the same Ariel Sharon who has yet to answer before the justice of my country, BELGIUM, the accusations that he was behind the war crimes committed in Sabra & Chatila 20 years ago.

On the substance of the Arab/Israeli conflict, Please allow me Mr. President to tell you the following:

I think that THE ONLY REASON WHY THE ARAB/ISRAELI CONFLICT REMAINS UNSOLVED IS THE USA UNCONDITIONAL BACKING OF THE ISRAELI ILLEGAL, IMMORAL, RACIST, CRIMINAL AND TERRORIST OCCUPATION OF THE ARAB LANDS SINCE 1948. The Arabs’ late proposal to sign a full peace agreement with Israel on basis of the pre-June 1967 ! borders is a huge Arab concession.. May I remind you Mr. President that Israel pre-June 1967 borders which cover 78% of the historic Palestine are not recognized by any United Nations’ resolution.. The United Nations’ 1947 partition plan which gave Israel 53% of the historic Palestine is the only land the United Nations granted legally to Israel.. Instead of putting pressure on the Arabs and/or the Palestinians, you better insist on Israel to respect the world laws and implement fully the relevant United Nations resolutions !! It is unacceptable that Israel keeps defying the international laws as well as all relevant United nations resolutions !

I don’t understand the so-called dilemma you are facing to solve the Arab/Israeli conflict.. Why should Israel be rewarded for invading other countries, defying the International community and not implementing the United Nations resolutions ? THERE IS ONLY ONE ROAD-MAP FOR A FULL AND LASTING ! PEACE IN THE MIDDLE EAST: “ISRAEL FULL WITHDRAWAL FROM ALL LANDS IT OCCUPIES ILLEGALLY SINCE 1967”

Occupation is the absolute worst kind of terrorism.. Equating resistance to occupation with terrorism is an insult to George Washington, Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela as well as all the millions of heroes and martyrs whom struggle against slavery and/or colonialism and/or apartheid and/or occupation is decisive in liberating their countries. “THE MERIT OF THE PALESTINIAN PEOPLE IS GREAT BECAUSE THEIR STRUGGLE IS AGAINST THE MOST BARBARIC RACIST ILLEGAL IMMORAL CRIMINAL OCCUPATION”. “NOT TO STRUGGLE OR RESIST OCCUPATION BY ALL MEANS HAS A NAME: “CAPITULATION”. “A NATION THAT DOESN’T STAND AGAINST OCCUPATION DOESN’T DESERVE TO LIVE IN DIGNITY NOR TO BE RESPECTED”

Of course suicide bombing is barbaric and awful.. The real questions are:

Q) What pushes somebody to become a “suicide bomber” ?

A) The enormous despair or the absence of prospects for a decent life or the continuous oppression or the hatred toward the enemy or the feeling of un-justice.. In the case of the Palestinians, it is the accumulation of all these reasons. Ehud Barak said recently: If I was a Palestinian, I would have been a Terrorist.

Q: What options, other than suicide bombing, do the Palestinians have in their struggle against the Israeli occupation ?

A) The Palestinians do not have more than pistols and machine-guns to fight the Israeli army, one of the four or five most powerful armies in the world, thanks to the USA tax payers’ money !! I am very certain the Palestinians will be ready to abandon their suicide bombings should you give them sophisticated arms to fight the Israelis.. I think they will be able to kill in a very civilized manner.. Maybe even in a more civilized manner than the Israelis are killing them.

As an American, you must still remember why the USA was defeated in Vietnam: The USA oppressed the Vietnamese till a point the Vietnamese did not find any difference between living and committing suicide.. In spite the biggest ever war campaign in the whole history during which the USA dropped over Vietnam millions of tons of all kinds of bombs and chemical weapons, Vietnam won the war against the USA mainly because of their suicide bombers. That was also the lesson from the Japanese Kamikaze. The USA did not find any other way to defeat the Japanese Kamikaze except by dropping two atomic bombs on Hiroshima & Nagasaki !

5.- It is a big mistake to believe that Mr. Ariel Sharon is serious about his so-called willingness to discuss peace once the calm is restored.. If that is the case, What is he waiting for to end his illegal occupation of the Golan Heights ?? The situation over there is totally calm since 1973, the last time a bullet was shot !

6.- The Palestinian people already suffered more than any other people on earth; They don’t need “VISION” about an independent state.. They had more than enough betrayal and unfulfilled promises.. They want their Independent state NOW.. They want to live NOW in their own free state next to a peaceful Israel !

Dear Mr. President,

I hope you succeed to convince Israel to respect the world’s laws and implement fully all relevant United Nations resolutions.. That is the ONLY way to have a full and final just and lasting peace in the Middle East.. Negotiations, if any, should be limited to the timetable and modalities of the Israeli full withdrawal from all Arab lands they occupy illegally since 1967.

Israel Must understand the following:

“NO MUSLIM OR ARAB OR PALESTINIAN LEADER WILL EVER ACCEPT LESS THAN THE PRE-JUNE 1967 BORDERS AS A BASIS FOR A FULL AND FINAL SETTLEMENT”!

“THE ISRAELIS ARE MISTAKE! N IF THEY BELIEVE THAT, EVEN BY HAVING THE USA ON THEIR SIDE, THEY CAN EVER LIVE IN PEACE WITH THEIR ARAB NEIGHBORS UNLESS THEY WITHDREW FROM ALL THE ARAB LANDS THEY OCCUPY ILLEGALLY SINCE 1967”

May God give you the courage to take the right decisions Mr. President,

Saad S Fayoumi

Belgian citizen of Lebanese origin

[2] http://www.historyplace.com/speeches/chamberlain.htm

[3] http://www.aipac.org/documents/AIPACletter032502.html

[4] http://www.nytimes.com/2002/04/09/opinion/_09TUE1.html

[5] http://www.nytimes.com/2002/04/10/international/10CND-NETA.html?tntemail1

[6] http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2002/04/11/israel-congress.htm#more

[7] http://www.arabnews.com/Article.asp?ID=12207

[8] http://www.whtt.org/articles/onui.htm

Saad S. Fayoumi is a Belgian citizen of Lebanese origin.