For Israel and For Palestine, The Obama Speech by Jamil Shawwa

The president in his Middle Eastern speech tonight restated the declared and the ongoing US policy and strategy in the Middle East which includes the establishment of a Palestinian State in the West Bank and Gaza within the 1967 borders; all agree on this one. The differences are on certain technicalities that can be resolved if there is a political will to move forward and to stop the bickering, the haggle and the rhetoric about this and that from all parties. We need to look at the big picture, it is not only that geographic area that consists of Israel, and the West Bank and Gaza, but it is the surrounding Arab countries and beyond that to the Islamic countries. It is the new Middle East and the end of the dysfunctional Arab League and the establishment of a viable Middle Eastern organization or union, maybe, similar to the EU that will have Israel and Palestine as prime members. It is time as well for Israel and Palestine to compete within their continent; Asia, for world sports, no need for Israel to compete with the Europeans- Israel is a Middle Eastern/Asian country. Basically, peace means peace, and means historic and larger view of the region than just looking at Israel and Palestine. Israel will withdraw from the West Bank and will recognize Jerusalem as capital for both states, an open city, but must have the rest- Arab and Islamic countries- do the same with Israel, recognize, establish peace and normalization. The Palestinians need to have a strong elected parliament and leadership that can embrace the only way to achieve the state which is the negotiations with the State of Israel. It is there, and it has been there for generations but the political blindness, the hypocrisy and following the Arab discredited regimes, lack of vision and confidence and the lack of determination to keep the eye on the prize which is statehood side by side with the State of Israel and Jerusalem as an open city and capital for both states, have made the case for the Palestinians ridiculous; if they cannot help themselves, who will, and why should anyone help those that are not willing to help themselves.

It is time now for the Palestinians to know that Palestine is and only the West Bank and Gaza Strip, there is nothing else called Palestine beyond Gaza and the West Bank. There is a next door neighbor called the State of Israel.