How Obama Can Get My Vote… and the Approval of the Middle East
This morning I read Obama’s schedule for his current Mid East tour. Tomorrow, on Wednesday, he will be (separately) meeting with Israeli President Simon Peres, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
According to the article, “Mr. Obama also is scheduled to visit the southern Israeli town of Sderot, located near Gaza, which has been hit by more than 2,000 rockets in the past four years. . . . Susan Rice, a foreign policy adviser to the Obama campaign, told reporters that Mr. Obama wanted to go to Sderot because it is a ‘place in which Israel’s security is every day at risk and threatened.’ She added, ‘Senator Obama will have the opportunity to see that first hand and get a very personal feel for the everyday’ challenges.”
If Obama really wants to get a very ‘personal’ feel for the everyday, he needs to also visit Hebron, where the daily lives of Palestinians are heartbreaking. And should he go and visit this city, he should not take a diplomatic car; in order to see first hand the humiliation the ‘other side’ has to endure, he should either drive in a car with Palestinian license plates or ride on a public bus.
I recently had an opportunity to visit several cities throughout the West Bank, Hebron being one of them. As Jerusalem was my home base, I figured out each day how to take a bus to my destination city. And while the destination was often a rewarding experience, I found that being on the highways themselves has had a more resounding effect on me.
To get to any town in the West Bank, vehicles have to go through a series of checkpoints on the highways. When I got back to America and was trying to explain to my family what these checkpoints are like, I had a difficult time coming up with something to relate it to. I grew up next to a military base and frequently went on with my friends so that I could buy more expensive items at cheaper prices (and tax-free!). Going through the checkpoint to get onto that base is nothing like the checkpoints in the West Bank.
However, I’m currently visiting some family in the Chicago suburbs, and I have finally found an appropriate analogy. Checkpoints on highways is to the West Bank what toll roads are to the Chicago-land highways. Now, I’m from Southern Illinois and am in no way used to frequently using toll roads. I don’t have an I-Pass card, and I’m usually in the very left-hand lane and have to swerve through four lanes of traffic to get over to the ‘cash’ lane in time.
Having an I-Pass is like being an Israeli citizen. Israeli citizens have yellow license plates with blue Stars of David on them. It’s like a free pass to drive on any highway anywhere throughout the West Bank, Gaza, and Israel without facing any trouble. While they do still have to slow down at the checkpoints (unlike those lucky I-Pass drivers), this is only so that the guard can be sure that they do in fact have that blue Star of David.
Not having an I-Pass and needing to stop in the cash lane is like being a Palestinian. Palestinians either have yellow license plates or white license plates. Having a yellow license plate means that that particular person is a Palestinian Jerusalemite, his family having been residents of the city before the ‘67 war. These people are allowed to enter Jerusalem. Palestinians with white license plates have families that were residents elsewhere in the West Bank during the ‘67 war, and these people are forbidden from entering Jerusalem.
Stopping in the ‘cash lane’ for any non-Israeli citizen is not as easy as handing over the toll fee. No. Everyone who does not have that blue Star of David on their license plate must stop and turn off their vehicle at the checkpoint. Every passenger has to get out of the car and stand in a line off to the side while an eighteen-year old IDF soldier with an Uzi searches through the vehicle. Another young IDF conscript, also with an Uzi, stands at the front of the line and checks the passports of every passenger. I am blessed to have an American passport. Unlike me, though, the green Palestinian Authority passport holds no weight with the Israeli government; the Israeli government doesn’t recognize the Palestinian passports. Instead, Palestinians have a flimsy blue slip of paper that identifies them as a Palestinian.
Sometimes, the car search and ID check can take hours. Not quite like a toll road (though maybe like Chicago traffic). Keep in mind, too, that as of October 2006, there were 528 checkpoints and obstacles in the West Bank. Again, though I’m no expert on northern Illinois toll roads, I’d say there’s a pretty good chance there is not nearly that many stops on them as there are checkpoints in the West Bank.
And while I did almost all of my traveling by bus, I did have the opportunity one day to ride in a diplomatic car. We sailed right through the checkpoints, as I’m sure Obama will too, just as he’ll probably sail through all of the West Bank without really seeing any of the problems. Which brings me to Hebron.
Of the many cities in the West Bank, this is one of the saddest to visit. It has a rich history and is religiously significant for both Jews and Muslims. Once the modern economic life center of the West Bank, it is no longer. Because of the occupation, it has become a ghost town. Walking through formerly bustling streets was an eerie experience. (For more information on Hebron today, see this section of the Wiki article).
Some pictures and explanations below:
1. Formerly a main market for Arabs. Now the shops have all closed and the streets are deserted.
2. This is part of the Arab market place. Settlers occupy the apartments above the street. They used to throw trash and other items on the Palestinians walking the streets below. The Palestinians covered the walkway with a wire roof and barbed wire. This protection blocks some of the debris, as you can see. It doesn’t, however, protect the pedestrians from boiling water that has been thrown down on them in the past.
3. Another walkway that has been covered to protect those below. The most successful way thus far to protect the Palestinians from the settlers’ taunts is to completely roof the formerly open-air market, which they have done in some areas. Those spaces are like walking through tunnels. The stale air reeks, and the walker speeds his gait just to get out of them faster.
4. Palestinians are not allowed to drive cars on the roads. As you can see, they must carry all items they bring into their homes, whether they are old computer monitors or air conditioning units. As an added bonus, if the item cannot fit in through the metal security gate, it’s not going in. That new mattress you wanted? It doesn’t fit. Sorry.
You can see how these restrictions drastically cut down on the trade Hebron does with the outside world.
My point is, if Obama really wants to be the candidate of change, he should take the courageous stance and recognize the injustices that Palestinians live with. Standing up and saying ‘This is wrong’ doesn’t mean he is anti-Semitic; it means he is a man strong enough to do what is right. And, for a potential president who will inherit a mess of problems in the Middle East, showing true concern for the fate of Palestinians is a step in the right direction. That doesn’t mean simply repeating over and over again how important it is to find a two-state solution.
Sticking by Israel in the name of security may win him votes in America (especially with particular lobbies… cough cough), but it will not help him win over ‘the hearts and minds’ of Arabs.
If Obama gains the courage to use his popularity for good, speaks out about the Palestine issue and weathers the attacks those aforementioned lobbies would surely throw at him, he’s got my vote and my respect, which is much harder to earn. Call me a pessimist, call me a Republican, but at this point I don’t think I’ll be giving him either.
(On a slightly more positive note, there are a couple of NGOs doing great things in Hebron.
One of them is B’Tselem, an Israeli NGO which has started handing out video cameras to Palestinian families (particularly those in and around Hebron), who then videotape their daily lives. Because Palestinian word alone has no value in Israeli courts, Palestinians are finally able to provide real evidence of crimes committed against them.
The other is The Hebron Rehabilitation Committee, who is using the Israeli government’s model of building settlements and selling them at dirt cheap prices to attract settlers, but using it to benefit Palestinians. The NGO (with grants from different European governments) purchases abandoned buildings in the Old City and restores them, then selling these renovated beauties to impoverished Palestinian families at next to nothing.)
Comment by Anonymous on 23 July 2008 at 12:54 am:
Obama is showing respect to the Palestinians by going to Ramallah and meeting with the Palestinian President Abbas. McCain never went there and ignored Abbas.
Obama is showing respect and that should be applauded.
Comment by JayBandit on 23 July 2008 at 4:31 am:
You honestly think one of the two people that will be the next President of the United States of America should not take a diplomatic vehicle if he’s traveling to one of the biggest hotbeds of angst in the world?
Also, you make it sound like the Palestinians have done nothing even remotely wrong, and are just some misunderstood group of people. Last time I checked, there have been some pretty heinous bombings on a regular basis for…oh, at least as long as I can remember.
I don’t think it would be a good move by Obama to be in some dangerous place without protection and get killed; that might ruin his plans to become President.
Comment by exercising my right to be anonymous on 23 July 2008 at 5:44 am:
I thought people wanted us to get out of everyone else’s business and concentrate on America?
Comment by Brian on 23 July 2008 at 6:34 am:
First, thanks for the description of life there, it was fascinating.
Second: I don’t understand. You want Obama to convey an understanding and respect for the Palestinian people in order to win your vote. That’s great, but you seem to imply that if he doesn’t go far enough in that direction, you’ll vote for John McCain, who is even MORE irrationally biased in favor of Israel and against Palestine. What sense does that make?
Comment by LT on 23 July 2008 at 9:23 am:
Anonymous number one: I am happy that Obama is going to meet Abbas. That is a step in the right direction. I don’t expect nearly so much from McCain. In fact, the last time McCain did a tour through the MidEast, he didn’t even go to Jordan, which will need to play an integral part in the peace process. More than fifty percent of the people living in Jordan are ethnically Palestinian, and a large majority of those are refugees from either the ‘48 or ‘67 wars. Should there ever be a solution to this problem, the status of refugees will be huge factor in its success. So going to visit the Palestinian president during his campaign is huge progress compared to a State Dept. visit in the 8th year of every presidency. For that, I do thank Obama.
Jay Bandit: Of course I know Obama should and will take a diplomatic vehicle. I am merely commenting that in doing so, he is missing out on experiencing the ‘everyday’ life of Palestinians.
I also know that some Palestinians and Palestinian groups have committed horrible actions that have taken the lives of Israeli citizens and military (most of whom are conscripted… which begs the question of whether it is ‘okay’ to attack soldiers when they are forced to be a part of the IDF). But Israel’s response to those attacks is never equal, is always much greater, to the the attack itself. And, most often the victims of Israel’s actions are the absolutely defenseless. Israel has shown little regard to killing civilians, so long as they kill the ‘terrorist’. But, hmm, don’t you think that might create more terrorism?
I suggested that Obama visit Hebron because he has already chosen to visit Sderot to experience first hand what Israeli citizens living near Gaza have to go through. 2,000 rockets in the past four years? You don’t think he’s already stepping in danger’s way? Going to Hebron would help him experience the everyday life of those living in the occupied territories.
The point of this all is that there is a reason why people become terrorists. It’s not just because they don’t like Israel or they think it’s fun. Still, the conditions that produce a terrorist response NEVER make that attack okay.
I do, however, think that the plight of the Palestinians is misrepresented and misunderstood in America.
To you who wish to exercise your right to be anonymous: Okay, Ron Paul. Not EVERYONE wishes America to ‘get out of everyone’s business and concentrate on America’. In today’s world, it’s not remotely possible for the US to become an isolationist nation. We never really were. There is a HUGE difference between barging into a country, guns blazing, trying to force a military solution, and taking a diplomatic trip to assess a situation. If Bush had actually done that early in his presidency (or now, even), we would have possibly avoided the huge mess of the Iraq war. Ignoring the people you don’t like doesn’t make them go away or behave the way you want them to.
Brian: I just finished reading ‘The Last Lecture’ (which, by the way, everyone should read). One of the things the author talked about was criticism. He said that when people have stopped criticizing you, that means they’ve given up on you improving. It’s when people criticize, they still care enough and think you can improve.
I’m criticizing Obama because I think there is a chance he can really ‘improve’, so to speak. I don’t have such lofty hopes for McCain. I would be a happy girl if we had the John McCain of 2000, who really was a maverick and maybe could take a difficult position on Israel/OPT. But we don’t.
Obama really is my only hope for finding a just solution for Palestinians. And I’m not that hopeful. I did temporarily get swept up in the Obama fever. I cried the first time I watched that Yes We Can video on YouTube. But I think Obama has managed to convince most of us that he is above politics when really he is a master politician. He’s abandoned his former positions on other issues when it’s become convenient. Because of this, I don’t think that in the end either candidate (or any future candidate) will take such a controversial position on the question of Palestine.
Some of my friends are American Palestinians whose parents are refugees from the ‘67 war. Every presidential election, they hope that a candidate will show caring and understanding towards the Palestinians. They say that they will vote for that candidate, regardless of what his other beliefs are. Every year, though, they end up having to vote for the better of two evils.
As for my vote, I’m still undecided. I was just saying that it probably won’t be THIS issue that determines who I choose come November.
Comment by Doctor X (Josh) on 23 July 2008 at 9:58 am:
Hey, I thoroughly disagree with your analysis. Check it out here at http://joshxiong.com/?p=35
Comment by Brian on 23 July 2008 at 10:22 am:
LT,
I agree with your general frustration as to American foreign policy toward Israel. It’s been distorted by a disproportionately influential Israel lobby. But I think there’s a degree to which you have to accept that those are the political circumstances of the moment, and that they don’t seem likely to change anytime in the near future. Given those political circumstances, Obama’s done reasonably well when talking about these issues. Yes, he’s a politician, and yes, that means he will distort his policy proposals to conform to political necessities, which in this case means talking up our alliance with Israel and avoiding criticism of Israel.
But beyond that, I’m not sure what you’re expecting of him. He’s made clear commitments to ending the war in Iraq and to negotiating with Iran, both of which will allow a greater American focus on Israel-Palestine. He’s recognized the economic plight of the Palestinian people and the need to improve economic conditions there, both for humanitarian and security reasons. I might like to hear him come out and say he would try to push Israel toward negotiations with Hamas, but that’s an example of the sort of thing you can’t reasonably expect from an American presidential candidate due to political realities. Curse those political realities all you want, but their existence isn’t Obama’s fault, and if he overreached in his resistance to those realities, all we’d end up with is a McCain presidency. That’s the infuriating way things go sometimes. But it’s pretty clear Obama has shown a willingness to push up against those realities to the extent he can without sacrificing the election. I think that in itself should mean he is worthy of your support.
Comment by RAGNAR on 23 July 2008 at 1:32 pm:
First, my belief is that the Palestinians are treated like savages by the Israelis because they behave like savages. My belief is that if they stopped bombing kids and women and old people in cafes and restaurants, if they stopped lobbing rockets at schools and hospitals, then maybe the Israelis would start to treat them a little nicer. Just a thought. And as to the Israeli responses being excessive, that is exactly what they should be. I know the bleeding hearts of the world will never see it, and I wish it were not this way, but the only way you will gain peace is to make it clear that any attack on you will result in such massive retaliation that the last thing anyone would ever dream of is attacking you again. (Like Clint Eastwood said, ” I’ll kill you, I’ll kill your family, I’ll kill your dog.) i.e. peace through superior firepower. For my money the Israelis have shown remarkable restraint. In fact they have shown too much restraint and allowed the situation to be never ending. McCain is smart enough to know all of this, to know you don’t negotiate with terrorists, and to know who his allies are. Obama is a just boob on a photo op. The only question is how long can Obama hide and the charade continue? I’d love to see him do an open forum townhall over there with our soldiers. He’d fall on his face
Comment by JayBandit on 23 July 2008 at 8:07 pm:
RAGNAR, I couldn't have said it better myself.
LT, if the palestinians don't want to be hurt int he crossfire between the Israeli's & the terrorists, they could start giving up the terrorists. To do nothing is to support them. If you had a group of people attacking a city in the United States, take an extremely segregated city like Chicago for instance, you'd have people amongst the crowd calling these assholes out.
So, until they come out and speak out and more importantly act out, things won't change.
Comment by JayBandit on 23 July 2008 at 8:08 pm:
Oh, and last time I checked, ALL of the Israeli’s killed are innocent…so I don’t see your argument.
Comment by LT on 24 July 2008 at 8:05 am:
Jay Bandit: I agree about calling people out and giving up terrorists in your own self interest, but that’s because I’m an American. One of the interesting cultural differences between Western vs. M.E. is the our level of ‘doing what is right’ and following the law because the law is more important than our relations our. If Americans knew that their brother committed a crime, they would, on average, turn their brother into the police because they knew that their brother committed a crime and like it or not, he should be punished. Arabs, on the other hand, value family relations much more than they do the law, and so they are more likely to protect their brother and not turn them in. I unfortunately saw this play out while I was in Jordan. My good friend was raped by a taxi driver in broad daylight, and after this happened, the police investigation that followed was extremely tight-lipped. While in my mind it would be important to tell the public, “Hey, this crazy rapist is on the loose,” the authorities couldn’t do that. They knew that in this culture, the families–even or especially after they found out their brother/son/husband was a rapist–would actually hide him from the authorities. As such, the police revealed almost no information about the search, not even to the victim.
In terms of these cultural differences (somewhere in my house I have the actual papers that explain it, but I can’t find them now), Israel is even further away from the ME than ‘The West’ is. This doesn’t make them right or wrong, but it does add another element to relations between these two groups. As only one example, we (that is the West and Israel), on the whole, value the individual above the community, while Arabs value the community above the individual.
On another note, one of the things that B’tselem does is gather quotes and other material from Israeli military officials which actually indicate that the military’s actions in the West Bank are NOT about Israel’s security.