While U.S officials have criticized advertisements which were made in favor of Israel’s position on Jerusalem, the Syrian President Bashar Alassad is visiting [singlepic id=174 w=320 h=240 float=right] Egypt to discuss many matters including the possibility of a war between Syria and Israel.
The supporting advertisements were made by the president of the World Jewish Congress Ronald Lauder and Nobel peace prize Laureate Elie Wiesel. The American officials agreed that such advertisements are not a wise move. Prime Minister Netanyahu insisted on stating that the demand to freeze settlements building in East Jerusalem cannot be answered and that Jerusalem is the united capital of Israel.

While Israeli officials continue to try to create a pressure and turn Jerusalem’s issue into a subject that is out of discussion, the Syrian leadership took the latest Israeli accusations seriously. Israel accused Syria of supplying Hezballah with scud missiles. Analysts considered the Israeli accusations as a first step made to prepare for a possible war between Israel and Syria.

President Bashar Alassad decided to visit Egypt after a long period of arguments and disagreement with the latter. The visit is supposed to give President Alassad a chance to discuss the latest Israeli accusations with the Egyptian leadership. The visit is also supposed to give both the Egyptian and the Syrian leadership a chance to discuss the division between Hamas and Fatah Palestinian movements.

While the U.S administration is still facing difficulties with Israel regarding the latter position over East Jerusalem, the situation is developing in the Middle East. Iran’s nuclear plans became a subject which is completely related to Syria’s challenge with Israel and the Israeli Palestinian conflict. The U.S administration is trying to separate between Iran and its allies but cannot find a reason to convince the Arabs to fully support it. Israel refuses any kind of compromise to make an improvement in the peace process with the Palestinians and continues to ask for a serious and quick solution for the Iranian ambitions.

Prime Minister Netanyahu’s plan which includes a refusal for any American suggestion and a determination to create a pressure inside the U.S against the American leadership is not resulting in anything. The U.S leaderships know very well that a lack of a solution for the Palestinian case is making the Middle East situation more complicated. Not only that Israel is challenging the U.S but also it is disagreeing with the whole International community that is asking for an Israeli action to renew the negotiations process.

The Israeli leadership is deceiving its own people by continuing to state fake claims about Israel’s authority over the occupied lands. The International community including the U.S, which is considered the strongest ally of Israel, refuses until today to recognize East Jerusalem as a part of Israel. The West Bank territories are considered occupied by the International community and according to the International law. Even Israeli officials such as Minister Ehud Barak know very well and stated that the world will not accept the idea that Israel continues to occupy and rule the Palestinian people.

Instead of blaming the Palestinians, the Israeli leadership should start a long process of awareness to fix the damage it caused to its people’s understanding and position of the occupied territories and the Palestinian’s right to live independently.
The only accomplishment which the current Israeli government will bring for its people if it continues with its current policy is a war with more than one country in the area, a failure and damage in Israel’s relations with the International community, and a real danger that this time will seriously threaten Israel’s national security.

Ziad Khalil Abu Zayyad

A Palestinian-Arab living in East Jerusalem, Ziad graduated from College Des Freres in Jerusalem in 2003. Ziad finished his major in International Relations and English Literature from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Ziad is a former President of the Watan student movement at the university. He is interested in Middle Eastern political issues and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Founder of the Middle East Post and MEL (Middle East Future Leadership Network), he represents Palestinian youth at several international conferences.

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