The monkey-see monkey-do relationship, by Hassan El-Najjar and Damian Blake

The monkey-see monkey-do relationship

An Interactive Editorial*

By Hassan El-Najjar and Damian Blake

9/25/02

Damian Blake:

Is it just me or does it seem to appear that Sharon is copying everything
that the US does. I mean, it's like he jumped on the US bandwagon and is
using the actions of the US to his advantage. The US declares war on
terrorism, and then not long after Israel declares war on terrorism. The US
goes to Afghanistan, Israel goes into Palestine (again). The US wants a
regime change in Iraq, Israel wants a regime change in Palestine. It sounds
like a case of monkey-see monkey-do. I agree that Arafat hasn't done a
great job in his position, but I think Sharon should at least wipe the
smile off his face when he is attacking the Palestine people. Both Sharon
and Arafat should be replaced, after all you replace your soiled underwear
when it gets old and unreliable anymore, don't you? It's funny that I read
in your website (Al-Jazeerah) that Israel has violated more UN codes than Iraq, yet
Israel only gets verbal warnings. What's up with that? There is no physical
intervention on the US to help the Palestinian people. But if it was
someone else, someone with great American interest, watch how fast the US
will be there to protect.

On a final note, this is where my knowledge of law really sucks. Is it at
all possible for the Palestinian people to take Israel to court, and sue
them for all the damages inflicted by them. Man, even a thief can sue the
person they are robbing if they hurt themselves in their victims homes.
Basically take Israel to court, I don't know, a UN court or an international
court or whatever. At least they can strike back at their economy. Like I
said, I know negative $100 about law and courts, but these are my thoughts.

Hassan El-Najjar:

First, I agree with you about the "monkey-see monkey-do" relationship between Bush and Sharon. However, I disagree on who follows whom. I would argue that Bush is more deeply influenced by Sharon than the other way around. Sharon was deeply involved in the war against the Palestinian people way before September 11. Sharon also wanted regime change in Palestine before September 11. He refused to deal with Arafat at all from day one after taking office.

Second, the UN resolutions which have not been observed by Israel have increase to 69, as the UN Security Council has added a new one just this week, asking Israel to end its siege of the Palestinian President's office and to withdraw from the Palestinian territories. Israel has not observed any of these resolutions and will not be forced to observe anyone of them in the future. This is because of the blind support it receives from the only remaining superpower of the world, the US. The Israeli influence on the US government has allowed it to make a mockery out of the United Nations and its Security Council. There is no international law anymore, particularly when it comes to Israel and the United States.

Finally, concerning your enquiry regarding taking Israel to court, it is a hopeless case as long as Israel is protected by the United States. The international court in the Hague does not have the power of enforcing its sentences unless member states cooperate in doing so. But which country dares to arrest Sharon or other Israeli military commanders who committed war crimes? The Israeli war crimes are very well known and documented since 1948. There were attempts to try Sharon for his role in the Sabra and Shatella massacre of 1982, in which about 3,000 Palestinians were murdered under his supervision. The only country in the world that accepted to try him was Belgium, a small European country. However, the Belgian government has been under continuous pressures that have made the trial less likely to happen, at least while Sharon is in office.

In a word, without pressure from the US, nobody can force Israel to abide by international law. And I don't see any possibility for such pressure, as both Republicans and Democrats compete for proving who is a better servant of the Israeli government. Therefore, the only foreseeable scenario, that I can see for any change to happen in the behavior of the Israeli government, will be a change within the Israeli society. But don't hold your breath. Only when the Israelis start seeing Palestinians as neighbors, not as a fair game to prey on, they will withdraw from the Palestinian territories, leaving Palestinians to live freely like other nations on earth. It is not a pleasant picture, I know. It is the bitter truth.

* In interactive editorials, the editor of Al-Jazeerah answers questions and or responds to comments of readers, which are more general than readers' responses to specific articles or issues. It is an effective method of interaction in electronic journalism.

Dr. Hassan El-Najjar is the editor of Al-Jazeerah.

Opinions expressed in various sections are the sole responsibility of their authors and they may not represent Al-Jazeerah's.