A former Israeli ambassador to the U.N. says many people in the United States and Europe are mistaken in believing that the key to achieving stability in the Middle East is to solve the Palestinian problem.
An internal document recently circulated among members of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' political party says any hopes in the Obama administration "have evaporated." The Fatah Party document accuses the U.S. of backing off from its demands that Israel freeze settlement construction and failing to set a clear agenda for new Mideast peace talks. The document also says the Palestinians have lost hope in Obama, and accuses the American leader of caving in to pressure from pro-Israel lobbyists in Washington. But former Israeli U.N. Ambassador Dore Gold says far too much attention is paid to the Palestinian problem in the first place. "Many people in the United States, and certainly in Europe, believe that the primary problem with stability in the Middle East emanates from the Palestinian issue -- and they think Iran is overstated," he adds. "So they want us to withdraw from the West Bank, from Judea and Samaria, and by doing so stabilize the whole Middle East. I think they're incredibly mistaken." According to Gold, the source of instability in the Middle East today clearly comes from Iran's expansionist aims. "If you focus on the Palestinians all the time and [on] issues like settlements," he suggests, "you're getting diverted away from the primary problem that will undermine the security of not only Israel, but also I would say even beyond." Gold's latest book is called The Rise of Nuclear Iran: How Tehran Defies the West.
If you believe OneNewsNow.com is an important source for Christian news, please consider a small tax-deductible gift for this service.
