Thomas Friedman’s recent piece (Aug. 13), in the New York Times, “A Geopolitical Earthquake Just Hit the Mideast,” is an almost complete survey of the various effects of the Israel-United Arab Emirates on featured players in the Arab-Israeli conflict. “Just go down the scorecard, and you see how this deal affects every major party in the region,” Friedman writes, “with those in the pro-American, pro-moderate Islam, pro-ending-the-conflict-once-and-for-all camp benefiting the most and those in the radical pro-Iran, anti-American, pro-Islamist, permanent-struggle-with-Israel camp all becoming more isolated and left behind.
“It’s a geopolitical earthquake.”
Well, maybe, but I’m thinking a geopolitical earthquake would be something more like a Palestinian-Israeli peace agreement that included the creation of an independent Palestine sharing open borders with Israel. And a few other minor clauses that would redeem Israel’s biblical claim to be a light unto the nations of the world.
Ironically, Friedman’s scorecard showing winners and losers barely mentions Palestinians. Oh, yes, they dodged any further annexations of Palestinian territory for the moment.
Congratulations, all you lucky Palestinian exiles and refugees. It’s status quo for now. Worse, later, but I’m sure Thomas Friedman will get back to you about that.
Oh, wait. Friedman does assert that the UAE-Israel deal will force the Palestinian Authority and Mahmoud Abbas to the “negotiating table.” Friedman is not clear about what will be served to Abbas when he gets to the table, but it’s probably more of the same old, same old. So, again, not a win for Palestinians, but nothing ever is for a people yearning to be free, right?
Anyway, Friedman’s scorecard does grind on, but ends in a happy place. “The UAE and Israel and the U.S. showed—at least for one brief shining moment that the past does not always have to bury the future, that the haters and dividers don’t always have to win.
“It was a breath of fresh air. May it one day turn into a howling wind of change that spreads across the whole region.”
Wait. What?
Oh, this just in. It’s not a geopolitical earthquake. It’s the eye of a hurricane. And it’s coming through Gaza and the West Bank.
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