The Israeli/Palestinian Peace Process Hoax Redux

by Stephen Lendman

Longtime Israeli collaborator Mahmoud Abbas met with Trump Wednesday at the White House - for the first time, maybe the last.

He's widely reviled by Palestinians for serving Israeli interests, not theirs. Ahead of their private meeting, Trump pressed him to do more to combat terrorism America supports.

He wants stillborn Israeli/Palestinian peace talks resumed - dead-on-arrival each time initiated, vowing "(w)e will get it done."

"I'm committed to working with Israel and the Palestinians to reach an agreement. I will do whatever is necessary to facilitate" it, he said.

Abbas ludicrously told Trump: "Mr. President, with you we have hope. We hope this will be a new beginning."

Trump turned truth on its head, saying peace depends on Palestinians ending "incitement…to violence and hate." Irresponsibly blaming victims of Israeli high crimes is no road map for peace.

It's impossible to achieve because Israel and Washington want Palestinian surrender, not equitable conflict resolution.

Trump knows nothing about longstanding Israeli high crimes against Palestinians, the brutality of occupation harshness, Gaza illegally blockaded and isolated, attacked repeatedly at Israel's discretion, its two million people confined to the world's largest open-air prison, Israeli apartheid far worse than South Africa's.

He sounded profoundly ignorant, claiming "Israel is willing" to talk peace. "We believe you're willing," he told Abbas. "(I)f you're both willing, we're going to make a deal."

Only two solutions are viable and equitable. Israel and Washington reject both: Palestinian statehood within June 1967 borders entirely free from occupation, or one state of Israel/Palestine for all its people.

Commenting on Trump's meeting with Abbas, former PLO advisor/political analyst Diana Buttu called it "a waste of time." Israel uses the peace process hoax to facilitate its ruthless agenda. Chance for conflict resolution is nil.

Trump, Netanyahu and Abbas want the illusion of possible conflict resolution maintained - despite decades of failure and no chance for success now.

Human rights attorney Noura Erakat called Abbas' meeting with Trump "tragic…at a time when even NFL Super Bowl champion (New England Patriots) refused (his) invitation due to his jingoist and destructive policies."

The latest peace process chapter will end in failure like earlier ones. Committed resistance against Israel's brutal occupation is the only chance for Palestinian liberation.

Expecting help from Trump or any other US administration is hoping for what's never forthcoming - not earlier, now or ever as far ahead as anyone can imagine.

Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago. He can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net. 

His new book as editor and contributor is titled "Flashpoint in Ukraine: How the US Drive for Hegemony Risks WW III."

http://www.claritypress.com/LendmanIII.html

Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com. 

Listen to cutting-edge discussions with distinguished guests on the Progressive Radio News Hour on the Progressive Radio Network.