US policy won’t bring peace to Mideast, but may help violent extremists

Despite the asymmetry of her government’s generosity, Haley demands gratitude from UNRWA’s beneficiaries — the besieged people of Gaza and the millions of refugees in Jordan, Lebanon and Syria, but not from Israel, one of the wealthiest and most militarily and technologically-advanced nations in the world.

As for that peace table that Haley keeps referring to, she should be reminded that Washington appears to have found a faster and easier path to “peace” that dispenses with tables as well as with fairness to, and equality between, the parties.

Instead, US President Donald Trump’s administration has chosen unilateral decrees on the final-status issues, not only deciding for the parties but also doing so consistently in favour of one party.

So why bother inviting the other party to a table when everything has seemingly been determined: Jerusalem is the capital of Israel; the Palestinian refugees are no longer refugees and therefore no longer have a right of return; the illegal settlements in the West Bank will define the borders of Israel; and Israel is a uniquely Jewish state, although a third of its citizens are Christians or Muslims.

The US policy will not help those who want peace and security for Israelis and Palestinians.

It won’t help US standing in the region or in the world. It won’t even help Israel.

According to Israel’s military and intelligence officials, it might help the radicals and violent extremists.

Do the architects of this flawed policy want to reduce the prospects of peace in the Middle East by design or by default?