'US not able to protect Israel'

The United States Ambassador to the United Nations
Susan Rice says the US 'fully and firmly committed' to Israel.


Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=135027§ionid=3510302


Washington has reiterated its carte blanche support for Israel saying it is 'fully and firmly committed' to Israel's security and that, it will continue to strengthen Israel's military while protecting it in the diplomatic arena.

The United States Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice made the statement during a ceremony held by the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations in New York on Thursday.

Rice said Washington's commitment was "not negotiable, and it never will be," adding that the US will continue to combat all international attempts to challenge what she called the "legitimacy of Israel."

This is while as the mediator in the indirect Israeli-Palestinian peace talks, the US is expected to be neutral.

Washington expressed its support for Tel Aviv at a time when the Israeli regime is under immense international criticism over attacking a Gaza-bound aid ship and killing nine activists on board.

Political Analyst Mohammad Oweis joins Press TV in an interview to give us his take on Susan Rice's comments.

The following is the transcript of the interview:


Press TV: What do u make of Ms. Rice's recent remarks? What's the message there? And for who?

Oweis: Well you know the message was in a speech in front of the presidents of major Jewish-American organizations. I am not surprised with what she said to them. What is surprising is that I was at a dinner one time a couple of months ago in Washington, and at the dinner she [Susan Rice] was invited to speak and she said exactly the same thing.

She said they (the US) are committed to the safety and the security of Israel and the superiority of Israel in the region and so there is nothing new here. What we are hearing is that they (the US) are re-confirming, re-affirming their commitment to the occupation and to building settlements and to the acquiring of land by force from others.

Therefore, the question I would ask here is what the other side is going to do, what the Palestinians or the Arabs or the Muslims in general [are going to do]. I think these are the questions we need to be asking ourselves.

Press TV: Israel has fought two deadly wars in Gaza and Lebanon in recent years. Ms. Rice says the US will continue strengthening Israel's military. What does this mean for the security of the region?

Oweis: Well, I invite Ms. Rice to go and secure the security of Iraq and the Iraqi people and the Afghani people and the coalition forces in Iraq and in Afghanistan.

If she is not able, if her army and her people or defense force or aggressive force is not cable of defending itself, how are they going to defend Israel?

The balance of power has been -- since 1948 -- towards Israel and nothing has happened. And I think since 2006, since the defeat of the Israeli's in Lebanon, and then since their defeat in Gaza, even though they killed thousands of Lebanese and Palestinians in both instances, they were defeated. They showed that they could not take land and hold it against defenders who have minimal weapons.

So, from the history of the American invasion of Iraq and Afghanistan and from Israel's insurgency in Lebanon and in Gaza, we see that big armies mean nothing when [it comes to] the will of the people, and if the people are determined to defend themselves, no body can stop them.

Press TV: Ms. Rice has also referred to the recent attempts to jumpstart the stalling peace process with the Palestinian authority. Please review for our viewers the recent developments on that as well the likelihood of reaching a comprehensive deal?

Oweis: I think [acting Palestinian Authority Chief] Mahmoud Abbas explained to him that, even with full surrender he is not going to get anything for the Palestinian people.

There is no peace process. In 1993, [former Palestinian Authority chief] Yasir Arafat signed a peace agreement with the Israelis, he acquired nothing, they acquired more land in the West Bank. They encircled Gaza and they are starving its people.

Peace talks with this entity are fruitless, it will not bear fruit. And the American government with their support to Israel, are anti-Israeli, because sooner or later the region and the people of the region are going to rise up and go after Israel. Not America nor the West or anybody in the world will be able to stop this stance from damaging the stability and the existence of Israel.

Unless the Israelis walk the walk and talk the talk, they will not get anything in the region and they will continue to live under the threat of war and battling people in the streets.