Mitchell Visit - Part of a Routine - (Hamas Whining Alert)

Jordan Times ^ | February 4, 2009 | Hasan Abuh Nimar

[caper gal 1]

Former senator George Mitchell’s new role as US Middle East representative has been hailed in this region as one more positive gesture towards Arabs and Muslims by President Barack Obama.

For a long time Obama’s positive, even “pro-Arab”, image in this region has been built on superficial factors - his skin colour, his father’s Muslim faith, and his middle name, Hussein - rather than a careful evaluation of his policies. Similarly naive perceptions are now being applied to Mitchell, primarily based on his Lebanese ancestry. Many noted with justification that Mitchell at least was not Dennis Ross, a stalwart supporter of the Israel lobby and president Bill Clinton’s Middle East envoy, whose name had been floated for the job.

But US policy is not made by envoys, no matter how prominent they are. While it is not a coincidence that many of the top US officials responsible for Middle East policy have been Jewish Americans with close ties to pro-Israel organisations, Mitchell’s Lebanese background is not much of an asset. There were similarly inflated expectations and disappointments before, based on such trivial factors: think of Philip Habib, president Ronald Reagan’s envoy in the 1980s, who was no less pro-Israel than any other American official.

[caper gal 1]

More proof that what is too much for us to tolerate is no where near what Hamas not only expects but demands. Thank you Jimmy Carter (NOT) for opening the gates of Hell by "legitimizing" the terrorist Arafat.