What explains the United States’ persistent rejectionism of an equitable peace?
Rashid Khalidi: I would say very largely domestic factors: the fact is that whatever those within government may think would be best for US interests in the Middle East, is more than balanced by others in government who worry about the difficulty of selling such an option domestically over the objections of Israel and its many friends in Congress and the media. I think that explains the difficulty of selling an equitable and just solution, domestically in the US, because every Israeli government since 1967 was resolutely opposed to complete withdrawal to the 1967 boundaries. And they were equally opposed to a Palestinian state that would be completely independent and not controlled by Israel; have open borders with the Arab world; have no settlements; and have its capital in East Jerusalem. I think that the opposition of Israeli governments to such an outcome, and the likely opposition, in consequence, of a very large segment of American political opinion to it, is what has inhibited U
Related Questions
- Does the United States support the Juba Peace Talks between the Government of Uganda and the Lord’s Resistance Army? Why hasn’t the United States named a special representative to the talks in Juba?
- The United States Institute of Peace headquarters near the Washington Mall will include a peace education center. Doesn that satisfy the mission of the US Peace Memorial?
- Why are racial and ethnic health disparities such a persistent problem in the United States?
