Too Little, Too Late, Mr. Obama.

Dear Mr. Obama:  

I still recall that day when I watched with awe and great respect your inauguration ceremony while I was visiting the USA.  As I wrote to you on January 22, 2009,  you were indeed an inspiration and a source of hope not only for the Americans  but for me as a  Palestinian,  especially when you focused on  the issue of justice.   An issue  which   was also  stressed  in the sermon of  Rev. Sharon Watkins during the National Service,  the day after your inauguration.   At last, I thought that the USA as a super power, and its good and genuine people deserve a leader of your intelligence and stature.  Now that the new elections are close, may the Lord have mercy on the Americans and the rest of the world irrespective of who gets elected. 

For the last eight years we have been waiting for some action that would really make you worthy of the Nobel Peace Prize which you received upon your election as president.  Not only did you not help in bringing justice and peace to our region, your unwavering support for  the state of Israel financially and through the American veto at the UN, made it possible and easier  for Israel  to continue  flouting  international law.  While your statements regarding settlements and confiscation of Palestinian land did not go beyond the rhetoric of condemnation, it was not surprising that Israel has been able  to get away with all the violations of human rights and international law, as well as ignoring  the stated policies of the US itself regarding settlements and confiscation of land.

With the signing of your last agreement with Israel for the amount of $38b for the next ten years, you are actually rewarding Israel and helping it use the arms bought according to that agreement to crush the Palestinians and further oppress them as they continue to struggle  for their basic rights and for liberation from a brutal military occupation.  I am sure  you could have used that enormous amount of money to meet the many domestic challenges that are facing the USA these days such as health care, education, homelessness and hunger.

It was interesting to hear your recent speech at the United Nations.  You  suggested that “we must go forward, and not backward” stressing that democracy,  human rights and international law that you forged remain the firmest foundation for human progress in this century.  You further stressed the fact that more people than ever are free to choose their own leaders.  I was wondering what democracy are you referring to?  The democracy imposed by the US through wars and the destruction of  whole countries,(like Iraq,  Libya and Syria)  or the democracy in which the results of democratic and transparent elections (as in the case of the Palestinian Territories) were not accepted by the US government?  Of course I realize that some of that took place before your first term.  But not much has changed since then, especially regarding the human rights as well as the national rights of the Palestinians.. The shuttle diplomacy of Mr. Kerry proved as futile as his recent mediation with the Russians in Syria. 

It was  refreshing to hear you say that you have had your share of mistakes.  However there is a lot to atone for, and I am just wondering if you will have time to atone for those mistakes.  We continue to hear  news about a possible legacy that you plan to leave in November through an initiative that will set new parameters for the two state solution.   Whether this is true or not, you have unfortunately   missed many opportunities during the last eight years, and  while you were still holding the reins.  Dare we hope, or will this last minute initiative be Too Little Too Late.

Samia Khoury

A Concerned Palestinian Grand-mother