["Dignity" concept introduced?] Secretary of State Clinton Briefing on Middle East Peace Process (announcing talks)

Dr. Aaron Lerner
IMRA
21 August '10

" two-state solution which ensures security and dignity for Israelis and Palestinians"
www.state.gov/secretary/rm/2010/08/146156.htm
Briefing on Middle East Peace Process
Hillary Rodham Clinton Secretary of State
George Mitchell Special Envoy for Middle East Peace
Washington, DC
August 20, 2010

What's the meaning of "security and dignity"?

That is to say: is the position of the Obama administration that there some kind of trade off between the two of them?

We have already heard it said that our inspection points offend the "dignity" of Palestinians.

They also prevent bombs from reaching Israeli targets.

And we certainly have been facing ongoing pressure to keep dropping those inspection points.

And now that we enter final status talks we will no doubt hear the Palestinians argue that the various security measures and provisions we require shame them.

What kind of dignity is there, for example, in not controlling their own airspace - or in the Israeli Air Force being able to fly over the Palestinian state as it pleases?

What kind of dignity is there in having Israelis look over their shoulders in the inspection of the traffic into the Palestinian state from overseas?

What kind of dignity is there in Israeli involvement in the processes of movement between the West Bank and Gaza Strip?

What kind of dignity is there in the restrictions required for the Palestinian state to truly be a demilitarized state and the enforcement of these restrictions?

What kind of dignity is there in Jews being allowed to pray in structures that are also claimed to be holy to Moslems in Hebron, Bethlehem and elsewhere?

What kind of dignity is there in Jews making noise with shofars etc. as they pray at the Western Wall next to the Al Aqsa Mosque?

And we only started.

What kind of dignity is there in restrictions that would prevent, for example, a delegation of of 500 Iranian "sports instructors" or "air conditioning maintenance instructors" from visiting the Palestinian state?

What kind of dignity is there in second guessing the efficacy of the performance of the Palestinian law enforcement/justice system in its handling of Palestinians who engage in attacks against Israel or Israelis?

The "dignity" card, under any circumstances, is problematic.

And when Secretary of State Clinton opts to give "dignity" and "security" equal standing in the opening paragraph of her five paragraph prepared remarks it could be a critical mistake for Israel to ignore the warning.

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