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<div class="article-meta"><span class="createdate"> Tuesday, 04 January 2011 17:31 </span> <span class="createby"> Dr. Hanan Chehata </span></div>
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<p><img title="Important calls in the British media for movement on Palestine in 2011" src="https://i1.wp.com/www.middleeastmonitor.org.uk/images/article_images/articles/british-flag.jpg" border="0" alt="Important calls in the British media for movement on Palestine in 2011" hspace="10" vspace="10" align="left" />2011  looks set to be a year for increased awareness and discussion on the  major issues surrounding the conflict in Palestine. 2010 ended in mixed  fortune for the Palestinian cause. On the positive side, it emerged that  several Israeli Hasbara (propaganda) groups have dubbed London the  world hub of anti-Zionist activities, a title which pro-Palestinian and  human rights activists have adopted with a sense of pride. In another  boon, the year ended with a flurry from countries around the world,  queuing up to state that they now, finally, recognise an independent  Palestinian state within the 1967 borders. This may be a mere symbolic  gesture at this point but in the grand scheme of things, it is a  positive step in the right direction.</p>
<p>On the other hand, the year also ended with commemorations, held around  the world, to mark the second anniversary of Israel&#8217;s war of aggression  on Gaza during which 1,417 Palestinian men, women and children were  killed; a savage crime against humanity for which Israel has yet to be  held to accountable. The New Year then began for many with the tragic  news that a Palestinian woman, Jawaher Abu Rahme, was 2011&#8217;s first  victim of more Israeli aggression. She was killed by the gasses that  Israeli soldiers shot at a crowd of unarmed Palestinian civilians who  were peacefully protesting against the illegal apartheid wall.  (Jawaher&#8217;s brother had been killed in similarly tragic circumstances  when he was shot in the chest with an Israeli smoke canister at a  similar protest a few years ago.)</p>
<p>Mainstream newspapers and  magazines on both sides of the political spectrum in the UK also seem to  be demonstrating an emerging consensus that the Palestine issue is at a  major turning point and that this year must, and will be, a time for  change.</p>
<p>To give just two examples, the right-leaning newspaper, <em>The Daily Telegraph</em>, ended the year with an article by its chief political commentator, <a href="http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/peteroborne/100070104/why-the-middle-east-is-about-to-split-the-coalition-wide-open/" target="_blank">Peter Oborne</a>,  expressing his belief that the Palestine-Israel conflict &#8220;is about to  split the Coalition wide open.&#8221; Four days later, the influential  centre-left current affairs magazine, the <em>NewStatesman</em>,  featured, as their cover story, for their first edition of the year, a  report by Israeli journalist Amira Hass focusing on, and condemning,  Israel&#8217;s illegal siege of Gaza.</p>
<p>This consensus seems to be  setting the tone for the New Year ahead. This is particularly true in  the context of Peter Oborne&#8217;s piece. In his commentary, which went to  press on Dec 30th, he verbally eviscerates US President Barak Obama who  he says &#8220;appears paralysed&#8221; in the face of Israeli defiance and,  sheepishly, has &#8220;effectively left the Middle East to its own devices&#8221;.  An abandonment which Oborne points out &#8220;creates an urgent problem for  our government&#8221;. He points out further, that Britain&#8217;s standard response  of simply shadowing the American position on Israeli issues has now  become a high risk strategy with a high moral cost. As Oborne, and many  others see it, if Britain continues to doggedly follow the American  lead, it means &#8220;sharing complicity, alongside the United States, for the  settlement building, the prison state that now prevails in Gaza, and  for President Obama&#8217;s gutless abandonment of the search for peace and  decency.&#8221;</p>
<p>Oborne offers a brief insight into the loyalties of the  main players in the British cabinet, laying their actions bare. On the  one hand, he explains, you have the stalwart supporters of the State of  Israel. This includes people such as the Chancellor of the Exchequer  George Osborne, for instance, who at a dinner celebrating the 250th  anniversary of the Board of Directors gave a speech typically riddled  with pro-Israeli rhetoric. While he may have discharged his duty of  churning out the FCO&#8217;s official position of demanding a halt to  settlements this was overshadowed by his obvious lack of any political  will to follow that demand up with sanctions, or any other coercive  measures, to induce Israel to comply with such a call. Defence Secretary  Liam Fox and Education Secretary Michael Gove are other cabinet  members, who Oborne described as being similarly staunch in their  backing for Israel.</p>
<p>One the other hand, representing the voice of  those who have condemned Israel&#8217;s crimes and who have spoken out in  favour of the Palestinian people in the past, in the context of ending  the illegal siege on Gaza, are people such as Deputy Prime Minister Nick  Clegg. Although supporters of Palestine have been extremely  disappointed with Clegg&#8217;s seeming about turn on Palestine since being  appointed to his new position, Oborne seems convinced that his views  have not changed since entering office and that his sentiments are bound  to &#8220;burst into the open soon&#8221;. We can but hope.</p>
<p>Finally, Oborne  brings us to the key players, Prime Minister David Cameron and Foreign  Secretary William Hague. Although most people view these two as loyal  supporters of Israel, since they have made no real effort to curtail  Israel&#8217;s warmongering proclivities, Oborne assures us that he has been  told, in private, things which make it seem that they are both relishing  Israel&#8217;s obstinate defiance over the settlement issue as an opportunity  to afford them the chance to create a little distance between Britain  and America. Oborne supports his assertion by referring to the symbolic  gesture that Hague is expected to offer soon by enhancing &#8220;the status of  the Palestinian diplomatic mission in London.&#8221;</p>
<p>Oborne is  convinced that a major split in the coalition is inevitable; but it is  yet to be seen which side will be able to recruit the key players who  can actually implement practical changes in the Middle East as opposed  to just bloviating about it. Will it be the side speaking out for the  implementation of international human law and an end to the illegal  practices of the Israeli occupation forces or the side resolutely  committed to blindly standing by the USA and Israel, regardless of the  moral cost to the collective soul of our British nation? The New Year is  just beginning and only time will tell; but, let&#8217;s hope for all our  sakes that this year right will prevail over might, and that Palestine  will finally have its day of freedom and justice.</p>
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<p><a href="http://www.middleeastmonitor.org.uk/articles/europe/1916-important-calls-in-the-british-media-for-movement-on-palestine-in-2011">Important calls in the British media for movement on Palestine in 2011</a>.</p>
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