DISPELLING fears that he may succumb to pressure, Mahmoud Abbas on Friday handed his letter to the UN secretary general to demand state status for Palestine. Instant endorsement of his plea came from the world community when the General Assembly gave the Palestinian president a standing ovation. While this must have been a source of satisfaction for him, there is a long way to go, for America, a permanent member of the Security Council, is seen to guard Israeli interests. On Wednesday, President Barack Obama made clear to the world audience which way his country would go on an issue whose implications for America's domestic politics overshadow the justness of the Palestinian cause, as Democrats prepare their campaign blueprint for the president's second term. Once again, the American president's speech constituted a virtual reiteration of the Israeli position, for he uttered words and phrases which have been repeated ad nauseam over decades with only one aim — to obfuscate the real issue: the withdrawal of Israel from the West Bank and Gaza so that an independent Palestinian state can emerge. To be on record, the president pledged his support for a two-state solution — something that at least two of his predecessors had also committed themselves to. But beyond this lip service to the idea of a Palestinian state, the president gave no indication how he would make Israel give up its intransigence and quit the occupied territories. Calling for direct negotiations, the president repeated that the Palestinians and Israelis themselves could clinch a peace deal — “not us”.

As Mr Obama spoke, his audience knew how Israel has made a mockery of direct negotiations, including the bout the president himself launched last year. On Sept 2, 2010, President Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met at the White House and were given one year in which to settle core issues — the final borders, the return of Palestinian refugees, settlements and the status of Jerusalem. The 12-month deadline has long passed, the 'direct negotiations' have fizzled out, and the status quo drags on for Israel to 'create facts', build more settlements and alter the occupied territories' demography.