Writing in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Mustafa Barghouti challenges the Obama administration to "uphold American principles and serve American interests" in his article "America must find courage to stand up to Israel, injustice":
The Obama administration, alert to the closing window of opportunity for a two-state outcome, will have to counter Netanyahu’s prescriptions for Palestinian economic development —- a Potemkin village on the West Bank —- as a substitute for Palestinian freedom.
Netanyahu’s plan is a fig leaf. My recent conversations in Washington suggest it will be seen as such. Economic development cannot replace political freedom. The question is whether American officials will have the courage to stand up to Netanyahu and an Israel lobby that for the most part lacks the moral courage to criticize Lieberman’s racism, let alone Netanyahu’s intransigence on ending the occupation.
The administration can help level the playing field by taking three steps. First, insist Israel immediately stop all settlement activity. Second, reject Israel’s embrace of apartheid. One set of laws for Jewish settlers and another for Palestinians is unacceptable. Third, accept our democratic choice.
The article reiterates points Barghouti made in New York a month ago. Since then he's been in Washington, DC, and heard about the silencing effect of the Israel lobby but he also believes "a breath of fresh air is clearly blowing through Washington." I'd love to believe him. As much as Chas Freeman was a setback, the fact that voices like Barghouti and Reps. Baird and Ellison are being heard in Washington can only be a good thing. But as the article points out, it's time to turn these voices into policy.
