bush

01.13.08

On Wednesday of last week, our fearless leader descended upon the motherland, a mere afterthought on the American evening news. While people at home were bemoaning Clinton’s victory in New Hampshire, somewhere in the fallen headlines Bush’s first presidential visit to the land of milk and honey sputtered alongside Britney Spears latest medical problem.

In Jerusalem, you might actually think that Bush carried some legitimacy in the States, that he still maintains commanding control as the embodied leader of the free world. Route One, the main road leading into Jerusalem, (also the Green Line, incidentally), was – and still is – lined with alternating American and Israeli flags. The flags also made their way all over the Western part of the city in case you forgot who was in town.

The American President’s visit was met with day after day of headlines in both the Israeli and Arab newspapers. Al-Quds especially carried countless stories – ‘Bush visits Ramallah Tomorrow,’ ‘Security tightened in Ramallah compound for Bush visit,’ ‘Bush attends private ceremony at Church of the Nativity,’ ‘Bush takes a shit at 3:45 pm.’

Physical repercussions of the president’s visit were also palpable. On Wednesday, Route 1 was simply closed for most of the morning and into the afternoon, as it was on Thursday when W made the oh-so-risky trip from Jerusalem to Ramallah. The West Bank checkpoints, through which the President admittedly passed through easily with his 45-car motorcade, were also shut for most of Thursday, preventing the few residents of the West Bank who can actually get into Jerusalem from doing so.

And Gaza. Well. Gaza was sealed. No Gaza residents – not even UN employee Gazans – were allowed entry or exit between to or from Gaza.

What does it mean?

Why should a whimsical visit by President Bush at the very end of a hellish 8 years bring any hope to the people of Palestine, or, for that matter to the Israelis? Frankly, it doesn’t.

No one here seems to think much of Bush or his buzzer shot whirlwind tour. In fact, as I listened to the men at the UNRWA dispatcher office make small talk what they so fondly called ‘your president’s visit, conversation quickly turned to the slightly misinformed election banter…

“Do you really think that the dark guy can win?”
“What’s his name again?”
“Psh I forget. Wallah he’d be good, man. I don’t think they can do it.”
“Orama? His dad was Muslim, I hope you know. Hussein. No way – the Americans, electing a MUSLIM? Impossible.”
“I think it’s Obamo. You know he’s from Nigeria?”
“Ah, really?”

... and so on.

It’s just all too familiar – peace is possible by the end of my presidency.

What peace?

Will the wall come down by the end of your presidency?
Will the end of your presidency remove all the settlements?
Will the refugees even think about compensation, let alone return, by the end of your presidency?
Will Israel finally say it feels safe by the end of your presidency?
(Will Israel every say it feels safe?)
Will Gaza have a functioning economy by the end of your presidency?

No, no, and no ad infinitum.

So when Israel conveniently threatens to build 300 houses in an illegal settlement, and the Americans so conveniently take a strong stand against it, it’s no wonder that people here barely flinch. They’ve seen this all before, and before that.

It’s safe to say that the people at UNRWA will all be happily employed in two years time with refugees who still need their service. If I’m wrong, well, if I’m you can wrong buy me a cowboy hat and call me Georgie.