Politics

Culture & art

Nobel Peace Prize

starts from New York
By Jihad Makdissi
London

From frosty London I was watching on TV the presti-

gious ceremony of the Nobel Peace Prize in Norway. This
controversial Nobel Peace Prize granted to Barack Obama
on the basis of good intention stirred mixed reactions on the global scene
with many saying the time was not ripe for the US president to receive such
a high-profile award.
Obama collected his prize shortly in order to achieve the long waited that the failure of Obama’s policies
following his decision to increase just and comprehensive peace in will bring back pro-Israeli hawks
the number of the US troops in Af- our region. to re-engineer American strategies.
ghanistan by 30,000, and after de- Yes we heard President Obama Nevertheless the American Presi-
laying the closure of the notorious talking about “engagement” and dent should remain faithful to the
prison of Guantanamo, and on top we encouraged him to engage with ideals of his electoral campaign and
of that, peace in the Middle East has the positive players in the region, remember that America is in great
never been so far off. namely those like Syria who believe need of a modern Founding Father,
Obama’s winning of the award in honorable and genuine peace, not just another President.
met the worst reaction in the UK based on international legitimacy By any measure, Israel has become

‘‘
with 60 percent of Britons criti- a strategic burden on the
cal of his achievement, with shoulder of every US presi-
many media commentators de- Noble Prize… clearly dent. Every American Presi-
scribing the annual Prize as a condemns the Bush era more dent should know deep in his
political one rather than one for
actual peacemaking. Everyone
than commending Obama’s
‘‘ heart that “with great power
comes great responsibilities”
seemed to be missing the fact achievements and definitely the continuous
that Obama didn’t campaign to blind support for intransigent
win the Prize and he himself Israeli policies will antago-
has openly admitted shock having and not the principle of “might nize Arab and Muslim nations more
received the award. makes right.” and more, impacting negatively on
As a diplomat I hate to be pessi- When all is said, I have to say that American interests in the region.
mistic because my job is to point “engaging” in the political dictionary President Obama does not need to
out the bright side and the only means looking for common ground fly all the way to Norway to look for
bright side regarding this Prize that to achieve foreign policy objectives peace. He can simply ask his perma-
it clearly condemns the Bush era and national interests. These pillars nent representative to the United
more than commending Obama’s of Syria’s foreign policy as set by HE Nations in New York to fax him all
achievements. President Bashar al-Assad will con- the relevant UN resolutions that will
The Obama administration an- tinue to be the basis for any success- – if he pressed Israel to implement
nounced that they are reviewing ful engagement aiming at achieving them – grant Obama a place in his-
former US policies towards the re- peace in the Middle East. tory far bigger and more prestigious
gion. We heard numerous positive We are certainly aware of the pres- than that of a premature Nobel
statements and I would be revealing sures to which President Obama is Peace Prize.
no secret to say that the Arab world subjected from Israeli lobbyists,
received such statements with cau- congressmen and the residue of the Jihad Makdissi is the spokesman for the
tious optimism, but people are still defunct Bush administration in the Syrian Embassy in London. For comments
waiting for action on the ground State Department. It knows as well he can be contacted at Makdissi@gmail.com

34 January 2010