We are in a small, cavelike, candlelit room. Somewhere underground. A blazing fire burns brightly in the hearth. The walls are lined with oil paint portraits of Boutros Boutros Ghali, Kofi Annan and Ban Ki-Moon. Peacocks strut across the floor.
In the center of the room is a long marble table. Along the edges of the table sit 15 be-suited men and women. 14 of these are perched on the edge of their graceful, tall-backed, black leather chairs. They are all staring at the slender American man sitting between the short Frenchman and fidgety Brit. Before him is a piece of paper with nine scrawling signatures.
The American is sweating profusely. Obama can barely hold the large rubber stamp in his hand, dripping with red ink, that reads VETO. He looks at the paper. He looks around the table. Many are slowly shaking their heads, others are glaring. A few begin shifting in their seats and avoiding his eyes altogether.
Someone behind Obama clears his throat and he jerks his head around. Netanyahu is leaning against the wall with a grin on his face. He nods his head and salutes Obama with a sip of cognac. Obama turns back around. Directly in front of him stands Abu Mazen. Both of his eyes are shut tight, his shoulders tensed and his fingers are tightly crossed.
Obama looks back to the paper. "UNITED STATES______________"
The clock ticks.
The glass in Bibi's glass clinks.
Obama takes a deep breath. "Oh, fuck this." The veto stamp falls to the floor, and before you can say, "Screw you, AIPAC" he whips out a white feather quill and signs his name to the sheet.
**The short story you have just read is a work of fiction. Obama has not redeemed himself in the eyes of the world and I'll bet large amounts of shekels that he is not going to. When it comes to being a mediator in this conflict, the US is down for the count.**
Meanwhile, the atmosphere here has been mixed. Most big cities had a festival attitude with concerts and Palestinian flags draped over everything. Flashpoints have been more chaotic and violent. You can check out my friend and roommate, Brendan's blog for a full account of how the 15 year old boy demonstrating next to him at Qalandia checkpoint on Wednesday lost an eye. Another man was killed on Friday by the IDF in Nablus and many more have been injured.
But overall, people are pleased. Popular opinion is that Abu Mazen knocked it out of the park on Friday. Multiple standing ovations for the chairman of the PLO and a half empty hall for Netanyahu makes for a strong statement.
In the center of the room is a long marble table. Along the edges of the table sit 15 be-suited men and women. 14 of these are perched on the edge of their graceful, tall-backed, black leather chairs. They are all staring at the slender American man sitting between the short Frenchman and fidgety Brit. Before him is a piece of paper with nine scrawling signatures.
The American is sweating profusely. Obama can barely hold the large rubber stamp in his hand, dripping with red ink, that reads VETO. He looks at the paper. He looks around the table. Many are slowly shaking their heads, others are glaring. A few begin shifting in their seats and avoiding his eyes altogether.
Someone behind Obama clears his throat and he jerks his head around. Netanyahu is leaning against the wall with a grin on his face. He nods his head and salutes Obama with a sip of cognac. Obama turns back around. Directly in front of him stands Abu Mazen. Both of his eyes are shut tight, his shoulders tensed and his fingers are tightly crossed.
Obama looks back to the paper. "UNITED STATES______________"
The clock ticks.
The glass in Bibi's glass clinks.
Obama takes a deep breath. "Oh, fuck this." The veto stamp falls to the floor, and before you can say, "Screw you, AIPAC" he whips out a white feather quill and signs his name to the sheet.
**The short story you have just read is a work of fiction. Obama has not redeemed himself in the eyes of the world and I'll bet large amounts of shekels that he is not going to. When it comes to being a mediator in this conflict, the US is down for the count.**
Meanwhile, the atmosphere here has been mixed. Most big cities had a festival attitude with concerts and Palestinian flags draped over everything. Flashpoints have been more chaotic and violent. You can check out my friend and roommate, Brendan's blog for a full account of how the 15 year old boy demonstrating next to him at Qalandia checkpoint on Wednesday lost an eye. Another man was killed on Friday by the IDF in Nablus and many more have been injured.
But overall, people are pleased. Popular opinion is that Abu Mazen knocked it out of the park on Friday. Multiple standing ovations for the chairman of the PLO and a half empty hall for Netanyahu makes for a strong statement.
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