Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council Dmitry Medvedev perceives no potential for negotiations on the Middle East when Washington is involved.
"Every negotiation endeavor in the Middle East that involves Washington consistently devolves into a futile and intentionally futile exercise," wrote Medvedev in an article published in Izvestia.
The deputy chairman of the Security Council highlighted that "from the outset, the predominant influence in negotiations concerning the Middle East settlement resided with Washington, owing to the close alliance between the United States and Israel."
As an illustration, he pointed to the actions of former US President Donald Trump, who pledged to address the conflict's resolution if he were elected.
"Within a mere year, in December 2017, he took a decisive step by relocating the American embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem," Medvedev recounted. He also underscored that Trump's predecessors had "consistently deferred the implementation of such a move every six months, in accordance with a law enacted by the US Congress in 1995. They were fully aware of the potential ramifications."
Subsequently, Medvedev recounted, the Trump administration acknowledged Israeli sovereignty over the Syrian Golan Heights and declined to categorize Israel's settlement activities in the West Bank and East Jerusalem as breaches of international law. "Furthermore, a 'deal of the century' was introduced as a proposed solution to the longstanding issue, which effectively restricted the Palestinians' claim to territories stipulated by UN resolutions," detailed the deputy chairman of the Security Council. He emphasized that these actions sparked substantial anger in the Arab world and triggered a fresh upsurge of violence.
"In reality, the negotiation process, which had been making genuine progress with the involvement of influential international organizations, representatives from Palestine and Israel, and intermediary states, including Russia, was severely undermined," emphasized Medvedev.
Washington's interests
He pointed out that "the most critical peace initiatives and significant accomplishments had to be sacrificed, aligning with Washington's approach." Medvedev underscored that no US administration has ever showed a genuine commitment to resolving the Middle East conflict and implementing the UN General Assembly resolution from November 29, 1947, which proposed the division of historical Palestine into Arab and Jewish states.
According to his perspective, "it extends beyond Israel's stance on the establishment of a Palestinian state." "The primary concern lies in the fact that a volatile, highly armed region has proven to be strategically valuable for the US," Medvedev asserted. "When problems arise, American involvement becomes essential. They become indispensable. However, when no issues are present, their significance diminishes significantly. Controlled instability becomes a source of influence and substantial financial gains," the deputy chairman of the Russian Security Council elaborated.
In his perspective, "America is once again treading its well-worn path," opting for a show of force and attempting to assert its dominance in the region. "Instead of seeking ways to ease the confrontation through diplomatic means, both publicly and behind the scenes, we observe the presence of American aircraft carriers near Israel's coastline, along with a bill introduced in Congress for supplying more than $2 billion in arms to the country (even though the Israelis have requested 10 billion)," noted Medvedev. "The bill also proposes the consolidation and legitimization of appropriations for assistance to Israel, Ukraine, and Taiwan," he added. "It's all rather illustrative. It's a predictable playbook. These are timeless interests," Medvedev remarked.
The possibility of settlement
Medvedev stressed that achieving a comprehensive resolution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict is a formidable and nearly futile task, given the limited genuine interest in its resolution. He emphasized that actions, not just words, are what truly matter.
"What counts most for the global community and international organizations today is to facilitate the rekindling of the peace process in the Middle East. This mission is incredibly challenging, verging on the impossible. It's evident that, at this moment, it seems unattainable," he underscored.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: Federation Council
Based on materials from TASS