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Racism at Annapolis

The Washington Post is the only major newspaper that reported on this disturbing exchange at Annapolis last week. During a closed-door session among foreign ministers and diplomats the day after the summit, Israel’s Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni reportedly asked the Arabs attending the conference, “Why doesn’t anyone want to shake my hand? Why doesn’t anyone want to be seen speaking to me?” The Post quoted a Dutch diplomat who heard the remarks as saying, “They shun her like she is Count Dracula’s younger sister.”

On Friday, Caroline Glick wrote in her column for the Jerusalem Post,

This week the Bush administration legitimized Arab anti-Semitism. In an effort to please the Saudis and their Arab brothers, the Bush administration agreed to physically separate the Jews from the Arabs at the Annapolis conference in a manner that aligns with the apartheid policies of the Arab world which prohibit Israelis from setting foot on Arab soil.
Evident everywhere, the discrimination against Israel received its starkest expression at the main assembly of the Annapolis conference on Tuesday. There, in accordance with Saudi demands, the Americans prohibited Israeli representatives from entering the hall through the same door as the Arabs.
… It is true that Israel has security concerns, but as far as Rice is concerned, the Palestinians are the innocent victims. They are the ones who are discriminated against and humiliated, not Livni, who was forced—by Rice—to enter the conference through the service entrance.

One wonders if this development might have received more widespread coverage had the Arabs been made to enter the hall through the service entrance—or if Secretary Rice had.

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The recent Annapolis Conference is a case in point. I asked a very knowledgeable friend in Israel if the Hebrew Media actually reported what went on. When I mentioned a few incidents known in America, I was told that, either it was not mentioned in Israel’s Hebrew Media or, if it was, it was positioned in a few lines of commentary and in language stilted to trivialize the event.

For example, the Saudi King Faisal stated plainly that he would NOT shake the hand of the Israeli Prime Minister or Foreign Minister. (That was the position of Hafez al Assad (former President of Syria) wherein he too stated that he would rather cut off his hand than shake the hand of Jews.) During the opening ceremonies the Saudi King stated that he would not go through the same main entrance, IF the Jewish delegation also was allowed to enter through that main passage. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice accommodated the Saudis by having the Israelis enter through a service door, otherwise used by servants.

To the shame of Olmert, he accepted the Rice-Saudi insult and entered as a servant or known in Arabic as a "Dhimmi" or lowly person. This was NOT reported in the Hebrew Media.

In a news editorial in the prestigious Wall St. Journal (1), an editorial was printed entitled "The Saudis New PR Man" by Dan Senor, a well known foreign policy advisor to the Bush Administration. (He is no longer in that position.) We are informed by Senor that Olmert lobbied presidential candidates and members of Congress that their skepticism about the possibility of Annapolis succeeding was misplaced. (He became the "pitchman" for Rice, Bush, the Saudis and thus, the title of "The Saudis’ New PR Man". We are further informed by Senor that the Israeli Press Corps was kicked outside during a press event wherein, under Rice Protocol, the Arab League foreign ministers were to be interviewed by the Press Corps which presumably included all the American and European Media. The Israeli Press Corps were made to stand outside in the rain to cover the story as best they could. Although, no doubt, the Israeli journalist reported this grossly unpardonable insult, the Hebrew Media in Israel chose not to inform the Israeli public.