Wild Card – last chapter: Bibi and Obama pave the way for one-state solution

Ami Kaufman By Ami Kaufman September 18, 2011 | Edit

SAVE THE DATE: September 23, 2011. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will give his “truth” speech at the UN General Assembly. The “truth” will actually be the annihilation of a two-state solution, and thus with it, the end of Zionism

In October 2010 I started writing the “Wild card” campaign. To make a long story short, it was an effort to convince people of the need for  the U.S. to support a unilateral declaration of independence at the UN. The reasoning behind the campaign was that a unilateral declaration would not immediately bring about a Palestinian state, but that American support of this move would level the playing field of the conflict.

A lot of people thought it was premature. They thought it would either never reach the UN to begin with, or that it was not a significant event anyway – it would just be like the declaration in 1988. A lackluster event.

I’m glad I trusted my instincts and stuck with it. It reached the UN, all right. And it’s certainly not going to be lackluster – despite not knowing for sure yet what the repercussions might be.

But more importantly, I have to accept my defeat. The campaign failed. In the upcoming days, America and Israel will shame themselves in ways that will send shivers down the spines of many. It’s going to be hard to watch.

President Barack Obama, together with his angry-little-chihuahua-who-for-some-reason-thinks-he’s-a-great-dane, Benjamin Netanyahu, will in fact bring the two-state-solution to an end this week.

Obama, despite the fact that he supports a Palestinian state, and despite the fact that his country believes settlements are illegal, will veto the Palestinian bid if he already doesn’t have enough UNSC members on his side to oppose the vote and spare him some extra embarrassment (as if his whole Mideast policy isn’t an embarrassment to begin with).

And what cracks me up is that AIPAC, the people who hold U.S. presidents in a vice term after term, actually think they’re saving Israel when they’re doing exactly the opposite.

And Bibi? Ah, Bibi will do what he does best: Nothing. Nothing but talk.

I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I’m happy Bibi decided to speak at the UN on Friday. I’m glad that he will be there, probably just as Shabbat is entering in Israel, to take responsibility for the end of Zionism. This Friday, during that speech, without even knowing the exact words he’ll use, Bibi will give the final push that forces Israelis and Palestinians into a one-state solution – whether they like it or not.

We’ll have to give up on a lot of stuff. The flag, the Tikva, probably the supremacy (darn, I was so used to being favored for decades) and maybe just a few more “things”.

But at least we’ll know who to blame, and when. Bibi, September 23, 2011. Erev Shabbat.

Many homes in Israel will be saying Kiddush at that time. But I just might take out my prayer book and say Kaddish. On Zionism.

Oh well. I gave it a shot, right?

Ami Kaufman

Ami Kaufman was chief night editor for Haaretz, for the prominent Israeli financial daily Calcalist, and correspondent on Israeli affairs for 93.6 RAM FM, a joint Palestinian-Israel radio station. His interest in food and cooking led to culinary studies at the "Israeli CIA" (Tadmor, Herzliya) and a brief stint in the restaurant business. Born in Tel Aviv, Ami lives in Bat Yam with his wife and two daughters. In his spare time he blogs at Half & Half.

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