George W is going to solve the Palestinian problem

I know George W is sincere when he calls for democracy in the Middle East. You only have to look at his friends to realise that.

There’s the dictatorship that runs Saudi Arabia. There’s the dictatorship that runs Jordan. There’s the dictatorship that runs Egypt. There’s the dictatorship that runs Kuwait.

And then there are the actions of the US in supporting democracy in the Middle East.

In 1953 the CIA overthrew the democratically elected Mossadeq Government in Iran. Mossadeq's crime had been to nationalise the oil industry for the benefit of the Iranian people. The coup re-instated the Shah. Twenty-five years later workers swept the Shah away only to see the Ayatollahs steal their revolution.

In 1992 the Islamic Salvation Front was going to sweep into power in the second round of elections in Algeria. The Army annulled the elections and has ruled with US and European support ever since. Thirty-thousand have died in the civil war that resulted from this denial of democracy.

Then in 2006 Hamas won an overwhelming majority in the Palestinian elections. The West cut off aid. It has supported the minority Fatah Government and isolated the Gaza strip where Hamas is still in control.

The lesson is clear. When it comes to a clash between US interests and democracy, democracy takes a back seat.

Now George W - the most powerful fool in the world - is going to solve the Palestinian problem! This man is truly a legend in his own lunchtime.

And what is his solution, apart from unqualified support for Israel? Give some blood money to Palestinians driven from their land. And mouth platitudes about a two-state solution.

Two states for two peoples has a superficial appeal. It won’t work because it doesn’t address the fundamental concerns and rights of the Palestinians. Any peace deal would give at best 20 per cent of the pre-1948 Palestine to the Palestinians.

The UN supported the two-state solution. This was the Europeans’ way of exporting their genocidal guilt to a far away place. It was also an opportunity for the US to dominate the Middle East through its three pillars or would-be pillars - Israel, Saudi Arabia and Iran.

The UN creation of Israel ignored the fact that the Palestinians lived there.