The recent brutal Israeli attacks on Palestinians have outraged the world again. With more than 400 civilians killed and a humanitarian crisis imminent for the Gaza population of 1.5 million, these attacks are regarded as one of the worst crises in modern history.
As usual, the anger of the world holds no real meaning nor has changed the behavior of the Israeli regime. Israeli defense minister Ehud Barak even said in an interview with CNN that the attacks may expand and continue for a long period.
As a matter of fact, there is nothing new about this kind of state of play. Israel will never listen to the urges (let alone the angry calls) of any part of the world. The only country they may listen to is the United States (which is why the U.S. is sometimes referred to as Israel's "big brother").
Unfortunately, the U.S. standpoint toward Israel in recent years has not been encouraging for the rest of the world. Responding to Israel's air strikes, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations in New York merely asked Israel to avoid civilian casualties. He might as well have said, "Go ahead with your attacks but, please, do not kill civilians."
With this kind of "instruction," surely Israel could answer that those civilian casualties were merely collateral damage. Again, this kind of behavior is nothing new.
One of the hopes the world may still posses lies with U.S. president-elect Barack Obama who will take the oath in few days time. Everyone in the U.S. knows that Obama has promised "change". He even used this word as the main theme in his campaign strategy -- and it worked.
What everyone knows also is that Obama not only won support in the U.S., but throughout the rest of the world as well. It cannot be denied that the world is very enthusiastic about him. Obama's fans around the globe are multiplying voluntarily.
And it's not as if the world's enthusiasm toward Obama has no meaning. The Africans do not love Obama just because of his lineage. The Asians do not like Obama just because he spent part of his youth in Indonesia. Middle-Eastern people do not hang their hopes on Obama just because his grandfather was a Muslim. But they clearly expect something different from Obama, that has not been available in previous U.S. administrations. They want a real "change" in the U.S. behavior towards the rest of the world.
In this context, what the world hopes for in the Obama administration is a change of U.S. foreign policy. The real expected change is its foreign policy towards the Middle East, particularly concerning the Israeli-Palestinian conflicts that have been going on for decades.
To make things clearer, what the world hopes for is a change in the U.S. standpoint towards Israel. For decades, history has shown that the United States has treated Israel as a "golden boy".
This kind of behavior sends out strong signs that the United States is one-sided in facing the Israeli-Palestinian conflicts. In other words, the U.S. is never fair and always side-lines the interests of Palestinians in defending their land and independence.
Because of this standpoint, the rest of the world has got a very poor impression of president George W. Bush. And, consequently, its impression of the United States has also been downgraded. A number of readings show this unfortunate situation. (For example, see Does the World Hate the United States? by Andrea C. Nakaya.)
One of the main ways the United States could improve its international image is by changing its standpoint towards the Israeli-Palestinian conflicts. This rests now in Obama's hands. If he chooses to follow in the footsteps of his predecessors, his image and the United States' will continue to slump.
To this end, there is no option but for Obama to make a real "change" to U.S. foreign policy. The question is, what kind of changes must Obama make? What options does he have to end the crisis in the Middle East?
Obama undoubtedly knows the answer. He has true experts advising him in what to or not to do. It is therefore not a matter of answers or options, but willingness and courage in making the right and ultimate decision: To be fair.
Obama can indeed make changes in the Middle East conflicts. It is now his time to make real and necessary history.
And in doing so, surely the U.S. and its people would be respected by the world as it used to be. Your country and the world is counting on you, president Obama.
The writer is an alumnus of Oxford University and the first secretary, Permanent Mission of the Republic of Indonesia to the UN, WTO & Other International Organizations in Geneva. The above is his personal opinion.
