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 Double standardBecause of its lack of fairness, the US administration will not and cannot be a mediator By Farhad Radmehrian April 12, 2002 The Iranian I have never believed in the US role as a mediator in the current Palestinian-Israeli conflict. The simple reason is that, above all, a mediator must be fair and unbiased. The whole world knows that a whole lot of factors force the US administration to continue its unconditional support of Israel. The result comes across as a blatant and often shameless double standard that is obvious to everyone in the world but the American media outlets. George W. Bush has declared war on countries that pursue weapons of mass destruction, calling them "Evil". He is willing to go to war with Iraq and Iran just because there strong suspicions that these countries are close to owning a nuclear bomb. At the same time, there is no doubt anywhere in the world that Israel possesses a nuclear arsenal. US and European countries have all admitted that Israel has weapons of mass destruction. Israel remains one of the few countries in the Middle East to have refused signing all nuclear non-proliferation treaties. And in a region where America's ally has operational nukes, Iraq is going to be attacked for suspicion of having "programs" that may produce weapons of mass destruction. This is a double standard. When the US government ships billions of dollars worth of arms and ammunition to the Israeli armed forces every year, knowing full well that they will be used to launch aggressions against population centers, it is not viewed as a big problem. But when a fellow Muslim country like Iran "allegedly" ships a few hundred pieces of light weaponry to Palestinian Authority, which is the internationally accepted government of Palestine, it is shunned and reported as an act of terrorism. This is a double standard. Since the incursion of Israeli troops into West Bank towns and villages and the admitted killing of over 500 Palestinians, there has been no specific condemnation of daily killings of Palestinians by the US administration. But when 8 or 12 or 4 Israelis are killed in suicide bombings, there is quick denunciation. This is a double standard. When Saudi Arabia's state television airs a telethon to raise funds for Palestinians who have lost their sole bread winner, and to repair public utilities crushed by Israeli tanks, the US media and government probe the Saudis to know whether or not any of the funds will go to the families of suicide bombers. At the same time no one has asked whether or not the more than 5 billion US dollars that are given to the Israeli government annually are used to buy weapons that are used to kill Palestinians and blow up their homes which result in more anger and frustration and extends the cycle of death and despair for both people. I think we all know the answer to this one; it is a double standard.  When US Secretary of State Colin Powell reaches the
troubled region, his meeting with the leader of the Palestinian people is postponed
because Arafat is not doing what America has asked him to do in renouncing suicide
bombings from his besieged office in Ramallah.But at the same time Mr. Powell shakes hands with Sharon, hugs and kisses him, and repeats US allegiance to him in spite of the fact that the Israeli Prime Minister has not done what the White House has asked him to do: end aggression and stop killing Palestinians and rounding up thousands of young men. This is a double standard. These and many other double standards are why Colin Powell's mission is likely to fail. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict will continue on its tragic course and turn into a regional war. God only knows what will happen after that. Because of its lack of fairness, the US administration will not and cannot be a mediator here and can only make things worse. The mediation and facilitation of any possible peaceful settlement must be left to a joint commission of the European Union and other unbiased members of the United Nations. The members of such a commission must be selected from countries that have not sold arms to Israel or the Palestinians.
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