"Neutral" Lula and his dour friend. Source: Google Images
The Rising Powers blog has devoted some time in recent days to the diplomatic flap over Israel’s embarrassment of US Veep Joe Biden with the announcement of East Jerusalem settlements. See recent posts here and here. To update you, President Lula of Brazil, the one-time labor union firebrand who has united his country of extreme riches and extreme poverty like no one before, is going to take a crack at bringing people together in the Middle East. Where President Obama has been unable to bridge the gaps in the region, Lula has called on “someone with neutrality” to take a shot. Eh-hem, is that someone Brazilian? The two-term President of Latin America’s largest economy and member of the exclusive club called BRIC will journey to Iran in May to offer some Brazilian optimism to Ahmadinejad and Khamenei, aka Dour and Dourer. I wish Lula well. As a long-time Brazil analyst, I applaud this man’s every effort. A supremely positive force for the planet, unless you’re trying to protect the Brazilian rainforest.
In other post Biden news, a Maariv columnist was quoted in the NY Times on the subject, saying that Netanyahu is trying to placate both right-wingers in his coalition and the American ally, and thus finds himself dancing at two weddings; where will he be when the music stops? Nicely put!
And, the Biden flap has not slowed the Netanyahu government’s efforts to kill or capture Hamas military commanders and other killers, with the capture today by Israeli forces operating in Ramallah of Hamas terror mastermind, Maher U’dda. Would that the PA would nab these guys, right?
Finally, Hillary is slated to speak at the annual AIPAC Policy Conference which begins this coming Sunday in Washington. What will she tell America’s nefarious Israel lobby, so successful yet so vilified by Walt & Mearsheimer and many others?
Hopefully, all the drama will move, however slowly, in the direction of peace…and fairness.
Image: “Neutral” Lula and his dour friend. Source: Google Images.
