BRITAIN

BRITAIN

The Independent, London, June 10: The voters of the Republic of Ireland have just demonstrated that they have had enough of their government and want rid of it. This week they had three types of contest - one for Europe, another for local councils. ... In each, the once-mighty Fianna Fail party, which has dominated Irish politics for more than half a century, was not only rejected but humiliated.

This outcome looks not like some temporary setback but the beginning of a new era in Irish politics. This is partly because Fianna Fail’s plunge was so dramatic and partly because no improvement in the dire economic situation is forecast for many years. The Irish public believes, rightly, that the country is among those hardest hit by the international recession, and for this it particularly blames the government. This is partly because Fianna Fail-led administrations were economically reckless during the boom years, and partly because the government seemed to go into shock when the crash came.

Bleak future

When it regained some composure, which took months, it had to convey the message that things were dire, and the future is bleak. It has already put taxes up and has been obliged to make it clear that more taxes and many cuts lie ahead. An entire nation has thus had to abandon many of its hopes and aspirations for improvement. “Palpable anger” was reported from the doorsteps.

It has not helped that prime minister Brian Cowen’s default facial expression is one of disconsolate brooding. He can often seem even more morose than Gordon Brown. In the campaign he inspired neither his own party workers nor the electorate at large.

Fianna Fail knows that an election any time soon would lead to a crushing defeat. But it also knows that it is in very deep trouble, and that Mr. Cowen does not seem capable of staging a political recovery. It will therefore come as a surprise if, in a year’s time, he is still prime minister.

EGYPT

Egyptian Gazette, Cairo, June 10: In 1995,a law was passed to move the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to occupied Jerusalem, but every U.S. president since then has postponed implementing this law, without explaining why. President Barack Obama’s recent decision to delay the transfer of the U.S. Embassy for another six months is seen by some analysts as a new slap in the face for the Israeli government, because it came shortly after his impressive speech to the Muslim world and because the Palestinians and Israel have yet to reach a final agreement over the Holy City. In other words, Obama is telling the far-rightist Israeli government that the topic of Jerusalem still needs to be debated at the final settlement stage and there shouldn’t be any attempt to enforce a de facto state on the city.

Occupied territory

Though Israel announced Western Jerusalem as its capital in 1950 then occupied the eastern part of the city in 1967, the world community does not recognize this merger of the eastern part of Jerusalem into Israel and continues to refer to it as an occupied Palestinian territory. In his Cairo speech, Obama emphasized that Jerusalem should be a secure, lasting home for all children of Abraham, Jews, Christians and Muslims, thereby defusing the Israeli request of having it as its eternal capital. ... Peace advocates across the world keep their fingers crossed that new-found optimism will be substantiated on the ground.