Trump and Palestine

For decades, much of the world seemed to believe the fairy tale that the United States was a neutral broker, working for a solution to the issues plaguing Palestine and Israel. The U.S. sponsored endless rounds of negotiations, ostensibly looking for an end to these issues.

Before this writer points out the nonsense of that belief, allow him to state two, self-evident (one would think) truths:

(1) No broker is needed. All that is required is for Israel to adhere to international law. This means removing all the illegal settlers, ending the blockade of the Gaza Strip, allowing all Palestinian refugees to return to their homes and stopping the theft of Palestinian natural resources (such as water).

(2) Negotiations, even if they were required, which they certainly are not, can only be successful when each side has something the other side wants, that can only be obtained by surrendering something it has. Israel takes whatever it wants from Palestine with complete impunity; there can be no negotiations between those two parties.

Now, back to the fantasy of the U.S. as a neutral broker.

U.S. President Donald Trump’s record in this area is hardly laudable. First, he moved the U.S. embassy to Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, in violation of international law. This move was condemned by most of the global community in a United Nations General Assembly session shortly after it was made. Palestinians see Jerusalem as the site of their future capital, as does most of the rest of the world.

Second, he put in charge of creating the so-called ‘deal of the century’ his incompetent, Zionist son-in-law, Jared Kushner, who is a personal friend of Israeli Prime Murderer Benjamin Netanyahu, and who has investments in illegal settlements. Neutrality, anyone?

Third, Trump cut of all funding to U.N. agencies that assist Palestinian refugees.

Fourth, he closed the PLO office in Washington, D.C.

All this plays well to his fundamental Christian base, which believes that the Bible should be a guide for governments to operate and, most bizarrely, that God determines who should live where. They also seem to believe that Deity overlooks one group of people treating another abominably; isn’t there something in the Ten Commandments (you remember those old things) about loving one’s neighbor as oneself? The cruel barbarity with which Israelis treat Palestinians doesn’t seem to meet that standard.

Trump’s goal seems to be to make things so difficult for the Palestinians that they will accept any deal, no matter how bad for them, and how one-sided for Israel. By cutting off all funds that in any way assist Palestinians, he will bring them close to starvation. He believes (erroneously) that his determination that Jerusalem is the capital of Israel makes it so.

Yet he is, incredibly, unaware of the resiliency of the Palestinian people. They have undergone over 70 years of oppression by Israel and internationally-sanctioned injustice, and yet the resist. They are deprived of weapons other than stones, but still they stand up for their rights. They bury loved ones, murdered by Israelis; they mourn them, and then return to the streets to resist. They suffer the horror of having homes, mosques, hospitals, schools and media centers bombed, all in violation of international law, and yet they continue to attend school, marry, rear children and resist.

Perhaps Trump’s blatant bias against the Palestinians will induce the rest of the world to act. His overt hostility toward the Palestinians and their basic human rights is on clear display for the entire world to see. Even U.N. Secretary General António Guterres has suggested an armed force as one possibility to protect the Palestinians from Israel. This move, unfortunately, would require U.N. Security Council approval, and the U.S., for reasons that can’t even be imagined, would veto such a resolution. Trump and his cohorts in government would prefer to watch Palestinian blood flow, rather than do anything to stop Israel from spilling it.

There have been some good signs. Paraguay, which followed the U.S.’s illegal lead in moving its embassy to Israel to Jerusalem in May has a new president, who is moving it back to Tel Aviv. In response to the U.S. defunding the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees, eleven countries (Germany, Russia, Switzerland, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Denmark, Kuwait, the Netherlands, Belgium and Ireland) will send their donations early. Germany has promised to significantly increase its funding of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA). All this, coupled with the vote in the U.N. General Assembly that declared Trump’s naming of Jerusalem ‘null and void’ (128 in favor of the resolution; 9 opposed; the remainder either abstaining or absent) indicates that Palestine has not been forgotten.

But this is not enough; the Palestinian people are suffering from decades of oppression, and it is long past time for the international community to invoke international law, name Israel an apartheid nation and isolate it, as was done to South Africa a generation ago. This isolation is being done unofficially, and with increasing success, by individuals through the Boycott, Divest and Sanction (BDS) movement. The nations that still do not officially recognize Palestine must do so; some of them, including Ireland and England, have passed non-binding resolutions to do so. This must now be made into law.

If left to the United States, Palestine will soon be only a note in history books, while Palestinians suffer as second-class citizens in an Israel that doesn’t welcome or accept Arabs or people of African descent. Tolerating this blatant injustice is typical for the United States, which installs brutal dictators to replace democratically-elected, leftist governments, and where citizens of African descent are routinely killed by mainly white police officers. But it isn’t typical of all other nations, and those that work to support equality and human rights at home and abroad must stand up for the Palestinians. History will already judge generations harshly for allowing this brutality, but it can record that, eventually, justice was served.

Originally published on 2018-09-14

Author: Robert Fantina

Source: Counter Punch

Origins of images: Facebook, Twitter, Wikimedia, Wikipedia, Flickr, Google, Imageinjection & Pinterest.

Read our Disclaimer/Legal Statement!

Donate to Support Us

We would like to ask you to consider a small donation to help our team keep working. We accept no advertising and rely only on you, our readers, to keep us digging the truth on history, global politics and international relations.

READ MORE!

Russia’s President Vladimir Putin Honors in Kremlin Afghan Mujahedin Fighters

Six authentic photographs of evidence. Read our Disclaimer/Legal Statement! Donate to Support Us We would like to ask you to consider a small donation to help our team keep working. We accept no advertising and rely only on you, our readers, to keep us digging the truth on history, global politics and international relations.

U.S. is not Ready for the End of War in Syria

It is not a secret that the American government has been supporting terrorist groups during the entire Syrian conflict. One of these days, another fact proving this statement was recorded.On September 20, Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS) militants with their allies launched an offensive on the Syrian Arab Army positions, north-east of Hama city, The National reported.Most likely, the attack of the militants was orchestrated by the U.S. intelligence agencies, which had provided them with the information on the locations and the military strength in the region.It is also reported that the militants' main object was the units of the Russian ...

Ukraine Atrocities: The Illegal Use of White Phosphorous Fire Bombs Against Donetsk Civilians

A report on August 15th from Russian Television alleged that the Ukrainian government that the U.S. installed in February of this year was resorting to internationally banned white phosphorous firebombs in order to help destroy the million people who lived in the now Ukrainian separatist capital of Donetsk. It lands super-hot and starts fires and burns to death almost anyone it touches. The Ukrainian separatists are the residents in Ukraine’s southeast, where Viktor Yanukovych, the Ukrainian President, was elected overwhelmingly by the votes of the people in this region in 2010. They reject the government that Obama installed, and are therefore seeking independence from it. ...

“Islamic State Déjà Vu”

Author’s note: The following article focussing on the jihadist terrorist insurgency in Macedonia was first published by antiwar.com in July 2001, barely two months before the September 11, 2001 attacks on the WTC and the Pentagon. Known and documented, since the Soviet-Afghan war, recruiting Mujahedin (“holy warriors”) to fight covert wars on Washington’s behest had become an integral part of US foreign policy. A report of the US Congress had revealed how the US administration – under advice from the National Security Council headed by Anthony Lake – had “helped turn Bosnia into a militant Islamic base” leading to the recruitment ...

America’s Jews are Driving America’s Wars

I spoke recently at a conference on America’s war party where afterwards an elderly gentleman came up to me and asked, “Why doesn’t anyone ever speak honestly about the six-hundred-pound gorilla in the room? Nobody has mentioned Israel in this conference and we all know it’s American Jews with all their money and power who are supporting every war in the Middle East for Netanyahu? Shouldn’t we start calling them out and not letting them get away with it?” It was a question combined with a comment that I have heard many times before and my answer is always the same: ...

Ukraine’s NATO Referendum is a Vote for War

The massive artillery bombardment of the peoples of the Donbass, that has been raining down shells and fire on them since Christmas, is a war crime of horrific proportions designed to terrorise the people and bring their refusal to be subject to the NATO-installed regime in Kiev to an end. It is also becoming clear that it has a political purpose, which is to increase anti-Russian, pro-NATO propaganda among the Ukrainian people to influence them to vote to join NATO in a referendum, the consequences of which will be dramatic because a vote for NATO will be a vote for ...

Photo Story: Muslim Albanian Islamic State of Kosovostan est. 1999

Photo evidence of Jihadization of Kosovo & Metochia by Muslim Albanians from June 1999 onward. Kosovo after June 1999 when became occupied by NATO troops became the first world's ISIS/ISIL. The EuroChristian culture of the ethnic Serbs is systematically destroyed like today in the Middle East for the reason to create pure Islamic state. At the same time Kosovo & Metochia is becoming overwhelmingly Islamized with ethnic cleansing of all non-Albanians especially of the Christian Serbs. Origins of images: Facebook, Twitter, Wikimedia, Wikipedia, Flickr, Google, Imageinjection & Pinterest. Read our Disclaimer/Legal Statement! Donate to Support Us We would like to ask you to consider a ...

Western Intelligence Operation “Kosovo Liberation Army” Harvested Serbs’ Organs – The EU’s inquiry

An inquiry by the EU has found “compelling indications” that ten Serb captives had their body organs harvested for illegal trafficking during the 1998-99 Kosovo war. However, it wasn’t widespread and there will be no trial, the lead investigator said.The chief prosecutor Clint Williamson, who led the investigation, said there was no evidence of widespread organ harvesting, but that the crime had occurred a number of times.“There are compelling indications that this practice did occur on a very limited scale and that a small number of individuals were killed for the purpose of extracting and trafficking their organs,” he told ...

What America’s Aristocracy Want

The American aristocracy want inequality of rights, with two basic polar-opposite classes: the ‘elite’, with themselves at the top of everything, and everybody else below them, as subjects to be ruled by them, in such ways as they (themselves, and their fellow ‘elite’) can agree to do. They are convinced that they have earned their high status, in one way or another, and they compete ferociously amongst themselves, to rise even higher within the aristocracy.Many of the aristocrats think that they are ‘elite’ because they are the richest; many think instead that the ‘elite’ are the smartest or the most ...

Democrats are Now the Aggressive War Party

The Democratic Party has moved from being what you might call a reluctant war party to an aggressive war party with its selection of Hillary Clinton as its presumptive presidential nominee. With minimal debate, this historic change brings full circle the arc of the party’s anti-war attitudes that began in 1968 and have now ended in 2016. Since the Vietnam War, the Democrats have been viewed as the more peaceful of the two major parties, with the Republicans often attacking Democratic candidates as “soft” regarding use of military force.But former Secretary of State Clinton has made it clear that she is ...

The Ku Klux Klan: America’s Long History of Accepting White Terrorist Organizations

Thursday marked the 150th anniversary of the founding of America’s deadliest terrorist organization: the Klu Klux Klan. Since September 11, extremists associated with various far-right wing ideologies, including the KKK and Jewish extremists, have killed far more people in the United States than extremists motivated by radical Islam. One centuries’ old example of US government double standards when it comes to terrorism, is the infamous Klu Klux Klan. The Klan has terrorized and killed far more Americans than Islamic terrorists ever have; and despite being America’s oldest terrorist organization, the US government does not officially consider the KKK a terrorist organization, classifying ...

Barack Obama, Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton: Who’s the Fascist?

The U.S. public loves fascists; they elect them, constantly. Donald Trump, who “says he would raise the minimum wage and stop the endless efforts at regime change,” is called a fascist by some. But Hillary Clinton “is happy to bomb Libya or Syria or any other country,” and played a major role in mass Black incarceration. Barack Obama is the war-maker and deporter-in-chief. “All of the major party candidates fit the F word description in some way.” “No one comes into office with any intention of undoing America’s leadership as the world’s worst jailer.” Donald Trump is the ill spoken, boorish, graceless ...

Netanyahu, Palestine and Ethnic Cleansing

Well, once again, Israeli Prime Murderer Benjamin Netanyahu astounds. One would think that there must be some limit to the bizarre statements that issue from his mouth, but no, we learn again and again that he is willing to push the bizarreness envelope to places where, like the crew of Star Trek’s Enterprise, no one has ever before ventured. His latest flight of fancy even seems to have astonished his worshipful U.S. government, which characterized his statements as ‘inappropriate and unhelpful’, harsh criticism indeed from that bastion of Israeli love. And what is it that Mr. Netanyahu has said? This writer ...

Serbia’s Sovereignty as a Nation State: Serbia does not need a ‘Dialogue’ on Kosovo

“Now that the global circumstances have changed, and when the United States and NATO are losing their influence, and while the powers that are in favor of preserving Kosovo and Metohija – such as Russia and China – are strengthening, we are nevertheless pursuing a policy of complete surrender.” The aim of the internal dialogue conducted by the Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, should be to distribute responsibilities and to be the cover for the final surrender of Kosovo and Metohija. The government constantly assures us that it will never recognize Kosovo as an independent State, but here we must point out the ...

“Greater Israel”: The Zionist Plan for the Middle East

This article was published on Global Research April 29, 2013. Global Research Editor’s Note: The following document pertaining to the formation of “Greater Israel” constitutes the cornerstone of powerful Zionist factions within the current Netanyahu government (which has recently been re-elected), the Likud party, as well as within the Israeli military and intelligence establishment. The election was fought by Netanyahu on a political platform which denies Palestinian statehood. According to the founding father of Zionism Theodore Herzl, “the area of the Jewish State stretches: “From the Brook of Egypt to the Euphrates.” According to Rabbi Fischmann, “The Promised Land extends from the River of Egypt ...

NATO 70 Years Old… Still Vigorous in Aggression

When the North Atlantic Treaty Organization was created 70 years ago in 1949 it was formed as a blatant military instrument for waging the Cold War, a war that the US, Britain and other European allies had newly embarked on. NATO’s public relations cant about “peace and security” is but Orwellian rhetoric.The supposed allies of the Soviet Union hastily went from an ostensible joint purpose of defeating Nazi Germany during the Second World War to initiating hostility towards Moscow. Already in 1946, British war-time leader Winston Churchill was fulminating about “an Iron Curtain” descending across Europe, in language adapted from ...

A Contribution to Biography (C.V.) of Philanthropist George Soros

Many conspiracy theories have been created about Hungarian-American financier and philanthropist George Soros since his rise to economic wealth. Many of them deal with the intersection between his political beliefs and his financial wealth. However, here we present a real truth on who was and is George Soros. What is missing from official George Soros' C.V. by © “Free Media Group” 2017. © “Free Media Group” 2017 Read our Disclaimer/Legal Statement! Donate to Support Us We would like to ask you to consider a small donation to help our team keep working. We accept no advertising and rely only on you, our readers, ...

Is it an Empire? See the Facts

Read our Disclaimer/Legal Statement! Donate to Support Us We would like to ask you to consider a small donation to help our team keep working. We accept no advertising and rely only on you, our readers, to keep us digging the truth on history, global politics and international relations. Save Save

Luring Trump into Mideast Wars

Donald Trump entered military terra incognita on Thursday by launching an illegal Tomahawk missile strike on an air base in eastern Syria. Beyond the clear violation of international law, the practical results are likely to be disastrous, drawing the U.S. deeper into the Syrian quagmire. But it would be a mistake to focus all the criticism on Trump. Not only are Democrats also at fault, but a good argument could be made that they bear even greater responsibility. For years, near-total unanimity has reigned on Capitol Hill concerning America’s latest villains du jour, Russia’s Vladimir Putin and Syria’s Bashar al-Assad. Congressmen, senators, ...

Israeli Historians’ New Study Claims 30-year Genocide against Anatolian Christians

The Christian population that had made up one fifth of the Ottoman Empire’s population was wiped out in waves of violence by successive Ottoman and Turkish republican governments that left Christians a tiny minority in Anatolia, two Israeli scholars have said in a new study.The controversy over the killings of the Armenian Christian minority living in Anatolia during the last days of the Ottoman Empire is already well known – while the majority of the scholarly community and many international states recognise the killings as genocide, Turkey accepts that killings took place but rejects they constituted a genocide.Israeli historians Benny ...