Israeli Tail Wags the United States Dog

Israeli tail wags US dog

Fawaz A. Gerges

May 23, 2021 02:13

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People attend a protest in support of Palestine in Queens in New York on May 22, 2021. (AFP / Kena Betancur)

People attend a protest in support of Palestine in Queens in New York on May 22, 2021. (AFP / Kena Betancur)

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Given the asymmetry of power between the two, one would expect the US, which furnishes Israel with $3.8 billion a year in military aid, to set the ground rules for their relations. Yet in Israel’s case, the reverse is true — it is the tail that wags the dog.

Since the 1980s, the US foreign-policy consensus has been that Israel knows best how to preserve its security, and that unequivocal US support, not pressure, would induce it to take the risks necessary for peace. Yet far from giving the US leverage over Israel or advancing the prospects of peace, this approach has ultimately been detrimental to both countries.

Benjamin Netanyahu knows all too well how to influence US politics, particularly when violent conflict erupts. He has long exploited the fact that the US inevitably reiterates Israel’s “right to self-defense” without taking into account Israeli leaders’ responsibility for triggering a crisis. US officials, regardless of party affiliation, have tended to shy away from acknowledging Netanyahu’s direct role in sabotaging reconciliation between Palestinians and Israelis, disenfranchising Palestinian citizens of Israel, and empowering his country’s most extremist and xenophobic forces.

Clearly, Biden belongs to the generation of US officials who cling to the hoary vision of Israel as a shining democracy in a sea of Arab autocracy. They are willfully oblivious to evidence of Israeli authorities’ systemic abuses and crimes in the occupied Palestinian territories and within Israel.

Fawaz A. Gerges

Biden’s stance in the most recent conflict amounted to a green light for Israel to continue its military campaign for as long as it wished. Three times the US blocked UN Security Council statements calling for an immediate cease-fire, leading UN diplomats to conclude that the Biden administration wanted to keep that body silent. Moreover, as the violence in Gaza was intensifying it emerged that Biden had approved the sale of $735 million in weapons to Israel, raising red flags for House Democrats who have been calling on the administration to take a more active role in addressing the root causes of the conflict.

Clearly, Biden belongs to the generation of US officials who cling to the hoary vision of Israel as a shining democracy in a sea of Arab autocracy. They are willfully oblivious to evidence of Israeli authorities’ systemic abuses and crimes in the occupied Palestinian territories and within Israel. The Israeli human rights group, B’Tselem and Human Rights Watch make a compelling case that Israel is now an apartheid state, not a democracy.

Nevertheless, the US political landscape is gradually changing. One of the vanguards of this growing movement is Senator Bernie Sanders, who commands a significant share of support within the Democratic base. Equally promising, American Jews are increasingly skeptical of Netanyahu. A recent Pew Research Center survey finds that only 34 percent strongly opposed sanctions and punitive measures against Israel. Contrary to what the Likud-dominated lobby would have America believe, American Jews are not a monolith. Young American Jews, in particular, are highly critical of Israel’s colonial and aggressive policies.

However, it will probably take a generational shift in US foreign policy circles to bring the pendulum back to the middle on Israel and Palestine. Until then, the tail will continue to wag the dog, ruling out a durable, sustainable, and just peace in the Middle East.

Fawaz A. Gerges is Professor of International Relations and Middle Eastern Politics at the London School of Economics. ©Project Syndicate 2021

Disclaimer: Views expressed by writers in this section are their own and do not necessarily reflect Arab News' point of view

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Hell on Earth… And the Time of Monsters: Can a New World Be Born?

May 26, 2024 By amarynth In Inspiration 3 Comments

The big and NAKED question that will go down in the history books is: Why was the Rest of the World unable to stop the Gaza Genocide?

By Nora Hoppe at Al Mayadeen.

As I write, part of Rafah is being engulfed in an infernal blaze… If Hieronymous Bosch were alive and at work today, how would he portray “Hell” in view of what is happening in Gaza? And if he did, would his painting do justice to this reality?


Rafah was the last remaining area of the Gaza strip that had not yet been destroyed by the Zionist entity. Many countries appealed to the entity not to attack Rafah – to no avail. Because the entity heeds no one and nothing, respects no one and nothing and is above everyone and everything. It is a thing unto itself. An aberration.

What began as a proliferating western colonial outpost by calculation, metastasized into a killing machine… that is now even expediting its own demise (though not fast enough). As Norman Finkelstein put it in this extraordinary interview:

“‘Israel’ has now reached a lunatic place where the survival of, not just the regions, but the planet is at stake.”

The big and NAKED question that will go down in the history books (if humanity survives the plans of the Zionist entity) is:
Why was the Rest of the World unable to stop the genocide?

One can already exclude the “West” (the Anglophone world and Europe) from this question, as it is and has been the engine of this monstrosity; this settler outpost of theirs epitomises the very essence of the contemporary western world – its morals, its principles, its goals… It signifies the apex of 500 years of greed, hypocrisy, hubris, exploitation, plundering, racism, colonialism, genocide.


And the Rest of the World?

The Palestinians themselves have been fighting for their very lives ever since the creation of “the State of Israel”; despite the countless deaths and unspeakable suffering, their spirit continues to endure. Yemen is now deeply engaged in this battle and sees it as their shared struggle. The entire Axis of Resistance in West Asia is doing what it can to counter the Zionist crimes. The Iranian retaliation has increased the morale of the Palestinians and of the Axis of Resistance and changed the paradigm in West Asia. South Africa has been trying to do what it can with its case at the International Court of Justice and continues to seek additional punitive actions. Colombia has severed ties with Israel and Nicaragua has accused Germany of aiding and abetting genocide at the ICJ. Russia – alongside of its battle against nazism in “the other war” in Ukraine – is spearheading the creation of a Multipolar World; and both Russia and China are condemning the genocide, along with many other nations. 143 UN member states out of 193 voted to recognise Palestinian statehood… All over the world university students and other young people have finally begun to protest the genocide…

The Global Majority – 88% of the planet – is in opposition against the minority – the Empire and the vassals in Europe – that is directly and indirectly supporting and even legitimising the genocide.

And yet… the massacres continue.

Certainly one can seek to justify this failure on the part of the Global Majority – 88% of the planet – to end the genocide by saying:

“it’s complicated”, “it’s not OUR war; we are dealing with our own conflicts and threats to our nations”, “the Zionists have nuclear weapons and will use them on us when cornered”, “we cannot escalate it to WWIII”, “the people at the top of the world economy are Zionists”, “we don’t have the international legal structures to get directly involved”, “we have to think of the economic consequences”, “the Zionist entity is wearing itself out and doing itself in, we just have to be patient”, “it will take time to create a new and fairer UN”, “we must wait for a ‘new world order’ in order to – …”

And… so… the massacres continue.

At one point in the future – if the planet still exists – either, as the Zionist plan foresees, all or most of the Palestinians will have been massacred and the rest expulsed… OR… the Zionist military and the Zionist society will have worn themselves out through the strategy of attrition employed by the Axis of Resistance and through the spirit of endurance of the Palestinians themselves (which they will have paid for with an incalculably heavy price). In the latter case, this triumph will be theirs – and theirs alone! The “Rest of the World”, myself included, will have to live with a scar on its conscience.


In the meantime…

Now, at every single moment, innocent people are dying atrocious deaths. Sure, for now they are… “just Palestinians”.

Those who do not realise that this a war against all of us, a War against Humanity, a struggle between ethical responsibility and barbarism… are deluding themselves and are ultimately impeding solutions. The Genocide in Gaza is only the “tip” of a larger agenda. We must not forget that the Zionist entity is but a colonial outpost – or to put it in a more contemporary formulation: “the aircraft carrier of the Empire in West Asia“. (And, as I wrote in an earlier essay, this colonialist “entity” is now showing itself as a fateful curse for people of the Jewish faith, as well.)

These days there are discussions between Netanyahu and Biden over Rafah being a “red line” – but these are simply theatrics for the façade. Twelve US Republican senators are reported to have threatened members of the International Criminal Court with “severe sanctions” if arrest warrants were issued against the likes of Netanyahu, Gallant, and Israeli occupation forces (IOF) Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi for war crimes – which would be interpreted “not only as a threat to Israel’s sovereignty but to the sovereignty of the United States”. The idea of the Zionist entity commanding the Empire is absurd and, as usual, a deflection from the real powers of the Empire.

We will not be able to proceed with a birth of a New World without coming to grips with this “entire agenda”… and without comprehending all that is involved in the choice between ethical responsibility and barbarism.

So… how can we now speak sincerely of “the Future of Humanity”?

How can we now speak even pragmatically of “a future Multipolar World” – a more equitable world of diverse, free and sovereign nations… when the single most urgent and essential question regarding our humanity cannot only not be dealt with but cannot even be formulated in an official manner?

As we hopefully pass from a decaying unipolar world and begin to build a new, Multipolar World, the question arises as to what place our humanity and empathy will have in this. Do we have a common purpose? What are our philosophical and spiritual resources? What are our highest values and how do we enshrine them in our societies? And… what is the role of culture today?

When – at a certain point when we have all survived – the Palestinians and the Axis of Resistance will have triumphed in their struggles, it is THEY who will have the most important lessons for the world.

And hopefully we can all learn from them… not only on how to avoid future genocides and the descent into barbarism but how to focus more on humanity.

De-dollarisation is vital but not enough… de-colonisation is also necessary

Minds have been colonised. All over the world. For a Multipolar World of truly sovereign nations to be born it will have to discard the last vestiges of racism, colonialism, neoliberalism, technophilia and cultural destruction with which it allowed itself to become infected by the colonisers and infiltrators of the modern West.

For a start… can such noble organisations as BRICS+ open up a new category for its next summits? Alongside – or perhaps even before – all the current important topics of equitable trade, economic cooperation, improved logistics, joint security, beneficial technological developments etc., there are indispensable philosophical, ethical and civilisational issues that need to be addressed. Cultural, social and spiritual topics should not be left on the “back burner”… as these form the foundation of a just society.

In view of the state of our world today, the safeguarding of humanity should be paramount.

VANCE & TRUMP… Two Hard Zionists for Ongoing Israeli Genocide in Gaza

VANCE & TRUMP… Two Hard Zionists for Ongoing Israeli Genocide in Gaza

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In the cover two images of Trump and Vance in front of the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem with the Judean Kippah

Introduction by Fabio Giuseppe Carlo Carisio

It is not very difficult to imagine that the eventual victory of the Zionist duo Trump-Vance, even more devoted to the Jewish religious communities than the presidential candidate, will allow Benjamin Netanyahu, Prime Minister of Israel, to complete the project of depopulation of the Gaza Strip through an infamous and ignoble genocide.

After all, it was Trump himself who laid the foundations for Netanyahu’s dominance by legitimizing his occupation of the Golan Heights and then the transfer of the capital from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

In 1995 the US Congress attempted to force the administration to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital; However, the entry into force of the provision was postponed by various Presidents until 6 December 2017, when Donald Trump declared the transfer of the US Embassy to the Holy City, arguing it as a “necessary for peace” choice.

The over 15 thousand children exterminated by the Israeli Defense Forces and the bombing of UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees) schools are the most solemn denial of the concept of peace preached by Trump which he does not hide – as the hypocrite tries to use Democratic president and his rival Joseph Biden – his unconditional support for Netanyahu’s Zionist regime and since he obtained the official candidacy of the Republicans (after the attack) he can also make use of his new political partner Vance of whom we will soon reveal many embarrassing affairs …


Who is Trump’s pick for Vice President and where does he stand on Israel?

Originally published by Hannah Gillott on The Jewish Chronicle

JD Vance, Donald Trump’s pick for vice-president, has a strong record of support for Israel. The 39-year-old lawyer, who was elected to the US senate representing Ohio last year, was once a vocal critic of Trump, but has since aligned himself with the former president’s policies – and even finds himself to Trump’s right on some issues.

Trump and Vance

Vance, though a non-interventionist on foreign policy has been willing to bend his “America First” policy when it comes to Israel. “I’m very supportive of Israel and their war against Hamas,” he explained in a speech at the Quincy Institute in May.

But while comparing Israel with Ukraine and expressing admiration for the Ukrainians in their fight against Russia, he has said he did not think that “it is in America’s interest to continue to fund an effectively never-ending war in Ukraine”.

His pro-Israel stance comes from his Christian faith. A convert to Catholicism in 2019, he derived his support from the fact that Jesus “was born and died and resurrected in that narrow little strip of territory on the Mediterranean”. He has said, “The idea that there is ever going to be an American foreign policy that doesn’t care a lot about that slice of the world is preposterous,” he said.

The potential VP, whose role was announced yesterday, has also advocated for a close relationship between the US and Israel, citing deep cultural and religious ties between the two nations.

Israel most Important US Ally

Their relationship was “an expression of deeper things, of cultural affinity and shared heritage and values,” he said in an interview with The Jerusalem Post in 2022. Speaking about the danger Iran could pose to the US, he called Israel “our most important ally”.

Since the October 7 attacks, his backing for Israel has been unequivocal. In an interview with CNN in May, he said: “I think that our attitude vis-a-vis the Israelis should be, look, we’re not good at micromanaging Middle Eastern wars, the Israelis are our allies, let them prosecute this war the way they see fit”.

Although expressing concern over the number of civilian casualties in Gaza, Vance has argued that Hamas bore sole responsibility. The only solution, he said, was dismantling Hamas as a “viable military organisation”.

The Republican senator has also criticised the pro-Palestine encampments in Universities across the US. In a post to social media, he said: “I don’t care what your cause is, whether you’re pro- or anti-Israel or anything else. You don’t get to turn our public places into a garbage dump. No civilisation should tolerate these encampments. Get rid of them”.

He went so far as to introduce a bill in the Senate that would bar colleges from receiving federal financial assistance if they did not remove encampments from campus.

But Vance has also expressed concerns over Israeli military policy – largely over what he sees as “deep fissures in Israel’s support around the world” and urged Israel to avoid making the same mistakes he believed the US made after 9/11.

The Perfect Counterpoint to the Iranians

His long-term position on Israel has been to expand the Abraham Accord peace deals signed during the final year of Trump’s presidency in 2020. He told CNN that “our goal in the Middle East should be to allow the Israelis to get to a good place with the Saudi Arabians and other Gulf Arab states”. This would be“the perfect way of building a counterpoint to the Iranians in the Middle East”.

As for working toward a two-state solution, he said he would defer to Israel on that.

B ut on antisemitism, his record is more complex. While emphasising the importance of prosecuting antisemitic crimes more strongly, Vance has failed to co-sponsor two bi-partisan bills that aimed to tackle it.

The senator has also come under fire for employing what some have called antisemitic dog whistles. In 2022, he claimed that Jewish philanthropist George Soros would send “a 747 to Columbus to load up disproportionately Black women to get them to go have abortions in California”.

Ohio representative Casey Weinstein, a Jewish Democrat, said the comment played into “an old antisemitic trope that Jewish people are masterminds that are, in particular, rich and powerful, that are controlling world events behind the scenes.” Vance’s remarks regarding Soros are not surprising, considering Trump’s invocation of the Soros-puppeteer conspiracy in his fundraising emails.

Vance has also on occasions failed to criticise antisemitism when it comes from the right. After the deadly “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville, Virginia in 2017, Vance said “This neo-Nazi movement is actually really driven by well-to-do, middle-class folks, people who have a good education”.

In 2022, when running for the Senate, Vance accepted an endorsement from Republican Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene. A leading far-right figure, she has been criticised for playing into antisemitic conspiracy theories.

Howie Beigelman, chief executive of Ohio Jewish Communities, has nonetheless commended Vance for his respect for the local Jewish community. “He’s always met with Ohio’s Jewish community, always taken meetings with pro-Israel advocates and given us probably the most unvarnished legislative truths,” he posted on social media.

In the key swing states Trump – and now Vance – will be targeting Jewish voters who make up between 1 per cent and 3 per cent of the electorate.

American Jews largely vote Democrat – recent polls suggest they support Biden over Trump by 64 per cent to 24 per cent. But there has been a slight shift toward Republicans compared to previous years in the American Jewish community.

Originally published by Hannah Gillott on The Jewish Chronicle