by Stephen Lendman
Rogue state lawlessness and contempt for humanity define both nations.
At home, America is plagued by police state laws, contempt for human and civil rights, out-of-control corruption, banker occupation, corporate control of Washington, record budget and national debt levels, as well as depression-sized unemployment, poverty, homelessness, hunger and despair.
Abroad, America wages permanent wars on humanity, killing millions for wealth, power, and unchallengeable global dominance at the expense of suffering billions.
The rancid stench of Washington’s war on the world permeates everywhere, threatening human and environmental survival.
It’s no better in Israel, a nation believing only Jews have rights, and increasingly less of them under neoliberalized harshness, favoring the few at the expense of most others.
Like America and other Western states, Israeli policies disproportionately favor the rich. Since at least the mid-1980s, they’ve caused extreme wealth disparities, unemployment, poverty, hunger, homelessness and gradual loss of social benefits, heading toward ending them entirely.
Israelis finally reacted, protesting for weeks about unaffordable housing, high food and energy prices, onerous taxes on working households, lack of free education and better healthcare benefits, weak labor rights, and a nation no longer fit to live in for Jews.
It never was for Arabs comprising one-fifth of the population. Yet they’re treated more like fifth column threats than citizens with equal rights.
On September 3, Haaretz writer Ilan Lior headlined, “Hundreds of thousands of Israelis expected (Saturday night) at massive ‘March of the Million’ rallies,” later saying in a follow-up article:
At 9:30PM, Tel Aviv’s Kikar Hamedina plaza filled for the main event, preceded by a march from Habima Square via Marmorek, Ibn Gvirol and Jabotinsky streets.
Protest leaders and supporters addressed eager crowds. Featured entertainers heightened the popular spirit for change. Earlier, student union head Yuval Bdolah expected the rally’s size to be unprecedented in Israeli history.
It didn’t disappoint as around half a million Israelis massed in cities nationwide. Over 300,000 filled Kikar Hamedina. Protest leader Yonatan Levy said the atmosphere was like “a second Independence Day.”
National Student Union Chairman Itzik Shmuli addressed the crowd, saying:
“Mr. Prime Minister, the new Israelis have a dream and it is simple: to weave the story of our lives into Israel. We expect you to let us live in this country. The new Israelis will not give up. They demand change. They demand change and will not stop until real solutions come.”
Protest leader Daphni Leef added:
“My generation always felt as though we were alone in this world, but now we feel the solidarity. They try to dismiss us as stupid children, and as extreme leftists,” but hundreds of thousands rallying for social justice prove otherwise.
Over 50,000 massed in Jerusalem’s Paris Square, double the previous largest number. Actress Orna Banai addressed the crowd, saying:
“I am not amused that there are hungry children here, that we have a soldier rotting in captivity for five years, (and) that Israel is one of the poorest examples there (is for) human rights.”
Others also spoke across the country for long denied social justice. Their common theme was keeping up enough pressure to succeed, and in Haifa to end discrimination against Arabs.
Shahin Nasser, Haifa’s Arab Wadi Nisnas representative, addressed protesters, saying:
“Today we are changing the rules of the game. No more coexistence based on hummus and fava beans. What is happening here is true coexistence, when Arabs and Jews march together shoulder to shoulder calling for social justice and peace.”
“We’ve had it. Bibi, go home. Steinitz (Israel’s finance minister), go and don’t come back. Atias (Israel’s housing minister), goodbye and good riddance.”
Rallying for social justice across Israel since mid-July so far shows no signs of ebbing. Succeeding, of course, depends on sustaining enough energy disruptively for change. Though never easy, it’s the only way.
Approaching Zero Hour for Palestinian Statehood
Sovereign independence and full de jure UN membership is the only acceptable alternative for Palestine. However, dark Israeli and Washington forces aim to subvert it.
In February, Washington vetoed a Security Council resolution denouncing expanding Israeli settlements. In a White House statement, Obama “emphasized that a vote at the United Nations will never create an independent Palestinian state,” even if the General Assembly grants it by a simple two-thirds majority.
Moreover, Congress near unanimously condemned Palestine’s legitimate right to independence. In addition, it threatens to withhold support and perhaps impose sanctions if achieved.
In fact, political Washington contemptuously spurns universal rights, especially everywhere not under its control. As a result, whether democrat or despot, regime change threatens all independent leaders by one means or other, including naked aggression.
Ask Iraqis, Afghans, Haitians, and Libyans among others. They’ll explain.
A previous article discussed The New York Times opposition to Palestinian statehood, accessed through the following link:
http://sjlendman.blogspot.com/2011/08/new-york-times-opposition-to.html
In fact, its longstanding policy staunchly supported Israel’s occupation, belligerence, and right to reign terror on Palestinian civilians with impunity, in less than so many words.
On September 3, Steven Lee Myers and Mark Landler headlined, “US Appeals to Palestinians to Stall UN Vote on Statehood,” saying:
“The Obama administration has initiated a last-ditch diplomatic campaign to avert a confrontation this month over” Palestinian statehood and full UN membership.
Once again it’s playing the peace talks game even though past efforts for decades proved stillborn. Moreover, how can Palestinians negotiate without a willing partner, especially since its legitimate government is entirely shut out.
Both writers omitted these and other key facts, focusing instead on worrying whether “Obama would be put in the position of threatening (a) veto (or going along and) risk alienating Israel and its (US) political supporters….”
They also suggested support for Obama “trying to translate the broad principles (he) outlined in May into a concrete road map for talks that would succeed where past efforts have failed….”
In fact, as both writers know or should, equitable peace talks are impossible because Washington and Israel never tolerated them and don’t now. Neither country negotiates. They demand. For Occupied Palestinians, it’s stay that way, or else.
At the same time, past articles explained that Washington earlier provisionally recognized Palestine as an independent nation. According to UN Charter Article 80(1), it can’t reverse its position by vetoing a Security Council (SC) resolution calling for Palestine’s UN admission.
Doing so is illegal, subject to further SC action under the Charter’s Chapter VI. Ultimately, the SC only recommends admissions. The General Assembly affirms them by a two-thirds majority. At this time, enough support exists to get it.
Moreover, if Washington does, in fact, play its veto card, the General Assembly can circumvent it under the 1950 Uniting for Peace Resolution.
Abbas Holds the Wild Card
Ultimately, long-time Israeli collaborationist Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas may prove the wild card. Ahead of petitioning the General Assembly, he’s expected to explain his strategy, according to presidential aide Nabil Abu Rudaineh, saying:
“The president will define all the political moves which will be taken before submitting the UN bid, so as to make clear where the Palestinian cause is headed.”
He’ll “address the Palestinian people, telling them exactly why the (PA) will go to the UN, and what caused the current political situation after negotiations stopped, and after the international community failed to work out solutions to the question of Palestine, and to move the negotiation process forward based on clear foundations.”
Abu Rudaineh added:
Palestinian leaders will petition the UN “as long as negotiations have not started, and Israel has not committed to clear references to start” them.
“We will go to the UN Security Council in coordination with all Arab countries. Going to the UN will be the only way to gain our rights and to maintain our gains.”
Clearly, Abbas left himself wiggle room to avoid confronting Washington and Israel by backing down at the 11th hour, despite enough world support and international law on his side to succeed.
If so, millions of Palestinians will be betrayed by their own president, proving again his collaborationist ties to to Israel and Western interests for whatever personal benefits he’s afforded.
Planned Settler West Bank/East Jerusalem Belligerence
According to International Middle East Media Center writer Saed Bannoura, Palestinians also face another threat.
On September 2, he headlined, “Settlers Plan Attacks Against Palestinians In September,” saying:
Armed by Israel’s military with tear gas, stun grenades and other weapons, “extremist right wing factions (are) preparing (to) respond to any popular Palestinian move” to petition the UN for statehood and full membership.
Already, settlers are heavily armed with automatic weapons and “unlimited amounts of ammunition.” Using them and other weapons, they prepared a plan called “children against children, women and women” to attack unnamed West Bank and East Jerusalem populations.
Extremist MK Michael Ben-Ari heads the scheme along with militant settlers, apparently spoiling for a fight and using Palestinian statehood efforts as a pretext.
“The eight-page plan includes instructions regarding operations in Palestinian cities and villages in the West Bank and in Jerusalem. Its main slogan is ‘let’s transform September from a threat to a historic opportunity to change the rules of the game.’ ”
It adds:
“should the UN officially recognize a Palestinian independent state, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians will take off to the streets, to celebrate, and they might approach the settlements.”
“Unarmed Palestinian women and children will lead the processions heading to the settlements. This will push the Israeli soldiers to open fire at them, and this issue will lead to a full collapse in the security situation, and the Palestinians will resume their attacks against the settlements.”
The plan calls for Israeli children to confront their Palestinian counterparts, Israeli women and men doing the same thing.
Palestinian settlers have a long history of attacking Palestinians with impunity, including acts of vandalism, desecrating mosques, and murder.
Their most extremist elements now see a chance to escalate violence to the next level, aided and abetted by Israel’s military, operating under Operation Summer Seeds provisions.
A previous article explained, accessed through the following link:
http://sjlendman.blogspot.com/2011/08/israels-operation-summer-seeds.html
Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago and can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net.
Also visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com and listen to cutting-edge discussions with distinguished guests on the Progressive Radio News Hour on the Progressive Radio Network Thursdays at 10AM US Central time and Saturdays and Sundays at noon. All programs are archived for easy listening.
http://www.progressiveradionetwork.com/the-progressive-news-hour/.
