Next week Donald Trump and Jared Kushner are expected to release a “peace plan” for Israel and Palestine that will set a new low for the United States in accepting Israeli expansion in Palestine. Yesterday on the Israeli broadcaster i24 News, its White House correspondent said Trump has domestic political considerations.
Miriam and Sheldon Adelson are Trump’s biggest political donors. “They speak to Trump all the time,” Dan Raviv said. And their view is that it is important that a plan under which “Israel can set its own borders” come out sooner than later because Israel has a “very friendly” president in the White House and, come November, who knows who will be moving into the White House. In a word, let’s get annexation green-lighted while we can.
You’d think that the Adelsons’ election-year desires would be a major angle on this major story: Trump’s largest donor using money to distort U.S. foreign policy! After all, the media and the Democratic Party are very upset about Trump’s manipulation of foreign policy in the Ukraine, to try and crush a political foe. Trump got impeached for that.
But apart from Raviv, I have seen zero coverage of this important angle.
The New York Times has a long article about Trump’s inviting Benjamin Netanyahu and his election rival Benny Gantz to the White House next week, saying, “The invitation could provide a welcome distraction for President Trump, facing an impeachment trial.” Really, that’s why he’s doing it? Distraction?
By contrast, the article anatomizes Netanyahu’s political calculations in getting the visit. He will get his indictment moved into the shadows, possibly scuttling Gantz’s ability to prevent an immunity deal in the Israeli parliament, he will “entrap” Gantz due to his experience at White House optics, etc.
Nothing about the political pressures on Trump to crush Palestinians in American foreign policy when he has the chance– because of donors he talks to “all the time.” Those same donors have been Netanyahu’s biggest supporters too.
This is a scandal in plain sight. Trump praised the Adelsons out of nowhere last week when giving a statement on the China trade deal. Sheldon Adelson did the exact same thing in the last Republican administration, under George W. Bush. His main agenda throughout that administration was to destroy the peace process that had begun under Clinton. Adelson does not believe the Palestinians exist, and wanted to make sure the U.S. did nothing to establish a Palestinian state.
Adelson helped start an organization called One Jerusalem, of which Bush aide Douglas Feith was co-founder, that sought to prevent the division of Jerusalem under a peace plan, and he succeeded! The New Yorker reported in 2008 that Adelson fought Condoleezza Rice’s Annapolis conference in his discussions with Bush; and when Bush left, Adelson backed Netanyahu as Netanyahu refused to make any concessions toward a Palestinian state under Obama.
Then the Adelsons gave over $100 million to Republican causes, and Trump came in, and the embassy got moved to Jerusalem, and the Iran deal got trashed, too, the Palestinians thrown out of Washington, the Golan annexation recognized, you name it.
The media can’t address this power other than in asides. Tim Egan of the Times saying that Adelson is more powerful than the secretary of state. Tom Friedman saying that Trump moved the embassy to get “a huge check from Sheldon Adelson.”
The Adelsons obviously want Trump to put down official benchmarks that will never get changed. After all, Democratic candidates for president accept that the embassy in in Jerusalem, even Elizabeth Warren.
Liberal Zionist groups are all appalled by the so-called peace deal as a devastating blow to the two-state solution (here and here). J Street calls the plan and its timing a “norm-shattering” intervention by the U.S. in the Israeli elections. Someone really needs to talk about Trump’s own political calculations in destroying Palestinian freedom.
P.S. McClatchy reported last year that the Adelsons were putting off their big donations in the 2020 cycle till as late as possible, so as not to excite negative publicity. I say they have nothing to worry about from the toothless American press.
For the record re Sheldon Adelson:
Haaretz, Dec. 7/18, by Amir Tibon
WASHINGTON – “Casino billionaire Sheldon Adelson is reportedly spending at least $55 million during the upcoming midterm elections in order to keep Republicans in control of Congress.”
“The Casino billionaire’s total contributions to various Republican causes surpass $100 million, according to the New York Times, possibly making him the largest single donor in American politics today.”
Also: Video regarding Adelson’s huge contributions to the Republicans:
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=22&v=iPRnTU6fO-g
Did Sheldon Adelson Just Buy A War With Iran? May 10, 2018
Adelson also has instant access to Trump’s private phone which he can call any day or time and Trump will answer, probably on bended knee.
I wonder if the plan will include a map? Sometimes maps are metaphorical, sometimes literal. Either way, in Palestine, they have long been important, and continue to be. I learned some things about how Google maps Palestine here:
https://www.juancole.com/2020/01/188726.html
Media omitting key elements necessary for understanding has long been that way with both commercial and public media. Is it more effective to try and reform our media or shift the political narrative over victimhood?
Phil wrote, “Then the Adelsons gave over $100 million to Republican causes, and Trump came in, and the embassy got moved to Jerusalem, and the Iran deal got trashed, too, the Palestinians thrown out of Washington, the Golan annexation recognized, you name it.” Yes these things happened. However, its worth noting Trump declared his intentions with Iran deal in his campaign. Same with the embassy move.
I’m guessing Trump knew the embassy was a given. The Senate had voted 100-0. It would never be politically feasible to deny Jews West Jerusalem, so he saw another opportunity to create leverage. He stated clearly he wasn’t deciding boundaries, sovereignty, or status of Jerusalem, especially East Jerusalem. He added good things would be coming Palestinian’s way, all in hopes of getting a diplomatic response. Abbas’ hair was already on fire. It’s easy to imagine the insults, public rebukes and refusing to speak when he sent Pence, influenced his cutting the money, followed by kicking him out of DC. Abbas needed to stay calm, better advising. Things can get even worse if he hasn’t by now. Putin may help him.
Could be Abbas’ anger mucked up his plan (know there are Mondo people who don’t think he is capable of plans). Trump had said he was working on IP peace, the deal of the century, in his first term and full ME peace in his second. Regardless, Trump is now in the fight of his life. Media, Democratic Party, Intel, and the war state is keeping after him so he may calculate it is now too close to the election and the last thing he needs is AIPAC throwing in hard against him.
When Trump first met Netanyahu as President he surprised everyone, especially Netanyahu. “One state or two so long as both agree, I’m good.” He put the secular state on the table at a time only the unrealistic talked about the 2SS. Abbas may have overlooked a good opportunity to have Israel choose between two states or one. He will now need political skills he may not possess. Sadly, his refusal to talk with Pence may have led Trump to decide to give the Golan and to now find ways to stay safe. A potential deal is one. The prejudging underway may become self-fulfilling. Details Netanyahu dislikes will be in the details.
Also guessing Trump’s repeated calls for negotiation with Iran motivated him to up the ante with the assassination. He’s still calling for negotiations. Unfortunately, a fool called him a clown. Worthy to mention yesterday LidseyGraham said Trump wants out of Africa completely. It will be hard for him to get out of the ME without an agreement on Jerusalem.
When Trump’s ego is on the line, he can be manipulated. He wants to be the greatest of all time. Perhaps the Palestinian leadership will be able to capitalize on that ego and outsmart him.
Trump is clearly an eager stooge of the Adelsons and happy enough to foster their program of getting rid of non-Jews in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.