Only one thing will cause Israel to reverse the totalitarian decree of three weeks ago that six leading Palestinian human rights and civil society groups are “terrorist” organizations. Pressure from the White House. And only one thing will bring about that pressure: the willingness of Democrats and “Jewish leaders” to take on Israel and its lobby and give the White House political permission to do the same.
Yesterday brought great news. Massachusetts Congressman Jim McGovern, who has represented Worcester for 25 years and is co chair of the Lantos Human Rights Commission in Congress, which monitors international human rights and the rule of law, issued a stiff letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken saying it is “urgent” matter for him to get past his “initial leeriness” about the Israeli decision and to “firmly, unambiguously denounce” the action against the respected groups. McGovern writes:
This week I asked @SecBlinken to firmly, unambiguously denounce the Israeli Defense Ministry’s misguided decision to designate six prominent, internationally respected human rights & civil society groups as so-called “terrorist organizations.”
His letter says that it is not enough to express concern about the designation and then do nothing.
Mr. Secretary, it is not enough to have expressed an initial leeriness regarding Israel’s decision to designate these six organizations as terrorist groups. It is now time to firmly and unambiguously denounce the actions taken and urge the Israeli government to reverse its decisions.
McGovern’s letter is significant because he is a longstanding, mainstream Democrat– and we need for the Democratic leadership to take a stand. Progressive members of the House, including the famous Squad, have come out against the hateful designation in forceful resolution introduced by Rep. Betty McCollum soon after Israel issued the decree against the respected groups. A total of 11 Democrats are on that bill.
McGovern’s letter, opening with his “grave concern” about Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz’s designation, suggests that morality may be contagious on this vicious action.
McGovern’s comment about “initial leeriness” and then zilch speaks to the political reality here. Democrats are generally too afraid of the campaign-fundraising clout of the Israel lobby to cross it. So the State Department has tiptoed around the hateful terrorism designation and even liberal Zionist groups that know how repressive this action is have put out brief statements against the designation then gone to ground.
Haaretz has picked up the story. “Senior Democrat urges Blinken” to push Israel to reverse the designation.
More from McGovern’s letter about Israeli intolerance:
The Israeli government has targeted these organizations for decades because of their human rights activism, arresting and detaining staff, raiding their offices, targeting them for surveillance by state intelligence agencies, and making similar accusations to these organizations’ donors. According to recent media reports, intelligence surveillance included using Pegasus spyware to hack their personal phones.
Past Israeli accusations that these groups are linked to terrorist groups have been investigated and rejected by the United Nations, the European Union, and U.S. officials.
The key question is how much longer will American politicians kow tow to “Israel”, a brutal/illegal expansionist/occupier and ethnic cleanser of the indigenous Palestinians and a serial violator of hard won international law that is utterly dependent on $billions upon billions in aid provided by U.S. taxpayers?
Former Senator James Abourezk: ‘I can tell you from personal experience that, at least in the Congress, the support Israel has in that body is based completely on political fear— fear of defeat by anyone who does not do what Israel wants done. I can also tell you that very few members of Congress—at least when I served there—have any affection for Israel or for its Lobby. What they have is contempt, but it is silenced by fear of being found out exactly how they feel. I’ve heard too many cloakroom conversations in which members of the Senate will voice their bitter feelings about how they’re pushed around by the Lobby to think otherwise. In private one hears the dislike of Israel and the tactics of the Lobby, but not one of them is willing to risk the Lobby’s animosity by making their feelings public.’ http://ifamericaknew.org/us_ints/pg-abourezk.html
Good for Sen. McGovern and the other progressive members in Congress, but we need to hear more voices of disapproval from Congress. Blinken is a blinking coward, who seems to be so hesitant to call a spade a spade. Either that or Biden is making him do his dirty work which is supporting Biden’s zionist brothers in Israel. It’s all about that unwavering support.
Good for Sen. McGovern and the other progressive members in Congress, but we need to hear more voices of disapproval from Congress. Blinken is a blinking coward, who seems to be so hesitant to call a spade a spade. Either that or Biden is making him do his dirty work which is supporting Biden’s zionist brothers in Israel. It’s all about that unwavering support.
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https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/rights-group-israeli-settler-violence-tool-seize-land-81162021
“Rights group: Israeli settler violence tool to seize land”
An Israeli rights group says Israel has been using settler violence as a ‘major informal tool’ to drive Palestinians from farming and pasture lands in the occupied West Bank
The Associated Press, 14 Nov. 2021
JERUSALEM — “Israel has been using settler violence as a ‘major informal tool’ to drive Palestinians from farming and pasture lands in the occupied West Bank, an Israeli rights group said Sunday.
“A report by the group B’Tselem detailed the takeover of nearly 11 square miles (30 square kilometers) of farm and pasture land in the territory by settlers over the past five years. That’s an area around half the size of the island of Manhattan.
“B’Tselem also challenged repeated claims by the government that violence against Palestinians is carried out by a violent fringe among the settlers and security forces are doing their best to stop it.
“Recent months have seen a steep increase in violence committed by Jewish settlers in the West Bank against Palestinians. Last week, a group of Israeli settlers vandalized dozens of cars in a town near Ramallah, and in September, dozens of Israeli settlers attacked a Bedouin village in the southern West Bank, leaving several injured, including a Palestinian toddler.
“B’Tselem said the military ‘does not prevent the attacks, and in some cases, soldiers even participate in them.’ It says that law enforcement does little to take action against settlers who commit violent acts against Palestinians ‘and whitewashes the few cases it is called upon to address.’
“’When the violence occurs with permission and assistance from the Israeli authorities and under its auspices, it is state violence. The settlers are not defying the state; they are doing its bidding,’ the organization said in its report.
“The Israeli military did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the report.
“Israel captured the West Bank in the 1967 Mideast war. In the decades since, it has built dozens of settlements — now home to nearly 500,000 Israelis — that most of the international community considers illegal and an obstacle to peace. The Palestinians seek the West Bank, along with east Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip, as part of their future state. (cont’d)
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“On Friday, a group of Jewish settlers attacked Palestinians harvesting olives who were accompanied by Israeli activists. Two Israelis, including a prominent rabbi and peace activist, were injured in the incident.
“Neta Ben Porat, one of the injured activists, said she suffered injuries to her head and arm. She said the entire area is video monitored by the army, and soldiers chose not to come to their aid. The military said in a statement to Army Radio that troops ‘separated between the sides and dispersed the confrontation’ and arrested three settlers.
“Rabbis for Human Rights in Israel said in a statement Friday that ‘the state and its enforcement agencies are failing time after time to ensure the safety of farmers and activists in the harvest, and the blood spilled today is also on their hands.’
“Last month, Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz called on the military to combat rising settler attacks against Palestinians and Israeli troops in the West Bank to react ‘systematically, aggressively and uncompromisingly’ to such behavior.”