“$600 for you, $500,000,000 to Israel.” When the COVID-19 relief bill in the Congress began circulating many commentators, including in the mainstream, have jumped on the fact that the massive legislation is bundled alongside other appropriations that include $500 million in military aid to Israel.
The murder by Israeli soldiers of Ali Abu Alia was the 6th killing of a Palestinian child in the occupied West Bank this year. And though Israeli soldiers have killed 155 children in West Bank in recent years, they have had near complete impunity– a process “unworthy of a country that proclaims it lives by rule of law,” the U.N. says. And liberal Zionist organizations maintain that impunity by insisting Israel keep getting U.S. military aid.
When Israeli soldiers killed a 15-year-old Palestinian boy for protesting Jewish settlers taking his land, it ought to have been a George Floyd moment for liberal Jews. But Americans for Peace Now chatters about John Lennon not Ali Abu Alia, and dreams about a two-state solution that will never happen. It is time for Zionism to experience a crisis, and Jews must support the only hope for change in Palestine, BDS.
Israel has become a big issue in Georgia Senate runoff race. Democratic candidate Raphael Warnock runs away from previous Israel-critical statements. He has now “condemned” BDS and indicated he would never condition aid to Israel for human rights abuses. The AIPAC-linked group DMFI has now endorsed Warnock for Senate.
In a shot across Biden’s bow, former Israeli ambassador Ron Prosor warns the incoming president not to restore funding to Palestinian refugee agency and not to reverse Trump’s decisions to leave UNESCO and U.N. Human Rights Council.
The killing of Ali Abu Alia — on top of hundreds of similar atrocities in recent years — has generated outrage in the west. Will anyone bear responsibility for robbing the young teenager of his life? It all depends on the responses of American political actors.
“We got to make sure that we stand by Israel and their right to defend themselves.” The newly anointed chair of House Foreign Affairs also assails Palestinians for “fighting” in grotesque commentary that is oblivious to the fact that Israel just murdered a child protester.
Reps. Rashida Tlaib and Betty McCollum and the UN and EU condemned Israeli killing of boy protester Friday, and JVP called for an end to US military aid. As for liberal Zionist groups? Crickets. Even IfNotNow issues a toothless statement.
Joe Biden will get out from Obama’s shadow by showing he can handle Netanyahu– whom the Democratic establishment hates– and using a foreign policy team loaded with putative Zionists, Biden will let Israel know the party’s over and it’s time to get rid of Netanyahu.
Phil Weiss talks to Palestinian novelist Susan Abulhawa about her latest book, AGAINST THE LOVELESS WORLD. Adam Horowitz talks to organizers of the Palestine Writes Literature Festival.