A Speculation About Biden, Trump, Israel, the USA and Gaza Politics
My “take” on the politics of Biden/Trump/Israel/USA/Gaza politics is that:
[1] The Zionist Lobby (AIPAC et al.) is stringing President Biden along with just enough money to keep him “in line” with Israel’s demands—but The Lobby much prefers Trump, to whom they may be giving even more money.
[2] Israel and the Zionist Lobby prefer Trump to Biden and, accordingly, Israel’s policies (now especially for Gaza and Iran) are designed (apart from promoting Israel’s and Netanyahu’s own interests) to convict Biden in the eyes of Black/Arab/Muslim/young/labor/Progressive-Jewish American voters by making Biden complicit in a cascade of atrocities under the weight of which he stays “in line” with increasing difficulty.
[3] Biden thus seems caught between two unforgiving forces and has not, so far, cut the Gordian Knot unless his near-perfect subservience to Netanyahu—apart from a few words spoken now and again—shows that he has cast his lot firmly with the Zionist Lobby and Netanyahu.
[4] Biden is in real danger of losing to Trump in November which would be a political disaster for Democrats and, for the USA, a far greater disaster leading, as now seems certain, to fascism and to an even more-complete refusal to meet the climate problem.
[5] However, the Gaza crisis and Biden’s crisis seem to me also to be Biden’s opportunity.
I believe that President Biden would improve his position politically, both at home and internationally, by making a clean break from the Zionist Lobby and from Israel. In short order he could change his persona from that of a timid, cringing servant of Israel and The Lobby to that of a forceful defender of American national interests in response to Israel’s over-the-top genocidal obliteration of Gaza and unprovoked attack on Iran.
He could make such a “clean break” by making a number of demands of Israel, and backing these demands up by several immediate actions and some follow-up threats.
Why actions and threats? Hasn’t Biden said the right words? Sadly, action is required because Israel has shown over many years that it does not care a hoot for anyone’s admonitory words when those words are spoken without accompanying enforcement actions.
I suggest the following demands and actions.
THE DEMANDS
+ that Israel end military operations in Gaza immediately
+ that Israel end the blockade of Gaza immediately and, in particular, allow aid workers, medical workers, UN personnel, and reporters to enter Gaza
+ that Israel end all oppression in the West Bank and East Jerusalem and, after Hamas’s hostages are released, without delay release all Palestinian prisoners taken from Gaza or from occupied territory
+ that Israel announce termination of settlement expansion immediately
+ that Israel announce a plan for removing all settlers by the end of 2024 (Israel has rendered 2 million Gazans homeless in just 6 months, and there are only about 1 million Israeli settlers)
+ that Israeli armed forces in the occupied territories henceforward protect Palestinians from settler violence
+ that Israel announce an end of the occupations (with removal of all troops) of the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and the Golan Heights by the end of 2024
+ that Israel announce its willingness to acquiesce in the creation of the Palestinian state in the West Bank and East Jerusalem and a slice of Galilee equal in size to the Gaza Strip (which Israel has deliberately ruined).
+ that Israel announce and perform according to workable and uniform timetables for troop removals and settler removals by end of 2024
+ (details of interim Palestinian governance to be announced)
+ (adjustment of demands to follow based on events)
THE ENFORCEMENT ACTIONS
The USA should take these enforcement actions:
+ end all arms transfers to Israel pending satisfaction of demands
+ end all transfers of money to Israel pending satisfaction of demands
+ announce its refusal to support Israel in any war with Iran
+ end diplomatic support for Israel particularly in UN Security Council pending satisfaction of demands
+ explicitly hold in reserve presenting a Chapter VII resolution to the UN Security Council to enforce Israeli compliance
+ explicitly hold in reserve banking sanctions
+ explicitly hold in reserve trade sanctions
+ (adjustment of enforcement actions to follow based on events)
If President Biden would make these demands and take these enforcement actions, it would, I believe, favorably impress all the Democratic “base” and many independents and help win the November election, which, as I write, is by no means “in the bag” for him. Incidentally, the program I outline would greatly benefit Israel itself and the Palestinians and would bolster the sagging reputation of international law, upon which these suggestions are based.
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