- 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/.
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