The Israel lobby is one of the most powerful and pervasive special interest groups in the U.S. It consists of a multitude of institutions and individuals that work to influence Congress, the president, academia, the media, religious institutions, and American public opinion on behalf of Israel. View the list…
Netanyahu’s show Monday disregarded the IDF’s statement that the Iran deal will keep nukes out of Iran for 10+ yrs. It also lacked proof. But it gave Trump (& Bibi’s own drooping voter base) memorable images and catch-phrases. The info he presented with such urgency is old & familiar to anyone who has read IAEA reports.
The umbrella body of over 50 mainstream American Jewish organizations works to “advance the U.S.-Israel special relationship” and “bolster Israel’s security and prosperity.” Stark’s sons served in the Israeli army instead of in the U.S. military. Past chairs have been active in American politics and donated to the campaign funds of Israeli politicians.
“The people in Gaza have been living one tragedy after another.” A young father reflects on the legacy of suffering, the need to find meaning in life and struggle, and the unity that the Great March is inspiring.
How can American Jews endorse the strangulation of 2 million human beings in Gaza? Because Jewish leaders, in both Israel and the United States, encase Israel’s actions in a fog of euphemism and lies.The organized American Jewish community doesn’t only conceal the truth about Gaza from itself. It lobbies American politicians to do the same. The three main talking points: that Israel “withdrew” from Gaza, that its actions are decreed by a need for “security,” and that “Hamas” is to blame. Let’s look at the real facts:
Since March 30, 2018 Palestinian refugees in the Gaza Strip–including families, women, and children–have gathered along the Israeli border to highlight their dispossession in 1948 and protest the growing humanitarian catastrophe. From that time through December 16th, 2019, Israeli forces have killed 364 Gazans and injured over 35,000, including women, children, disabled individuals, medics, and journalists. Many have been shot in the back, nearly all were unarmed and posed no risk to the heavily armed Israeli soldiers. During the same period, Gazan resistance forces killed 9 Israelis.
All hands on deck: the Global Campaign to Return to Palestine needs our help to help the people in Gaza educating Americans about the Great March of Return. They propose a “tent campaign,” a rich metaphor for refugees and demolished homes. Here are instructions, plus an offer from If Americans Knew for free materials to hand out.
South Carolina is poised to be the first state to pass legislation to adopt an Israel-centric definition for “anti-Semitism.” This will then apply to the state’s campuses, potentially limiting discussion of Israel-Palestine to one-sided information that fosters U.S. policies that provide Israel $10 million per day. The bill has been heralded in Israel as a “a landmark bill” that will lead change across the U.S. and the world, while South Carolina lawmakers appear to have let it through in the belief that it isn’t significant legislation.
Deputy Knesset Speaker Bezalel Smotrich tweeted that Palestinian teen Ahed Tamimi “should have gotten a bullet at least in the kneecap,” drawing an angry response from feminist Jewish MK Michel Rozin. Tamimi is serving 8 months for slapping a soldier, after soldiers had shot her cousin in the face.
Amira Hass writes in Ha’aretz that Israeli soldiers who kill unarmed Palestinians didn’t pop up for the 1st time three weeks ago. Nor did the army’s excuses start only then. Gross violation of human rights (and Israeli denial) are as old as the state itself – even older. The actions excuses continue unabated in spite of smartphones and security cameras.