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| Source: "REVEALED: Trump's 'deal of the century' map for Palestine, Israel" Middle East Eye, January 2020 |
What is that "also" about? It could be read either way:
the U.S. is now joining chief thief Israel in illegally occupying land belonging to Palestinian families in Jerusalem;
or, if you prefer,
in addition to stealing land for military bases (e.g. Okinawa, Somalia) and oil theft (e.g. Syria, Iraq), the U.S. now plans to steal land in Jerusalem to construct an embassy.
The advent of neoliberal faker Joe Biden as POTUS has done nothing to halt U.S. enabling of Israel's violent occupation of the West Bank and bombing of blockaded Gaza. Remember when he told a roomful of oligarchs "nothing will change"? Following on the heels of the most pro-Israel president ever, Biden has in fact kept many of 45's bad policies in place.
Building an embassy on Palestinian land in Jerusalem is the icing on the cake.
Back in July when Biden traveled to Israel (and before the election of the most right wing government in Israel's history), the White House issued the "The Jerusalem U.S.-Israel Strategic Partnership Joint Declaration." This document contains incendiary, even apocalyptic language:
"unshakeable U.S. commitment to Israel’s security, and especially to the maintenance of its qualitative military edge [emphasis mine]"
"The United States further reiterates that these commitments are bipartisan and sacrosanct [emphasis mine]"
(One might wonder how a Democratic administration can pledge the support of Republicans. Or, one might have long since concluded that both the D and the R parties are wings of the same imperial government in service to corporate business interests.)
The statement also contained some astonishing hypocrisy:
"the United States and Israel affirm that among the values the countries share is an unwavering commitment to democracy, the rule of law..[emphasis mine]"
Israel is and has long been an apartheid state with full rights for its Jewish citizens -- and even its foreign settlers as long as they profess the correct religion. It detains, tortures, and executes Palestinians, including children, regularly. In May an Israeli military sniper assassinated a U.S. citizen, journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, well-known as an Al Jazeera t.v. correspondent for decades. Succumbing to pressure to investigate the murder of a U.S. citizen by a foreign military, last month the Biden administration announced the FBI will investigate the incident. Not holding their breath for that outcome, Al Jazeera Media Network has requested that the International Criminal Court investigate and prosecute those responsible.
As for the U.S. "commitment to democracy" and "the rule of law" one has only to look at its many coups toppling elected governments (e.g. Ukraine 2014, Australia 1975, Iran 1953) to bely that claim. And the destruction and looting of Iraq beginning in 2003 is emblematic of what the U.S. means when it proclaims it values the rule of law. Or maybe persecution of journalist Julian Assange would be a clearer example of how little the U.S. cares for the law?
Three paragraphs in, we get to the heart of the matter:
The United States stresses that integral to this pledge is the commitment never to allow Iran to acquire a nuclear weapon, and that it is prepared to use all elements of its national power to ensure that outcome. The United States further affirms the commitment to work together with other partners to confront Iran’s aggression and destabilizing activities..
The U.S. is building new nuclear weapon systems as fast as it can since the Obama administration's green light, and Israel pretends not to have nuclear weapons though everyone knows it does. But it's Iran that's the threat! 45 scuttled the U.S.-Iran nuclear agreement and Biden, despite campaign promises to restore it, is letting the JCPOA sink to the bottom of the sea.
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| Source: "Exclusive: Tracking the flow of stolen Syrian oil into Iraq" The Cradle, September 2022 |
Iran is indeed a threat to U.S. ambitions in Syria where the theft of oil proceeds apace.
So Israel, the wealthiest of nations, receives billions from U.S. taxpayers each year as credit to buy weapons that further enrich the oligarchy that owns and operates Congress and the White House.
Stealing from Palestinians to construct an embassy in Jerusalem is arguably the least of U.S. crimes against an occupied people. By contrast, 45's closure of the U.S. Consultate General for the Palestinians in Jerusalem remains in effect.
But the land theft for an embassy is highly symbolic of the dangerous alliance between two aggressive nuclear powers.
It's an alliance the U.S. will go to great lengths to support as the lure of cooperating with Russia beckons amid the global economic meltdown over sanctioned energy supplies and soaring prices.
