To listen to anti-Zionist media reports on Israel is to hear a constant refrain “which most of the world considers illegal” appended to many sentences. Jews living in East Jerusalem gets the clause “which most of the world considers illegal.” Jews building a house in Efrat has an annex “which most of the world considers illegal.” An Israeli Jew with a businesses in Hebron is qualified with “which most of the world considers illegal.”
The presence of Jews anywhere in the Middle East North Africa (MENA) region outside the Pale of Israel is considered illegal by much of the world, and the left-wing media will remind you of it every chance it gets (actually the media fails to mention that Arab countries ethnically cleansed its Jews as doing so would distract from its anti-Israel narrative). It does this in a tacit endorsement of the world’s anti-Zionism, not a criticism of the global backwards thinking.
Most of the world also considers gay marriage to be illegal. Even more, most regard simply being gay a crime. Committing a homosexual act is so offensive, it is a crime worthy of capital punishment in Iran, Saudi Arabia, Somalia (Rep. Ilhan Omar’s home country), Sudan and Yemen.
As June is Gay Pride Month in the United States, it would be appropriate for every story that mentions homosexuality to include the phrase “which most of the world considers illegal.” Should broadcasters and newspapers opt not to, they should either similarly stop using the catchy phrase when mentioning Jews living in Jerusalem or acknowledge their own ingrained anti-Zionist bias.
In the wake of the Palestinian terrorist political party HAMAS firing 4,000 rockets into Israeli towns and the subsequent spike in anti-Semitism in the United States, freshman Congressman Mondaire Jones (D-NY) came to the home of a Westchester rabbi to talk to his constituents.
Rep. Mondaire Jones talking at a reform rabbi’s house in Westchester, NY on June 5, 2021
One would imagine that Israel and anti-Semitism would have been at the top of the agenda considering recent events. But that is fanciful thinking and detached from the reality of much of the non-Orthodox liberal Jewish community today.
The rabbi’s husband welcomed the crowd of roughly 40 people to his home. He began with the importance of combatting climate change as he introduced the congressman. Jones then spoke about his “lived experiences” and need to have an economy that worked for everybody and that combatted police violence. He discussed initiatives which he was advancing such as the America Rescue Plan and the child tax credit. He emphasized that government can be “transformative if the right people are in power.”
He then took questions.
The Jewish crowd began with a question about funding libraries. It then moved to immigration and how people can get more Democrats elected. Jones touched upon how things really move in Washington and the problem of the filibuster. Voter suppression, the infrastructure plan which included “human infrastructure” like childcare was discussed passionately. Jones suggested targeting Senator Marco Rubio of Florida (one of the most pro-Israel senators) and others on the next election cycle.
Far advanced into the meeting someone asked a question about foreign policy. They wanted to know about Afghanistan. Well, not really Afghanistan and terrorism. The question was will the U.S. provide immigration for Afghanis who provided assistance to the American war effort all these years.
With five minutes left in the hour meeting, someone brought up Israel.
Jones said he supported Israel’s right to defend itself and would oppose any conditioning of aid to Israel. Moreover, we would support funding the restocking Israel’s Iron Dome missile defense system which is important for its security.
He then launched into a series of worries, such as his discomfort with Israel’s leadership. He was concerned about discussions about annexing parts of the West Bank. He was upset about Arabs being forcibly evicted from their homes and the dignity of Palestinians. He concluded by saying that Israel has to stop treating Palestinians as though they are not human beings.
No one said a word or batted an eyelash at his contention that Israelis don’t think of Arabs as human. Instead, they moved on to the final question and then asked for money to support Jones’ reelection campaign.
The host concluded the talk with noting that the attendees (White Jews) were very happy with the replacement of Rep. Nita Lowey in their district and Rep. Eliot Engel just south of them – two White Jews replaced with Black non-Jews – as the ceding of power to another minority group was in order and appropriate for the times. In any event, all liberal priorities seemed to remain in place. [Note to reader: Rep. Jamaal Bowman who replaced Engel could not be more to the opposite extreme of Engel’s strong pro-Israel positions].
So a progressive Black gay freshman congressman came to address liberal Jews immediately after a mini-war from Gaza and a terrible spike in anti-Semitism in the U.S., and the crowd focused on a host of liberal issues over and above Jew-hatred and Israel.
If a congressman sees that Jews in his district do not prioritize anti-Semitism or the Jewish State, why should he?
Perhaps it is time to reintroduce some basic principles to parts of the liberal Jewish community such as from Ethics of the Fathers, 1:14: “Hillel says, ‘If I am not for myself, who will be for me? But if I am only for myself, who am I? If not now, when?‘”
UN Secretary-General António Guterres spoke to the General Assembly on May 20, 2021 as the latest battle between HAMAS and Israel was coming to a close. He spoke of the status of Jerusalem several times:
“I am also deeply concerned by the continuation of violent clashes between Israeli security forces and Palestinians across the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, where several Palestinian families are under the threat of eviction.”
“I urge Israel to cease demolitions and evictions in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, in line with its obligations under international humanitarian and human rights law. All settlement activities, including evictions and demolitions, are illegal under international law.”
“Jerusalem is a holy city for three world religions. I underscore that the status quo at the holy sites must be upheld and respected.”
“We must work towards a resumption of negotiations that will address the status of Jerusalem and other final status issues, end the occupation and allow for the realization of a two-State solution on the basis of the 1967 lines, United Nations resolutions, international law and mutual agreements, with Jerusalem as capital of both Israel and Palestine.”
Note how the UNSG switched between “East Jerusalem” and “Jerusalem.” He referred to it as an actual place when connected to the “occupied West Bank” but conceded that it is a single city otherwise.
When it came to East Jerusalem, he stated that Arabs have rights to live there while Jews have none. Any house where a Jew lives was transformed into a “settlement” even a building which he owns and where his ancestors lived.
As it relates to the “status quo at the holy sites” which currently includes a ban on Jewish prayer at their holiest location of the Jewish Temple Mount, Guterres wants that ban to remain in place. He also appears to want the Arab squatters in East Jerusalem’s Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood which refuse to pay rent to the Jewish owners, to be able to remain. However, he seemingly wants to see all the Jews living in “East Jerusalem” to be expelled from the city, as they are doing so illegally “under international law.”
Sheik Jarrah neighborhood as mapped out by Pro-Palestinian group Peace Now. Homes where Jews live are considered “settlements” while other homes get no special markings.
Guterres also called for resumption of negotiations between the parties but simultaneously called for the outcomes favored by the Palestinians: that the negotiating position starts from “the 1967 lines” and that Jerusalem will be the “capital of both Israel and Palestine,” positions not favored by Israel.
The various positions show inconsistency in application, unless viewed as seeking outcomes favored by Arabs.
If the United Nations favors the “status quo” on matters like the ban of Jewish prayer on the Temple Mount and protecting the residence of Palestinian squatters, it implicitly recognizes all Jews already living in East Jerusalem and should no longer call them “settlers.” If the UN seeks coexistence between Jews and Arabs, it should support full equal rights for Jews on the Temple Mount, and for Arabs and Jews to live together freely as they choose throughout Jerusalem. Lastly, if the UN wants the two parties to negotiate a peace, it should allow the parties to do so without prejudging an outcome on particular issues.
But the UN doesn’t truly support the status quo, coexistence or a peace negotiated between Israelis and Palestinians. The UN only backs the Palestinians, its adopted wards, which makes it impossible for the organization to play a constructive role between the parties. It also underscores the importance for the United States to remain squarely behind Israel.
The Three Little Pigs is a well-known children’s story. It relays how three pigs lived in different houses – of straw, sticks and of bricks. When a big bad wolf blew on the house of the pig living in a straw house, it collapsed quickly. In some versions of the story that pig ran to his friend in the house of sticks and in other versions he was eaten by the wolf.
The wolf then pursued the pigs in the house of sticks. It too came crashing down under the force of the wolf and the pigs ran for shelter in the pig’s house made of bricks. Using the same approach as before, the wolf was unable to blow down the strong house and needed to use greater force and a variety of means to try to destroy the brick house and kill the pigs inside. Ultimately, the wolf tried to climb down the chimney but the pigs had a fire ready for him and he died due to his own maniacal pursuits.
While using an un-kosher / non-halal animal is not ideal, this story is useful in considering the situation of the Jews and their non-Jewish neighbors.
Global Destruction of All Homes
The Jewish people built their foundational home in the land of Israel and have always considered it the center of Judaism, but those homes were destroyed over the millennia. They rebuilt houses of straw, sticks and bricks around the world, almost all of which crumbled under the forces of foes and neighbors including Babylonians, Romans, Muslims, Crusaders, Cossacks and Nazis. As recently as a century ago, there were many Jewish brick houses found in Poland, Germany, Austria, Argentina and Morocco while the Jewish homes in the United States, Palestine and Russia were only built with sticks and straw.
The Holocaust in Europe and the expulsion of Jews of the Arab world destroyed the magnificent brick houses as well as the smaller and more delicate ones. The remaining Jews scattered to rebuild and fortify the remaining houses. Today, the main Jewish brick homes stand in Israel and the United States, where approximately 85% of world Jewry lives.
Jewish Brick Homes in Israel
In Israel, the Jews are surrounded by roughly 7.25% of the global Muslim population. Israeli Jews are outnumbered by 20-to-1 in just their immediate vicinity, even though Israel has the largest number of Jews in the world. That is because Muslims outnumber Jews by over 100-to-1 in total.
Over the past century, Arab Muslim neighbors fought many wars – conventional and otherwise – against the Jews, trying to destroy their presence in their holy land. Jews survived the attacks and hardened their homes to withstand the onslaughts of their neighbors’ tanks, guns, scud missiles, hijackings, rockets and more.
As in “The Three Little Pigs,” the wolves were forced to modify their tactics to achieve their goal.
Palestinian suicide bombers forced Israel to build a separation barrier in the West Bank and convinced Israel to abandon its presence in Gaza. Building upon the successful guerilla warfare, the Palestinian wolves built terror tunnels for abductions, and introduced widespread stabbings, car rammings and incendiary balloons against Israelis.
The schemes did not produce the Muslims’ desired effects so the wolves have adopted two new principle strategies: 1) obtain powerful weapons of mass destruction; and 2) get Israel to soften its defenses so the wolves can penetrate the Jewish homes and drive them from the land.
The nuclear weapons plan of Iraq (1981) and Syria (2007) were foiled by Israel. At present, the Islamic Republic of Iran remains committed to pursuing nuclear weapons while calling for the destruction of Israel.
Regarding softening up Israel, the Palestinians seek to use global pressure – economic, political and military – to make Israel much more vulnerable to its all-out attacks and ultimately achieve the stated aim as clearly articulated in the HAMAS charter: destroy Israel and kill the Jews.
Nothing mobilizes the world against Jews as much as pictures of them killing children to rekindle historic blood libels. So HAMAS puts children in the frontlines of incursions at the Gaza border fence. The terrorist group launches rockets from residential neighborhoods, stores rockets in schools and builds terror tunnels underneath homes. Israel’s retaliatory attacks are designed by Palestinians to kill children who are served in open square caskets on the pages of the anti-Zionist world media.
New York Times large front page color picture showing children killed in latest fighting between HAMAS and Israel.
The noise not only activates anti-Zionist forces and makes Israel rethink how to prosecute wars, it serves as effective cover for Iran and others Islamic regimes to continue to build their ballistic missile and nuclear weapons capabilities.
The Lies of Victim Tally and Proportionate Force
The tally of the victims in battles between HAMAS and Israel will always be lopsided and serves as another effective tool to hurt Israel. The anti-Zionist press readily regurgitates the false narrative that victim tallies equates to proportionality of force. The truth is that HAMAS uses the maximum forces at its disposal while Israel uses only an iota of its capabilities. Gazans deliberately fire at Israeli civilians while Israel attempts to minimize civilian casualties with targeted attacks after warnings.
The gap in victim tallies is the result of a difference of FORCE MINUS DEFENSES, not a disproportionate use of force. Gazans lack bomb shelters for civilians and an air defense system. They fire missiles from densely populated neighborhoods which are intertwined with terrorist infrastructure. To isolate the comparison of force between the parties is to consider Gazans’ all-out evil intent of using its maximal firepower, against the soft power of a superior army. The disproportionate defenses produced the real difference, not the applied force of each party.
If there was no Egyptian and Israeli blockade of Gaza and HAMAS was able to import more advanced weaponry from Iran and Turkey, the death and destruction which Israel would have been forced to unleash on Gaza would have been significantly greater. The blockade likely saved thousands of Arab and Jewish lives.
But pro-Palestinian advocates will argue for lifting the blockade of Gaza, for spending millions to rebuild the Strip complete with bomb shelters, for boycotting Israeli companies, for stripping the Jewish State’s military aid and charging the country and its leaders with war crimes. Each action would increase the duration of the next war and its death toll.
Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.), attacking US support for Israel in Congress on May 13, 2021.
The world’s remaining Jews have only two brick houses, and have learned to recognize the tactics and relentlessness of those desirous of destroying them. Jews cannot be passive as both the wolves and the wolves in sheep’s clothing act to destroy their last homes.
The world has a long history of telling Jews where they can and cannot live. Jews were not only barred from certain professions in the countries in which they lived but were limited in where they could have a home. Russia had its ‘Pale of Settlement’ and Europe had its ghettoes. Today, the United Nations supports Arabs’ wishes for Jews to be barred from living in half of the Jewish holy land.
The absurd whines of ‘Judaizing’ Jerusalem coming from Muslim countries is to be expected. Their wish to delegitimize the ancient history and deep roots of Jews to a city they also consider holy has a selfish motivation. While it doesn’t give them a pass for the anti-Semitism of denying Jews their history and culture, it can at least be rationalized.
But what can possibly be the motivation of The New York Times writing about the ‘Judaization’ of Israel itself?
As the latest May 2021 Gaza war came to a close, the Times ran a piece on May 23rd “Before Rage Flared, A Push To Makes Israeli Mixed Towns More Jewish.” The Times bemoaned how many “right-wing” Jews were leaving the West Bank and settling into mixed Arab-Jewish Israeli towns, making them more Jewish. Somehow the paper which repeatedly criticizes Jews living east of the 1948 Armistice Lines is now even upset when the Jews leave and move west of the ’48 Lines, if they seek to live amongst Arabs.
Jews in the central Israeli city of Lod, near the country’s main airport. (photo: Dan Balilty/The New York Times)
The Times has been educating its readers that Jews should remain in their ghettoes, even in the United States. It wrote in a sympathetic manner how the Black community in Jersey City and other New Jersey towns felt that Jews were aggressively pushing into their Black communities. For the progressive media, it was not surprising that several Black people shot and killed Jewish residents. As President Obama’s press secretary Josh Earnest said of Jews moving into homes in Jerusalem which they had legally purchased, those Jews have an “agenda [which] provokes tensions.” For progressives,it is the presence of Jews which causes the problem, not the non-Jewish hatred of incoming Jewish neighbors.
Even inside of Israel, the anti-Zionist rag bemoans the presence of Jews which it can only picture as right-wing nationalistic racists, in sharp contrast to Arabs who have a rightful aspiration to a Jew-free country as well as being independent or a majority inside of Israel. The progressive mantra of a two state solution is 1.5 states for Arabs and 0.5 of a state for Jews. And even that, might be too much for those ‘right-wing’ Jews.
Away from Twitterland and the evening news, where some politicians like Ritchie Torres (D-NY) have been vociferously pro-Israel, some politicians have quietly been nice enough to reply to my emails and share their thoughts about the latest fight between Israel and HAMAS. To not be accused of bias or taking people out of context, I have included their full remarks below.
But to summarize:
Both New York State Senators Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gilligrand did not respond to numerous emails. Neither did Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-NY) who took over Eliot Engel’s seat. Quite a disgrace.
Two Republican congressmen – Mark Green (TN) and August Pfluger (TX) – were not only nice enough to respond (I am from NY) but wrote some wonderful pro-Israel statements.
Progressive Congressman Mondaire Jones (NY) broke with many alt-left wing colleagues and supported Israel.
Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) was pathetic. He equivocated about Israel’s defense before a terrorist organization.
Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT) offered nothing but a canned short statement.
Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY) just offered her letter which she penned with Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) but it was thoughtfully pro-Israel.
Congressman Mark Green (R-TN)
Thank you for contacting me about U.S. support for the State of Israel. It is an honor to represent the people of Tennessee’s Seventh Congressional District, and I appreciate the opportunity to learn your thoughts on this issue.
From my three deployments to the Middle East with the U.S. Army, I know that Israel is a stabilizing force and our most reliable ally in the region. Israel is one of the only nations in the region genuinely committed to a democratic system of government and the protection of individual freedom. Our two nations have shared an enduring bond since the United States was the first to recognize the State of Israel in 1948, and we find common cause today in our fight against terrorist groups and the aggression of the Iranian regime that supports such movements.
I was proud to stand with President Trump in defense of our ally Israel, especially with regard to his Administration’s decision to officially recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. I also strongly oppose the anti-Semitic Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement that seeks to shame and isolate America’s strongest ally in the Middle East. As a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, I will continue to reaffirm American support for Israel as it seeks to defend its security and sovereignty.
If you have any other questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me. Your comments and opinions are a vital source of information to assist me in carrying out my duties as your representative in Congress. Please visit my website at markgreen.house.gov, where you can sign up for my newsletter updates and learn more about my work in Congress on your behalf.
Congressman August Pfluger (R-TX)
It was a tragic week for the Jewish community around the world. Though a ceasefire was declared between Israel and Palestine, the resulting civilian casualties and the destruction of sacred land is heartbreaking. It has never been more important to stand in solidarity with Israel, our strongest ally in the Middle East and the only democracy in the region. Israel is a beacon of freedom in the Arab world – we must defend our important ally. I am horrified to see Anti-Semitic violence breaking out in our country in the wake of the conflict, as Jewish Americans are being assaulted, terrorized, and threatened in cities across the U.S. These attacks are reprehensible and evil. Targeting a religious group is antithetical to who we are and what we stand for as a free nation. I am calling on all of my colleagues in Congress to stand up and condemn anti-Semitism and all forms prejudice.
Rep. August Pfluger’s Facebook page
Congressman Mondaire Jones (D-NY)
Like you, I am heartbroken by the toll inflicted on innocent civilians by this ongoing conflict. I am deeply committed to the strong relationship between Israel and the United States, and believe we must pursue a permanent, diplomatic solution to the ongoing crisis that addresses the underlying, decades-long conflict. I urge both parties to take steps that move both sides closer to a permanent two-state solution that preserves the self-determination and dignity of both peoples.
I have strongly condemned the rocket attacks launched by Hamas against Israeli cities, and my heart goes out to those under fire. Such attacks only deepen the ongoing suffering of both Israeli citizens and Palestinians living in Gaza. Thankfully, on May 20, Israel announced a mutual ceasefire after 11 days of the worst violence the region had seen in years.
I am committed to finding a just and peaceful resolution of this longstanding conflict, and I believe the United States will play a critical role in achieving this goal. I joined my colleagues in sending a letter to the leaders of the House Appropriations Committee expressing support for the full funding of $3.8 billion in security assistance to Israel as authorized in the 2016 US-Israel Memorandum of Understanding. Reducing or conditioning assistance to Israel, which President Biden has dismissed, would adversely impact U.S. security priorities in the Middle East and undermine Israel’s ability to defend itself from threats in the region. As the only democracy in the Middle East, Israel is a vital ally for the United States. I look forward to working with my colleagues to maintain our strong, special relationship with the state of Israel.
Thank you again for sharing your perspective with me. If you or your family need assistance with federal agencies or in response to COVID-19, please call my office at (914) 323-5550 or visit jones.house.gov to learn more about the resources and services available to you. To follow my work in Washington, I urge you to sign-up for my e-newsletter, and follow me on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
Senator Dick Durbin(D-IL)
Thank you for contacting me about the recent conflict between Israel and Hamas. I appreciate hearing from you and share your concern over the recent level of violence.
On May 21, Israel and Hamas entered into a cease fire agreement after more than ten days of the highest level of violence in years. The violence between the Israeli and Palestinian people is the culmination of decades of neglect and lack of political will to find a lasting peace that provides an independent state for the Palestinians and lasting security for the Israelis.
For too long, efforts to win short-term political gains have come at the expense of a desperately needed solution. I fear further neglect of this issue, combined with a failure to address militarized Hamas and continued Israeli settlement expansion, will doom any chance for an enduring two-state solution.
Earlier this year, I wrote to Secretary Anthony Blinken in support of renewed US involvement in the peace process. I know he and President Biden understand the importance of finally addressing these critical needs for our Israeli and Palestinian friends whose children deserve to grow up in peace.
I will continue to monitor any developments on this issue and keep your thoughts in mind should Congress address this matter.
Thank you again for contacting me. Please feel free to keep in touch.
Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT)
WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Chairman of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Near East, South Asia, Central Asia and Counterterrorism, on Thursday released the following statement on the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas:
“I’m relieved by reports that Israel and Hamas have agreed to a ceasefire, and I commend President Biden and Secretary Blinken for the role they played in bringing a halt to the violence. However, I am deeply concerned that without meaningful progress towards a two-state future, the conditions of despair will deepen, further fuel extremism and lead to a tragic renewal of the cycle of violence,” said Murphy.
Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY)
President Joe Biden has made his intentions to return to the failed foreign policies of the past very clear. This includes the Biden administration’s intent for the United States to “re-engage immediately and robustly” with the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) without receiving any commitments for much needed institutional reforms. The U.N. General Assembly created the UNHRC in 2006 to strengthen the promotion and protection of human rights globally and address the most pressing human rights crises. Since then, the very essence of the UNHRC has been corrupt, with some of the world’s worst human rights violators as sitting members, including China, Russia, Venezuela and Cuba. Both of our families know firsthand the human cost associated with repressive regimes. Our families had their beloved homeland taken over by brutal communists, and their experiences shaped our lives and gave us a special appreciation for the freedoms and values we have as Americans. It also gave us the understanding that America has to stand in support of human rights across the globe. More than 60 years later, the basic rights of the Cuban people remain nonexistent. Shamefully, Cuba is a current member of the UNHCR, where they are given a platform to speak on human rights. This is an absolute slap in the face to the Cuban people. Similarly disturbing is Venezuela’s current membership on the council. Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro made an address at the opening of the council’s 46th regular session this year. This is an insult to the millions of Venezuelans who are suffering, including the approximately five million refugees and migrants who have been forced to flee due to the humanitarian catastrophe brought on by Maduro’s corrupt narco-regime. In a matter of years, Maduro transformed Venezuela from one of the wealthiest countries in South America into an economic catastrophe, where Venezuelans cannot access basic essentials. The illegitimate regime has killed and tortured dissidents, independent reporters, university students and civilians. This is the same regime that was found to have committed crimes against humanity by the U.N. Independent Fact-Finding Mission on Venezuela. Current members on the council also include Russia, where Vladimir Putin and his cronies target dissidents, invade neighboring countries, and are working to stamp out independent media from the country. And the most egregious of all might be a sitting member that is actively committing genocide. One of UNHRC’s longest-serving members, China, under the control of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), is currently waging a brutal campaign of crimes against humanity and genocide against Uyghur Muslims. Their crimes include forced abortions and sterilization, forced labor, and detaining over one million Uyghurs and other Muslims in camps. The Council has also made no effort to mask its contempt for the Jewish state of Israel. The obsession and hostility toward Israel has led to a permanent agenda item – number 7 – focused on condemning Israel. No other country is subject to such perpetual harassment. Israel is the sole democracy in the Middle East that respects human rights and the rule of law. Yet, over half of UNHCR resolutions target Israel. The Human Rights Council is a broken institution. Any country that egregiously violates the basic rights of its citizens should not have a role on an international body tasked with ending human rights abuses. It is a mockery to human rights everywhere and the United States should not participate unless real reforms are met. America’s presence on the council, alongside these nations, only legitimizes the hypocritical abuses that have plagued this body for years. For the sake of those suffering under repressive regimes, President Biden must make the right choice and stand for human rights. The Biden administration should not follow in the footsteps of the Obama administration and so-called experts who prioritized meaningless “engagement” over impact. Biden proudly proclaimed “America is back,” but America should not go “back” to international organizations that undermine our interests and human rights globally. The bottom line is this: returning to the UNHRC would require a dramatic overhaul of this corrupt body to implement its founding mission. Oppressed peoples around the world are watching in the hopes that America will stand with them and against their oppressors. Do what is right, Mr. President.
President Barack Obama pressured the Palestinian Authority to stop inciting terrorism against Israeli civilians late in his second term. The Consolidated Appropriation Act of 2016 outlined that the State Department should reduce funds to the PA “equivalent to the amount expended by the Palestinian Authority as payments for acts of terrorism by individuals who are imprisoned after being fairly tried and convicted for acts of terrorism and by individuals who died committing acts of terrorism.” That Act was followed by the Taylor Force Act which “condition[ed] assistance to the West Bank and Gaza on steps by the Palestinian Authority to end violence and terrorism against Israeli citizens.“
PA President Mahmoud Abbas was unmoved and refused to stop the very popular “Pay-to-Slay” program which rewarded terrorists and their families based on their crimes and how long they served in Israeli jails.
President Trump continued to act upon U.S. principles to withdraw American largess when Abbas said that he celebrated martyrs and was commitment to pay Palestinian terrorist families “even if it costs PA its last penny.” Trump not only pulled donations from the PA but from UNRWA, the United Nations agency which employs 30,000 Palestinians to handle the education, healthcare, housing and small business loans for 6.3 million Palestinian Arabs.
While funding to the Palestinians withered during Trump’s term, so did the wars and terrorist activity. The wars from Gaza which began shortly after Obama was elected (2008-9) continued with wars in 2012 and 2014, followed by the “Stabbing and Car Ramming Intifada” from the West Bank in 2015-6, slowed to a low boil. Overall, 47 Israelis were killed by Arab terrorists during Trump’s term, the lowest tally in any four year span going back decades. This coincided with the fewest Palestinians killed during the four Trump years due to the lack of any large scale attacks.
Enter President Joe Biden in 2021, who made clear his desire to start giving money to Palestinians without insisting on reforms to their laws or activities. Biden’s team began to work with the PA to figure out ways to funnel it funds without tripping U.S. laws. Some ideas floated had the “martyr” families getting “jobs” with the PA for which they needn’t show. Another considered using the Palestinian Postal system to make the prisoner payments as the U.S. laws were directed at banks.
Ha ha. HAMAS leaders know better.
Rather than having a trickle of money pour into Palestinian pockets, they manufactured a “humanitarian crisis.” They launched rockets (which had been gathering dust during the Trump years) from densely populated Gaza neighborhoods into Israeli towns, inviting retaliatory strikes causing tremendous damage to lives and infrastructure. Palestinians then mobilized with follow-up appeals to the global community, complete with pictures of children amid the rubble as they cast themselves as victims to a charged anti-Zionist audience.
The United States reduced funding to the Palestinian Authority because of its refusal to stop INCITING terrorism, but now plans to pour hundreds of millions of dollars because of COMMITING terrorism. Such is the finesse of HAMAS, playing on the stupidity of an administration which refuses to hold terrorists accountable as well as eager to cut checks to anyone who looks like a victim.
To listen to the United Nations and to read the mainstream media, one would think that there is a true understanding of Palestinian Arabs. The Palestinian advocates argue on their behalf so often, one naturally assumes that they have their current sentiments thoroughly summed up.
Alas, “hope” was not just the aspirational theme for Barack Obama, but the mantra of the Palestinian fan club. The UN, alt-left press and politicians are on a marketing and propaganda mission, and facts are a necessary casualty.
Some examples touted repeatedly by the UN and left-wing extremists include: that the principal issue for Palestinians is the Israeli “occupation”; that the people of Gaza just want to live in peace alongside Israel; that they are ruled by an Islamic militant group they don’t want or like; and that they support a two-state solution.
These are all lies.
The Palestinians poll themselves every three months whose findings showcase the opposite sentiments. Here are some recent findings from March 2021:
Palestinians are primarily concerned about the failure of their own economy and leadership. The number one issue which Palestinians want the Palestinian Authority to address is the economy. The second issue is the rampant corruption in the leadership ranks and in public institutions. Coming in third is not wanting Israeli Jews to live in the West Bank and Gaza and dealing with the Israeli military. (When the question was asked slightly differently in the same poll, the top three issues included reunifying Gaza and the West Bank – “occupation” came in fourth).
Palestinians are not in favor of a “two-state solution.” Roughly 57% of Palestinians oppose the idea, with Gazans opposing it even more (65%) than Arabs in the West Bank (51%).
Gazans support attacking Israelis. Roughly 70% of Gazans said that they support physically attacking Israeli civilians inside of Israel. That is down from 77% who were in favor of attacking Jewish civilians in December 2020. This seemingly outrageous and horrific question is actually asked each quarter, and the high positive response rate shows why.
Palestinians hate their “moderate” leader. Roughly 68% of Palestinians want acting President of the PA Mahmoud Abbas to resign immediately.
Palestinians want a terrorist to serve as president. When offered the idea of voting for anyone for president, the leading candidate is Marwan Barghouti (22%) a terrorist convicted of killing five people and sitting in an Israeli jail. The runner-up is Ismail Haniyeh (14%), the head of the terrorist group Hamas.
These findings are consistent with the 2014 ADL poll which found the Palestinians to be the most anti-Semitic in the world (93% – almost every Palestinian Arab harbors anti-Jewish attitudes), who elected a Holocaust denier as president and the anti-Semitic Hamas terrorist group to 58% of the parliament in the last elections.
Yet this entire fact-pattern is concealed in the narrative packaged to the world. Without the underlying information, people cannot ponder their own assessment of the Arab-Israel conflict.
A thoughtful reviewer of the situation armed with facts might consider that Palestinian Arabs are running their own version of the region’s “Arab Spring” in which locals rebel against their leaders because of systemic corruption of governmental institutions and terrible economic conditions. In the Palestinian Arab Spring, the local Arabs see more to be gained in attacking the wealthier Jewish State next door rather than their own leadership so as to 1) get the west to spend more monies in rebuilding their failed institutions and infrastructure, 2) win more land or trade from Israel, 3) push as many stateless Arabs as possible into the richer Israel in a “right of return”, or 4) ultimately get a one-state solution in which all of the Arabs get a huge upgrade by merging into Israel, a first world functioning country. Such viewpoint leads to a conclusion that the latest May 2021 fighting was principally a response to PA President Mahmoud Abbas cancelling the first elections to be held in 15 years, not protests to a localized eviction of squatters in Jerusalem.
If the world knew of the Palestinians’ anti-Semitism, preference for violence and a one state- solution, and their primary disgust at their own leaders’ failures, perhaps they would be less likely to believe the chants at the United Nations, from “progressive” politicians and the alt-left media that it is Israeli actions which are to blame for the current death and destruction. It would plainly reveal the alt-left’s ongoing global quest of moving assets from those with more to those with less, regardless of the actual situation in the Middle East and merits and methodology of doing so.
The press prefers to censor conservative and pro-Israel platforms as it publishes its #AlternativeFacts and #FakeNews spouted from its favorite progressives. The United Nations whitewashes the hatred and crimes of its adopted Palestinian wards as it attempts to create a Palestinian state regardless of its costs.
The Palestinian propaganda machine has a pre-packaged narrative and solution which they want the world to swallow whole: Israel – like the United States – was built on racism and theft, and it must abdicate/share its land, wealth, military capabilities, technology, security, dignity and independence with its impoverished neighbor. Sharing the frightening facts and horrible sentiments of Palestinian Arabs undermines that goal.
Progressive politicians and the left-wing media are using three terms interchangeably regarding Arab residents of Jewish Israeli-owned homes in the Sheikh Jarrah section of Jerusalem. Doing so is not only inaccurate but inflammatory.
Here is a primer to understand the difference of the terms:
Eviction is the act of removing a single entity (person/ family) from a single location.
Expulsion is the act of removing a single entity from an entire region.
Ethnic Cleansing is the act of removing an entire ethnic/ religious group from an entire region.
The situation in Sheikh Jarrah is an eviction. It pertains to Arab squatters who have not paid rent to their landlords for several years. These tenants are not being forced from the neighborhood and are free to move into adjacent apartment buildings inside of Jerusalem. The Israeli courts, which have jurisdiction on the matter whether someone believes that the eastern section of Jerusalem is Israel or believes Israel is responsible as the “Occupying Force,” ruled that the evictions are legal.
This case is discrete. Israel is not involved in a massive expulsion of Arab residents from Jerusalem. As proof, from 1980, the year Israel formalized Jerusalem as its eternal undivided capital in its Basic Laws, until 2019, the Arab population in Jerusalem grew 3.4 times, dwarfing the Jewish population growth rate which was only 1.9 times over that period. The number of households (homes/ apartments) for Arabs rose 188% since 1990 compared to just 64% for Jews. Further, all Arab residents can apply for Israeli citizenship and these past few years have seen a spike in Arabs becoming Israelis.
In sharp contrast, an example of ethnic cleansing can be seen by what the Jordanian Arabs did to Jews in Jerusalem from 1948 to 1954. First they invaded Israel and killed or expelled all of the Jews from the “West Bank” region they illegally seized. They destroyed 58 synagogues in the Old City of Jerusalem and barred any Jews from even visiting their holiest location during their duration of illegal rule. And they annexed the entire area including eastern Jerusalem, passed a law making it illegal to sell land to Jews and granted citizenship to anyone “not being Jewish.“
That’s actual ethnic cleansing, which is a very different dynamic than Arab residents of Jerusalem have experienced under Israeli rule.
But the alt-left is doing its utmost to paint Israel as racist:
Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) said that Israel “is practicing ethnic cleansing.“
Ilhan Omar (D-MN) said “This [Jerusalem] deputy mayor is describing ethnic cleansing here, yet everyone is [sic] the West is pretending that’s not what’s happening to Palestinians.“
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez spoke about “the expulsions of Palestinians.“
The New York Times wrote about “the plight of six Palestinian families facing expulsion from their homes.“
These lies have inflamed the passions of radical jihadists. Hundreds of people have died and millions of dollars of damage has been done in large part because of the incitement.
Reps. Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar, who has has often been accused of anti-Semitism, lead the false charge against Israel of an “ethnic cleansing” of Jerusalem Arabs. (Photo: Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call)
Progressive politicians and the far left media have a direct hand in the deaths and injuries of hundreds of Arabs and Jews in and around Israel over the past weeks. While their lies and smears caused horrific damage thousands of miles away, it is a price the alt-left is willing to pay to boost their bona fides with anti-Zionist extremists who support them and keep them in positions of influence.
When protestors only show up for certain victims and conflicts, what is the takeaway?
The Palestinian terrorist political party HAMAS launched thousands of rockets into Israel in May 2021, seemingly ready to add a fourth war to its tally since it took over Gaza in 2007. In short order, the streets in major cities around the world were full of protesters raging about the hundreds of people who were killed by Israel’s retaliatory attacks on the HAMAS terrorist infrastructure.
Protesters at a Free Palestine demonstration in Sydney in May 2021. Thousands of people have marched in Sydney and Melbourne as the conflict in Gaza worsened. (Photo: Bianca de Marchi/AFP/Getty Images)
Yet no one has taken to the streets regarding the multi-year ongoing war that has killed 250,000 people in impoverished Yemen. Thousands of children have been killed in the bloody campaign but the loss of life of these poor Muslim Arabs gathers neither tears nor shouts. The United Nations and news agencies don’t post daily death totals on that tragedy. Or weekly. Or monthly.
That’s an Israel phenomenon.
In over six years of war, one cannot find a single article about protestors in Australia assembling in the streets to protest the carnage in Yemen. The best one finds is an opinion piece from two and one-half years ago, arguing that Australia should stop supplying Saudi Arabia with weapons because of the 85,000 children who died either directly or indirectly from the war which was only four years-old at that point in time.
The situation is identical for “Pro-Palestinian” protests in South Africa, Brazil, the Netherlands and the United States. Though tens and hundreds of thousands more Muslim Arabs in Yemen and Syria may be being killed, the streets only fill with protestors for Palestinian Arabs.
Which begs the questions as to why.
It is not as though the dynamics are unique with various state actors like Saudi Arabia/ Iran/ Yemen in one situation compared to Israel versus a non-state entity like the Palestinian Authority in the other, as many countries like Brazil and South Africa recognize Palestine as an actual country.
It is also a fact that Israel is not waging war against the Palestinians generally; it is targeting the terrorist group HAMAS, much like the U.S. targeting the Taliban in Afghanistan (another situation which has gathered virtually no global protests despite the war raging for twenty years).
The streets seemingly echo the halls of the United Nations, which adopted the Palestinians as its perennial wards, thereby making it incapable of condemning its own foster children regardless of its continued war crimes. Palestinians are always, and can only be victims.
But the protestors are even angrier than the U.N. The United Nations does not – at least openly – seek the destruction of the Jewish State. The same cannot be said of many of the agitators with signs ranging from “From the River to the sea“, “Hitler was right” and chants “We don’t want no two states; we want ’48.” These activists assemble in plazas where Nazis destroyed synagogues – literally on the ashes of Jews – to try to label Israel as the actual terrorist group rather than HAMAS.
It is in watching the protests that the answer to the uniqueness of solidarity with Palestinians shines through: it is not the nature of the victim or scale of the battle which brings out the anger but the underlying cause itself. The protestors do not see HAMAS as a terrorist organization or its charter calling for the destruction of Israel as unjust. They do not believe in the legitimacy of Israel and want it dismantled, and believe that IT CAN be dismantled.
Pro-Palestinian agitators aren’t seeking to protect Palestinian civilians as much as they want to pressure their own governments to make Israel vulnerable – politically, militarily and economically – to facilitate HAMAS’s goal of destroying the Jewish State.
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