Faced with the dueling condemnations over his massive settlement expansion plans, both by an international community that sees it killing any potential for renewing the peace process, and by settlers who wanted much more, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu decided to focus his efforts to placate on the later.
Netanyahu insisted such massive expansions were the new normal, declaring this a whole new era where “we are going to be doing many things differently,” and declaring the huge expansion announced yesterday as “just a taste” of what is yet to be announced.
This appears to jibe with Netanyahu’s other recent comments, in which he declared that Israel would build with no restrictions in occupied East Jerusalem, and that a similar lack of restraint would soon be the official policy in West Bank settlements as well.
Israel’s far-right government is heavily dependent on the overwhelming support of the settler movement, and many believe since President Trump’s inauguration that Israel can more or less get away with anything without fear of any international recriminations. Many top MPs are eager to put this to a test with wholesale annexations, and Netanyahu appears to be trying to keep them satisfied with something at least a bit short of that.
Trump is a cagey fellow. He sells a product’s attractive features while downplaying or even not mentioning the price. He does not give anything away. He takes a profit.
Racist zionists are delighted with the green light but what will their reaction be when presented with the tab? What will the invoice list? Possibilities include wholesale retroactive approval of unauthorized Arab housing, massive granting of housing approvals for non-Jewish housing, integrated housing for all Israeli building developments, a shutdown of apartheid, a cutback of aid or a one state solution.
Bibi & Co. may be surprised to find that Trump’s policy of America First does not include their airy-fairy vision of Israel having a status of being a 51st state. Trump’s goal of Make America Great Again may not be an endorsement of Netanyahu’s trademark Racism. The piper may have to be paid.
prepare to be disappointed
Obviously.
Note how the support of Trump becomes more weak-hearted and surreal as they try to piece together excuses for Trump.
Disgusting. And in fact in a large part coming out of what they read from Raimondo as he just keeps it up.
Antiwar.com staff, it’s time for some damage control now before all respect for this site is destroyed.
Unfortunately for the Palestinians there is no Arab or Islamic unity. A Pan Arab unity, will be the only thing that can put a stop to Netanyahu’s lebensraum. But with the self destructive inter religious fighting this will never happen. Trump by supporting this madness does not realize that there is no way American can be great again when America becomes the tool of Israeli foreign policy. It makes a mockery of US sovereignty and diminishes America’s moral strength, a strength that comes from stated American ideals, that Trump is making a mockery of with his support for Israeli expansion, and Israel’s apartheid government. But, Hillary,controlled by the same forces would have been no better. It seems the American president is just the Israeli Viceroy. So after Trump restores American jobs he will have done his duty and it will be time to vote him out of office. Perhaps someone will come along to campaign to make America free again.
Netanyahu has chosen the path for Israel. Let’s not make it our path too. They are on their own now, to find a way to make it work, to find peace, or not.
Should we have helped White South Africa keep control, because we see blacks now making such a mess of the place?
Should we have helped White Rhodesia keep control, because Mugabe has been such a disaster?
Those are the arguments against the Palestinians — that they can’t or won’t form a government that we like. If that is reason enough for what Israel is doing, wouldn’t three such colonial projects have been better?
But the first successful rule for South Africa and Rhodesia was “they are on their own.”
No Mark, Israel is not on it’s own. It has the backing of the large majority of the American people.
It may have appeared for a day or two that there was change in the wind from what Trump said in his campaign speeches but all that hope has been dashed on the rocks.
I would see it as a challenge by Trump to the Arab world and it could bring forth a reaction similar or even worse than 911.
After all, Osama Bin Laden was very straight forward as proclaiming US support of that apartheid regime and the treatment of the Palestinian people as one of his main motives for revenge.
Trump has obviously given him what he’s always wanted from the US. We may not hear the full story but we will know it’s true regardless. And so it’s a done deal.
All that is left is to ask the American people if they are happy with what Trump has done for Netanyahu and his accomplices.
I would estimate that in the hearts and minds of the American people, it is at least 50% popular and likely more like 60% in favour.
Debate it but don’t let your thinking be influenced by what the few antiwar supporters on this site seem to think. Antiwar.com and it’s followers are seen as the fringe crazies in the US.
luv from Canada.