As a kid, I loved the circus. It was a full show of
nonstop excitement; high wire walkers, trapeze flyers flipping from one bar to
another, and most of all, clowns. Nothing fascinated a small child as much as
clowns under the big top; dressed in ridiculous costumes, floppy shoes ten
times too big, hats and capes and baggy pants that kept falling down revealing
poker dot underwear. I could laugh for hours.
Today, as an adult, I no longer find clowns quite as
amusing, especially when the clown is my own country.
And who is laughing at America today? Not the world. Most
countries around the globe find our circus act frightening. The one laughing is Israel.
We keep talking about a two state solution. Both
“presumptive” presidential candidates applaud the two-state solution, knowing
full well such is a fantasy. One state is a dominating power of privilege and the
other is a prison.
Last year, when Sweden decided to recognize a Palestinian
state, Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman had a fit, “The decision of
the Swedish government to recognize a Palestinian state is a deplorable decision…
relations in the Middle East are a lot more complex than the self-assembly
furniture of IKEA.”[1]
After years of US media and politicians singing the tune
of a two-state solution, Israel has come clean and admitted this was not going
to happen and it has never been seriously considered.
Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter:
"Netanyahu does not now and has
never sincerely believed in a two-state solution for Israel and Palestine", and
accused him of deciding early on to adopt a one-state solution, but without
giving them [the Palestinians] equal rights.[2]
I laughed when the clown leaned over, stepped on his own necktie
and struggled to stand back up. It is funny when the clown acts like a fool.
It’s another thing when we are the clown. While demanding a two-state solution, we, the
US, has been financing the settlements and Jewish only roads in the occupied territory
which Israel now says makes a two-state solution impossible. If it were in the circus, it would be funny, but
when it means the loss of land, water, lively hood, health care, life and
dignity for millions of Palestinians, and we are responsible by our gift of
billions of dollars every year and veto cover at the United Nations, it is not
funny.
Netanyahu openly declares that he is not concerned about
the American conscience saying that America can easily be manipulated:
They asked me before the
election if I would honor the Oslo Accords. I said I would, but I’m going to
interpret the Accords in such a way that will allow me to put an end to this
galloping forward to the ’67 borders.
How
do we do it?
Nobody said what “defined
military zones” were. Defined military zones are security zones. As far as I’m
concerned, the entire Jordan Valley is a defined military zone.[3]
When asked about American concern for justice and fair
play, Netanyahu says:
I know what America is. America
is a thing you can moved very easily.
If there is any question about his image of Americans,
just remember his address to the US Congress in March of 2015. By-passing the
White House, he chose to accept the invitation of the opposing party to address
our Congress. It was a Netanyahu pep rally. “Congress interrupted to applaud 39
times. 23 of these were standing ovations.” More than one-fourth of his speaking
time was listening to applause and standing ovations. Like a circus full of “Jacks
in a Box,” members of our legislative branch jumped up and down every minute or
so to flatter a foreign head of state as he undercut our president’s efforts to
avoid a military confrontation with Iran.
I repeat, while declaring that settlements are an obstacle
to peace, we send billions of dollars to support the building of
settlements. Israel laughs.
Such is laughable, but when it comes to the murder of
American citizens by Israel, it is no longer funny.
I think of 23 year old Rachel Corrie crushed to death, while
seeking to prevent the demolition of a Palestinian home in 2003. And Israel’s
deliberate attack on the USS Liberty, killing
34 US sailors in 1967. And in
2010, the nineteen-year old American high school student on board the Mavi Marmara, seeking to bring
humanitarian aid to Gaza in 2010, and the US Government has done NOTHING in protest
The biggest joke under the big top is that we still speak
of Israel as a democracy. Israel has no constitution to protect its own citizens. Democracies have a government of the people
with a military. On the other hand, Israel has a military with a government to
do its bidding. Even more painful is the fact that Israel has never declared the
boundaries over which its “democracy” rules, which means that no one is safe
from its goals of expansion. The will of the people, which is the hallmark of
democracy, has no say in how they are governed. I don’t know what to call that,
but it is not a democracy.
Israel shows little respect for International law, makes
a mockery of the Geneva Convention of which it is a signatory and daily
violates the common rules of human decency.
Nevertheless, strike up the band and America dances like a clown. Just
like Netanyaho said we would.
Thomas Are
June 8, 2016