It's
Time We Reigned In Israel
And Called Them On Their Policies
By Tim Gatto
07 March,
2008
Countercurrents.org
The evening on CBS Evening News, the top story was a brutal killing of 7 students in a Jewish School in East Jerusalem. The television had scenes from the incident and words from President Bush condemning the carnage. The group that took credit for the attack was Hezbollah and they claimed it was in retaliation for an attack on them in Lebanon that killed their #2 man in the organization. While I am in no way excusing the attack in Israel, I would like to point out something that came up halfway through the news report.
This was the mention that over 100 Palestinian people had been killed by The Israeli Self Defense Forces in their recent assault in Gaza. This was only part of the carnage brought about by the Jewish State, as they have systematically caused the deaths of thousands of men, women and children that had the misfortune to live there. The 100 that died in the recent attacks over the last few days were also men, women and children, but I didn’t hear President Bush decry their deaths. It seems as if Palestinians are expendable while Jewish blood is somehow more sacred than the deaths of the people of Gaza. The report that the attacks were not even carried out in Israel by the Palestinians themselves speaks volumes.
When is our government going to take an even-handed approach to the killing in and around Israel? Is it no wonder that the Arab States in the region are loath to sit down with American and Israeli diplomats to end this killing once and for all? Where is the Israeli impetus to end the bloodshed when it has the promise of American support for any type of violence that may be directed towards them regardless who was at fault This unconditional support is probably the prime reason that Israel has absolutely no desire to broker a meaningful peace treaty. Why should they make concessions to the Arabs when they have the blind support of the U.S.? They can continue their genocide in Gaza with no fear of repercussion. The only truly powerful State that has the tenacity to resist Israel’s plans is Iran, and they have their own problems with the United States.
The only thing that will bring peace to the region lies with the American people. Once we realize that we are not supporting a struggling democracy that is surrounded on all sides by enemies but rather is the predominant military power in the region, will we realize that most of what we see and hear is pure propaganda. Israel has over 300 nuclear weapons and the means to deliver them. The Israelis can take care of themselves in a conventional war also. The Arab governments surrounding Israel have either signed peace treaties with the Jewish State or are so fractured internally that they are virtually powerless against Israeli aggression.
The Jewish state has also become one of the leading right-wing states in the world. The term Zionism which was a propaganda tool twenty years ago has evolved into an absolutely real and threatening reality. The promise of the Jewish State as a peaceful homeland for the Jewish people has turned into something completely different. Almost every dollar we send to Israel for aid comes back to us in AIPAC money to buy our elected officials support for all they do. The American people hold the key that will stop the rampant rise of militarism in Israel. It’s time we called on our elected officials to stop giving Israel Carte Blanch to wreck havoc in the area with their military machine. A good indicator of a man is the company it keeps; this can also be said of nations. We must not be the card that Israel holds up its sleeve during any threat from those that are tired of the killing.
That’s the way I see it.
Tim Gatto is a former Army Sergeant with 21 years of service. He is the former Chairman of The Liberal Part of America. He has written for many progressive sites and is the author of Kimchee Kronicles. He has his own blog at liberalpro.blogspot.com.
