UN rights office says Israeli settlement plan breaks international law
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Arab News
3 minutes ago
- Arab News
Israel's chokehold on US is beginning to loosen
Has Israel's government finally gone too far? Ever since it was founded in 1948, Israel has engaged in violence against Palestinians and used its support in America as a shield to prevent it from being punished at the UN. To ensure that America's support never wavers, pro-Israel groups have poured hundreds of millions of dollars into manipulating the American political system, influencing election results and ensuring members of Congress shy away from questioning its misconduct. But ever since Israel's government launched its war of vengeance against the Palestinians in Gaza in response to the Hamas attacks of Oct. 7, 2023, its excessive violence, war crimes, genocide and even the murder of a handful of Americans have seemed to tilt the balance of support in the US. Recent polling shows that the American public has started to react to Israel's excesses, with 60 percent now opposing Tel Aviv's military action in Gaza. Israel's violence, pushed by the influence of far-right religious extremists who control the government of right-wing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, has pushed open a door of judgment that it might not be able to close. Even worse for Israel is that its excessive military response has sparked a seismic political tremor that has started to reverberate among some Republican conservatives and mainstream Democrats, who for generations could be counted on to close their eyes to Israel's extrajudicial killings, collective punishment and contempt for the international rule of law. We are starting to see the powerful chokehold that Israel has long had over American politics start to loosen. We have always seen the Democratic Party mildly slap Israel on the wrist for its violent excesses, but mainstream Democrats like Rep. Mike Quigley are now questioning Israel's military actions and even calling for the establishment of a Palestinian state. Israel's excessive violence, war crimes and genocide have seemed to tilt the balance of support in the US Ray Hanania We have long heard those on the far left in the Democratic Party scream and stamp their feet with no impact on American society. They have excoriated Israel's government for its hypocritical discriminatory policies against Christians and Muslims. Meanwhile, the Republicans and evangelical Christian movements have always stood by Israel, giving it a shield against any form of criminal prosecution, even when its victims have been Americans. Conservatives may have winced at Israel's abuses, but they never crossed the line to demand accountability or judgment. Until now. The tipping point came because Americans have begun to experience a weakening economy. Not only has inflation pushed the price of commodities like groceries, cars and clothing to new heights, but the costs of essentials like insurance, healthcare and property taxes have also risen dramatically. Many Americans are now struggling financially. The US also has a record national debt of more than $37 trillion, which is driving inflation and pushing the cost of products to unaffordable new heights. That economic reality is trumping America's love affair with Israel, causing many Americans to ask: 'Why?' One of the strongest voices leading the backlash is a core member of President Donald Trump's 'Make America Great Again' movement: Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene. The Republican from Georgia has started to question why America sacrifices so much for Israel. Greene, a staunch, unapologetic champion of Trump, is the face of the new movement that is challenging Israel's dominion over America and directly challenging Israel's political powerbase in the US, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee. This group has spent hundreds of millions of dollars on donations to the campaign coffers of hundreds of US politicians in order to ensure their subordination and subservience to Israel's needs and demands. Today's economic reality is trumping America's love affair with Israel, causing many Americans to ask: 'Why?' Ray Hanania Greene is demanding that America stop giving Israel foreign aid. The US sends $4 billion in aid to Israel every year and it has also provided $18 billion in military assistance for Tel Aviv's war on Gaza. She has the audacity to ask why. Why is America giving Israel so much money, which could instead be given to Americans who are suffering financially? She posted on X this week: 'AIPAC is trying to paint my America First message as 'antisemitic' because I don't want to keep sending billions to the secular government of nuclear-armed Israel.' Greene has expanded her call to end all foreign aid — a call to arms that is being embraced by other mainstream MAGA Republicans like Rep. Thomas Massie. What is happening is a political revolution being driven by a worsening economy and by Israeli arrogance. In her post this week, Green concluded: 'With $37 TRILLION in debt, I'm unapologetically America ONLY at this point. My loyalty is to the American people and my children's generation. The people I was elected to represent. NOT ANY FOREIGN COUNTRY.' The growing criticism of Israel's policies, combined with the financial pain many Americans are experiencing and the arrogance of foreign lobbyists who believe they can politically suffocate mainstream congressional antagonists, is undermining Israel's grip over the American people. The changes may look small, but with the criticisms gaining momentum, at some point they will become unstoppable. There is an American idiom often used in politics that says, 'give someone enough rope and they will hang themselves.' Israel is today tightening the noose around its own moral profligacy. • Ray Hanania is an award-winning former Chicago City Hall political reporter and columnist. He can be reached on his personal website at X: @RayHanania
Leaders
an hour ago
- Leaders
Saudi Arabia Condemns Israeli Settlement Expansion Near Jerusalem
Saudi Arabia sharply condemned Israeli authorities on Friday for advancing illegal settlement construction near occupied Jerusalem. The Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a strong statement denouncing these actions, criticizing Israeli officials for obstructing internationally supported efforts aimed at establishing a sovereign Palestinian state. 'These decisions confirm Israel's illegal expansionist policies and threaten the two-state solution's very possibility,' the ministry stated firmly. Additionally, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) also strongly rejected Israel's approval of 3,400 new West Bank settlement units, stressing that Israeli occupation and colonial settlements remain illegal and require immediate termination per international law. Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich announced work starting on a settlement dividing the West Bank from East Jerusalem this week, declaring, 'Whoever recognizes a Palestinian state receives our answer on the ground through houses and neighborhoods.' His office explicitly stated this move would 'bury' Palestinian statehood aspirations permanently. Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar similarly vowed Israel 'will not allow' a Palestinian state within 'the land of Israel.' The Kingdom Calls for International Action Consequently, Saudi Arabia urgently called the international community to assume legal and moral responsibilities protecting Palestinians immediately, demanding concrete steps fulfilling Palestinian legitimate rights, including state recognition without delay. Riyadh further insisted all nations compel Israel to halt aggression against Gaza and illegal West Bank violations. Saudi Arabia specifically demanded holding perpetrators accountable for crimes against Palestinians, particularly those amounting to genocide. The statement renewed the Kingdom's categorical rejection of Israeli settlement expansion and forced displacement policies unequivocally. Therefore, Saudi Arabia urged Security Council permanent members to take immediate action enforcing UN resolutions. France, Canada, and Britain recently announced plans recognizing a Palestinian state next month. This follows Israeli defiance of international ceasefire calls in Gaza and humanitarian access demands. Meanwhile, Israel continues systematic aggression, destruction, displacement, and blockade violating Palestinian rights daily. Ultimately, the international community must act decisively to end occupation and uphold justice. Short link : Post Views: 13
Leaders
an hour ago
- Leaders
Syria Coastal Violence Likely Involved War Crimes: UN
A recent UN report has accused Syria's interim government forces and Assad loyalists of likely committing war crimes during March's sectarian violence, which killed around 1,400 people, mainly civilians. The UN Syria Commission of Inquiry found no evidence that Damascus authorities ordered the attacks. However, it documented revenge killings, torture, abductions, and inhumane acts across Alawite-populated areas in Latakia, Tartus, Homs, and Hama. Systematic Targeting of Civilians Coastal violence in the Alawite heartland exposed divisions after Islamist-led rebels ousted ex-President Bashar al-Assad in December, beginning when former regime loyalists ambushed security forces, sparking clashes between largely Sunni government forces and mostly Alawite Assad loyalists. Authorities sent reinforcements, joined by thousands of fighters, turning the operation into sectarian revenge killings. After decades of Assad brutality in mainly Sunni Syria, many associate Alawites, 10% of the population, with the old regime. Furthermore, the commission urged the government to expand accountability efforts. 'The scale and brutality of the violence documented in our report is deeply disturbing,' said Paulo Sergio Pinheiro, chair of the UN Syria Commission of Inquiry. He called on interim authorities to pursue accountability for all perpetrators, regardless of affiliation or rank. While dozens of alleged perpetrators have been arrested, the violence's scale warrants expanding these efforts. The report warned of continuing retaliatory attacks amidst heightened fear, urging the interim government to address them urgently. It documented gross human rights violations in 16 Alawite-populated locations across Latakia, Tartus, Homs, and Hama governorates in early March. Sectarian Violence and Its Aftermath Perpetrators went door-to-door, asking if civilians were Alawite before taking men and boys away to execute. Most victims were Alawite men aged 20-50, but women and children as young as one were also killed in house raids. Armed individuals filmed themselves committing serious human rights violations, including severe beatings, executions, and walking alongside dead bodies. Fearful of reprisal, families kept their loved ones' bodies at home for days or left them in streets for later mass burials, with hospitals overwhelmed as corpses piled up. Thousands fled to neighboring Lebanon or a Russian airbase for safety, with the report stating that many survivors and Alawites have since relocated within Syria or sought refuge abroad. The report concluded that consistent patterns of targeted violence against civilians indicate these acts were not random or isolated. The commission conducted over 200 interviews with witnesses and victims and accessed coastal areas and affected communities. After 14 years of civil war and documented human rights abuses, rebels overthrew Assad in December, forming an interim government, led by former rebel Ahmed al-Sharaa. The report identified the post-Assad security vacuum and online disinformation and hate speech about Alawites as contributors to retributive attacks. As clashes escalated between former and pro-government factions, foreign fighters joined government forces mobilized to coastal regions. Government Response and Recommendations The government instructed civilians not to take up arms and warned fighters against harming civilians, establishing curfews. In Tartus, checkpoints prevented fighters from entering, sparing the city from violence seen elsewhere. Additionally, a July government inquiry identified 298 alleged perpetrators within military factions and 265 linked to former government fighters. In June, officials reported 42 arrests for alleged abuses and established a complaints office for security and police misconduct cases. The commission recommended strengthening the court system to ensure justice, providing reparations for survivors, and building community trust, among other measures. Sectarian violence has continued elsewhere in Syria since March, as hundreds died in Suweida clashes last month. Bedouin and Druze fighters and the Syrian army face accusations of killing civilians and extrajudicial killings. The government acknowledged reports of 'shocking violations' by individuals in military fatigues and told the BBC it would fully investigate all atrocity allegations. Short link : Post Views: 102
