President Donald Trump suffered a stinging defeat at the hands of the United States Senate when that organization passed a non-binding resolution demanding an end to his policy of disengagement in Syria and Afghanistan.
It was Donald Trump that moved America’s embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, in violation of international law. In fact, Trump has been cited as a puppet of Israel from day one, with a lifelong history of shady financial ties to what is termed the Kosher Nostra, the organized crime group tied to funding so many of his projects and, in fact, saving him from bankruptcy and collapse over and over. Have things changed?
Only days after the end, though perhaps temporary, of the government shutdown, the United States Senate passed a bizarre piece of legislation. It really isn’t a law but rather a “measure,” whatever that is.
The vote was 77 to 23, all Republicans but Rand Paul and many democrats as well. The vote rebukes President Donald Trump for his peace initiatives in Syria and Afghanistan, demanding that the US remain engaged in combat activities against, well, it doesn’t really say.
The Senate, admittedly acting on behalf of the Israeli Likudists who are challenged with their own corruption issues and an upcoming election, is demanding that the US remain at war because Israel wants the US at war. Strangest of all, Israel is demanding the US continue its war on Afghanistan’s Pashtun majority, of which the Taliban only represents a portion, who are warring on an extremely unpopular puppet government put in place by narcotics traffickers and PMC (Private Military Contractor) groups that flood Kabul’s political coffers with payoffs and fat contracts.
You see, war in Afghanistan is and has been about bilking America’s taxpayers, providing cash that backwashes into America’s electoral system on behalf of the Israel lobby. Thus, Israel needs a war going that has nothing to do with Israel’s security, far from it. The war in Afghanistan simply feeds the pockets of corrupt American officials who also backflush American cash into Israel as well.
There was another far more sinister rationale behind the Republican Party’s break with Trump over Israel. An issue known as BDS. From BDSMovement.net:
“The Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement works to end international support for Israel’s oppression of Palestinians and pressure Israel to comply with international law.
Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) is a Palestinian-led movement for freedom, justice and equality. BDS upholds the simple principle that Palestinians are entitled to the same rights as the rest of humanity.
Israel is occupying and colonising Palestinian land, discriminating against Palestinian citizens of Israel and denying Palestinian refugees the right to return to their homes. Inspired by the South African anti-apartheid movement, the BDS call urges action to pressure Israel to comply with international law.
BDS is now a vibrant global movement made up of unions, academic associations, churches and grassroots movements across the world. Eleven years since its launch, BDS is having a major impact and is effectively challenging international support for Israeli apartheid and settler-colonialism.”
There is a reason this issue is not just important, but a stealth issue as well. In general, the US has very strong constitutional protections that allow individuals and organizations to follow issues of personal conscience. At times those issues conflict with individual rights when it comes to discrimination against groups and applying special protections, particularly when tied to issues of gender and sexuality. However, by and large, court decisions have strongly backed issues of conscience and choice.
With BDS, however, some states have gone against constitutional protections, even when there is strong precedent and history regarding opposition to the former apartheid government of South Africa. As much as the powerful press and propaganda engines of Israel’s backers try to obscure issues, Israel’s air attacks within its own borders on an oppressed not minority, but quite likely majority, is far worse than any “pass law” used to limit movement within South Africa.
Not just that, when South Africa was under broad UN sanction, it was Israel that worked closely with South Africa to develop nuclear, biological and chemical weapons in violation of many treaties and resolutions, weapons that were used in Angola with devastating effect.
Inside the US, state governments, whose electoral process is subjected to billions of dollars in bribery and extortion payoffs from Netanyahu/Likudist backer, gambling boss Sheldon Adelson, openly erase not only constitutional protections but openly violate international laws as well. You see, BDS is, in fact, a movement based on simple enforcement of the Geneva Convention.
From the UN General Assembly resolution dated 7 December 2017:
“Applicability of the Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War, of 12 August 1949, to the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and the other occupied Arab territories
Stressing that Israel, the occupying Power, should comply strictly with its obligations under international law, including international humanitarian law,
1. Reaffirms that the Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War, of 12 August 1949,1 is applicable to the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and other Arab territories occupied by Israel since 1967;
2. Demands that Israel accept the de jure applicability of the Convention in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and other Arab territories occupied by Israel since 1967, and that it comply scrupulously with the provisions of the Convention;
3. Calls upon all High Contracting Parties to the Convention, in accordance with article 1 common to the four Geneva Conventions3 and as mentioned in the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice of 9 July 2004,6 to continue to exert all efforts to ensure respect for its provisions by Israel, the occupying Power, in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and other Arab territories occupied by Israel since 1967;
4. Notes the reconvening by Switzerland, the depositary State, of the Conference of High Contracting Parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention on 17 December 2014, and calls for efforts to uphold the obligations reaffirmed in the declarations adopted on
5 December 2001 and 17 December 2014;7 5. Welcomes initiatives by States parties, in accordance with article 1 of the Convention, aimed at ensuring respect for the Convention;
6. Reiterates the need for speedy implementation of the relevant recommendations contained in the resolutions adopted by the General Assembly, including at its tenth emergency special session and including re solution ES-10/15, with regard to ensuring respect by Israel, the occupying Power, for the provisions of the Convention;
7. Requests the Secretary-General to report to the General Assembly at its seventy-third session on the implementation of the present resolution.
66th plenary meeting 7 December 2017”
Yet, the US Senate voted, 77 to 23, to allow individual states to outlaw the right of individuals, corporations, religious groups or associations of any kind to “not invest” in illegal business activities, using the term “illegal” in accordance with both UN resolution and the 4th Geneva Convention, generally accepted as the highest legal standard in the world.
Twenty-Six American states have made it illegal to boycott Israel. Many of these states require anyone working for or contracting with state agencies to sign loyalty oaths stating that they are willing to defend the State of Israel, mind you a nation with no constitution, an oath deeply parallel with the oath sworn by American military to “protect and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, both foreign and domestic.”
In fact, odd as it sounds, were one to follow one’s military oath, it might well be required to “protect and defend” the United States from state governments requiring loyalty oaths to a foreign government.
From the Code of Federal Regulations, Section 337.1, based on statutory elements expressed implicitly in Section 337 (a) as follows, the oath of allegiance required by all naturalized American citizens:
“I hereby declare, on oath, that I absolutely and entirely renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state, or sovereignty, of whom or which I have heretofore been a subject or citizen; that I will support and defend the Constitution and laws of the United States of America against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I will bear arms on behalf of the United States when required by the law; that I will perform noncombatant service in the Armed Forces of the United States when required by the law; that I will perform work of national importance under civilian direction when required by the law; and that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; so help me God.”
Thus, when creating laws that criminalize individual choice, even when it comes to investments, how much further from basic human rights do we go when requiring oaths of allegiance that, in fact, involve, according to highest legal sources, an actual renouncement of American citizenship?
This is what the Senate did, clearly demonstrating two key issues:
- The US Senate is utterly corrupt, even to the point of limiting recognized presidential prerogative in exercising foreign policy and conducting long authorized military operations, or, as in this case, ending them.
- In fact, the US Senate is deeply involving itself in the politics of Israel, weighing in on their current election on behalf of Prime Minister Netanyahu who has been indicted on corruption charges, with additional charges perhaps pending, some involving his shady relationship with Sheldon Adelson, the gambling boss that is the largest funder of American political campaigns.
How crazy is all of this? How open for abuse are these now “processes?” Imagine two companies, one with an Israeli partner, one without. All that is needed is an accusation as there is no legal methodology to establish a “finding” that in support of laws that are both irrational and morally repugnant.
It is one thing refusing to serve a Jew, were one able to recognize a Jew from anyone else, who wants service in a restaurant. Yet state after state has legalized discrimination against transgender individuals, something that can only be established through a medical examination.
Do we even want to consider how bizarre, intrusive and insane that might be?
It is only recently that laws were passed, though not enforced in much of the nation to this day, that prohibit discrimination in sale or rental of homes, based on race or national origin. In fact, only a few short decades ago, many communities outlawed not only African Americans but Jews and even Catholics.
You see, America has a long and intense history of discrimination of all kinds, against every imaginable group. In fact, this was much of the rationale for America’s first European settlers, coming to the “New World” because the Old World was becoming too open, too democratic as it were. The religious restrictions of the Puritans and other groups that set up theocratic regimes inside the British colonies had long been under attack across Europe.
It is this same history of theocracy or “Talibanization,” as it were, that is expressed in the interrelationship between Christian Evangelism and Christian Zionism that has led to not just challenges to personal privacy and human rights inside the US, with support of police state measures widely adopted since 9/11, but tying much of the same to support for Israel as well.
This rare occasion, where Trump has sided with peace over war, has brought out the stench at the heart of America’s “swamp” that Trump has alleged he came to Washington to “drain.”
At the heart of that swamp, it seems, is the Israel lobby and, for the most part, his own political party. Thus, we will watch this play out and see how Trump’s resolve holds true.
Gordon Duff is a Marine combat veteran of the Vietnam War that has worked on veterans and POW issues for decades and consulted with governments challenged by security issues. He’s a senior editor and chairman of the board of Veterans Today, especially for the online magazine “New Eastern Outlook.”