AIPAC Rapturous Over Trump’s Jerusalem Declaration
by Stephen Lendman (stephenlendman.org – Home – Stephen Lendman)
Ignoring his flagrant breach of international law, AIPAC cited bipartisan US congressional support for recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, along with moving America’s embassy there – no matter how illegal, hostile to Palestinian rights, or regionally disruptive, saying:
Trump’s move “is a long-overdue step by the executive branch. In his announcement, President Trump reasserted his commitment to peace between Israelis and Palestinians,” adding:
“His action in no way precludes future negotiations over the city’s final status, borders, or the goal of two states for two peoples. The administration should quickly complete the necessary planning to move the US embassy in Israel to Jerusalem.”
Fact: Jerusalem is an international city under a UN protectorate. No nation may legally claim it as its capital, nor may any country locate its embassy where it doesn’t belong.
Fact: Trump rejects world peace and stability. Violence and chaos serve US interests. Palestinian rights were ignored by all US administrations, one-sidedly supporting Israel, Jack Kennedy the sole exception, his state-sponsored assassination preventing positive regional change.
Fact: Washington and Israel don’t negotiate. They demand. Both countries reject Palestinian statehood while rhetorically claiming otherwise – except on isolated cantons on worthless scrubland, Jerusalem to remain Israel’s exclusive capital.
AIPAC: “Recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, along with initiating a process to move the US embassy there, sends a strong message: America will not allow the Palestinians to hold US policy hostage to their unwillingness to resume negotiations with Israel.”
Fact: Palestinians have been Western hostages since the infamous 1917 Balfour Declaration, US/Israel captives for nearly seven decades – their fundamental rights denied, their people brutally persecuted and exploited.
Fact: Decades of futile peace talks with Israel and Washington prove both countries reject what they claim to support. Neither accepts real peace and stability. Nor will they respect Palestinian rights as long as Ziofascists run their nations.
AIPAC: “Recognition is an important rejection of those in the international community, like UNESCO, who promote the anti-Semitic canard that denies the 3,000-year, continuous Jewish connection to its holiest city, Jerusalem.”
Fact: AIPAC is hostile to any nation, organization or individual criticizing Israeli ruthlessness. Jerusalem is important to Jews, Christians and Muslims, not exclusively one religion over others.
AIPAC: “Recognition does not preclude negotiations on the future of Jerusalem. Israelis and Palestinians agreed in the Oslo Accords that Jerusalem is a final-status issue.”
“Recognition and relocating the US embassy do not preclude future negotiations between the parties over the city’s final status and borders.”
Fact: In June 1967, Israel usurped control over East Jerusalem. In July 1980, the Knesset Jerusalem Law lawlessly annexed the entire city as Israel’s unified capital.
Earlier in March, Security Council Resolution 465 declared “all measures taken by Israel to change the physical character, demographic composition, institutional structure or status of the Palestinian and other Arab territories occupied since 1967, including Jerusalem, or any part thereof, have no legal validity and that Israel’s policy and practices of settling parts of its population and new immigrants in those territories constitute a flagrant (Fourth Geneva) violation…constitut(ing) a serious obstruction to achieving a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in the Middle East.”
On July 4, 2004, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled that “Israeli settlements in the Occupied Territory, including East Jerusalem, are illegal and an obstacle to peace and to economic and social development…established in breach of international law.”
AIPAC: “The US embassy in Jerusalem will likely be located in the portion of Jerusalem that has been in Israeli hands since 1948.”
“All reasonable parties accept that this area will be part of Israel in any peace agreement. Such an embassy move should not be an obstacle to negotiations.”
Fact: Privately owned Palestinian land, stolen by Israel from its legal owner, was chosen by Washington for its Jerusalem embassy.
Fact: Trump’s action put resolving the Israeli/Palestinian conflict further out of reach than already.
He exposed America as an unacceptable mediator on any issues – never to be trusted.
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