At least some good news from the United States of America. Last Friday the House of Representatives approved a resolution that indicates clearly its support for a two-State solution. During the debates, the House of Representatives also draws the attention of the hawks in America against any Israeli annexation of the West-Bank.
The resolution is the democrat response to the recent statement of the US Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo who said about four weeks ago that the United States of America will no longer abide by the legal opinion of 1978 of the State department which says that settlements are against International law. It is apposite to note that several United Nations Security Council resolutions have declared in unequivocal terms that the Israeli settlements in the occupied territories are illegal under International law as they violate the fourth Geneva Convention which strictly prohibits an occupying power from transferring its population to the area it occupies.
The resolution passed with a majority of 38 congress men-women. The House of Representatives voted along party lines. Unsurprisingly the Republicans voted in toto against the mild resolution whereas the Democrats voted massively for it except for example congresswoman Rashida Tlaib. In her tweet dates 6th December 2019 she wrote:
“I spoke today as the proud granddaughter of a strong, loving Palestinian woman in opposition to Resolution 326. We must take bolder actions to ensure Human Rights are upheld in Israel and that Palestinians and Black Israelis are treated with the equality, every human being deserves”.
Many democrats have stressed that for more than 20 years American Presidents (of different parties) and Israeli Prime Ministers (including “the butcher”Ariel Sharon- remember what he did in 1982 in Lebanon) have adhered to the idea of a two-State solution. Middle East talks have opposed settlement expansions because we all know that the aims of the Hawkish Israelis are, among others, to do a “Population Engineering in certain key areas in the occupied territories. Please read the speech of Jamie Raskin of 5th December 2019 which is accessible on the website of the House of Representatives.
The House of Representatives states clearly that everything should be done to discourage unilateral steps like annexation or efforts to achieve Palestinian Statehood outside negotiations. The Democrats are refusing to legitimise the Pompeo’s stance. Why is the resolution important? It is important because it shows that the powerful ZIONIST LOBBY is losing its grips on the Democratic Party. In the coming years support from the Palestinians within the Democratic Party will surely help to put a brake on the Gargantuan Israeli appetite for “greater Israeli”and if ever Trump loses the presidency there will be some renewed hope for the Palestinians.
We must not forget that since President Trump took office in 2017 he has taken several actions to hurt Palestinians’ basic interests such as:
- Recognising Jerusalem’s as Israeli’s capital;
- Moving US Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem;
- The recognition of the annexation of the
Golan Heights (true it is that the Golan Heights has more to do with Syria but we must not lose track of the wider picture and why for instance, the 1967 war?) - The reduction of US aid to the Palestinian Authority.
- The ending of the US funding to UN AGENCY FOR PALESTINIAN refugees. A cut of around 360 million of dollars in the budget of UNRWA which led to untold miseries.
Aaron David Miller a senior fellow at the “CARNEGIE ENDOWMENT for International PEACE” said “there has been an effort to dismantle piece by piece the traditional American approach to how to resolve the Israeli Palestinian issue” he even went further saying: “they have not as yet endorsed a Palestinian State. They have untethered the aid. They have clearly given priority to Israeli needs and priorities over Palestinians… (See Al Jazeera of 12th December 2019)
Important fact to note: last month a group of 106 Democrats signed a letter to Pompeo showing how bad is the TRUMP’s administration to reverse the US policy on the legality of Israeli settlements.
106 democrats signing a letter “criticising” Israel… a sign for the future or am I being too optimist…?
RAMA VALAYDEN
