For reasons based upon Trump’s nepotism, Jared Kushner represented the United States at the opening of our embassy in Jerusalem. Kushner’s speech included a portion that had to be written at least days ago, and it contained a portion stating that the Palestinian protestors were “part of the problem,” while Palestinians were being killed. The dead deserved to die because they protest the policy.
Kushner’s attitude reflected that of the Far Right in every single way: That 1.2 Billion Muslims around the Earth are all to blame for terrorist acts, that killing some off is nothing but deserved retribution, that if one wavers in support of any policy-based decisions on foreign affairs with Israel then one is anti-Semitic, and more than anything, Palestinians have no right to their anger regarding the disputed land in and around Israel. Kushner and the Right hold this attitude despite the fact that it conflicts with near 40% of Israeli liberals’ beliefs.
The administration stated reason to move our embassy to Jerusalem was that “every sovereign country has the right to determine its own capital.” That is not the reason. The stated reason serves a purpose in that it inherently rejects the view and rights of the 750,000 Muslims that share a portion of Jerusalem with the Israelis. The Muslims live in a part of Jerusalem that is Palestinian, yet the Israeli’s consider an “undivided” Jerusalem as the capital.
The anger and protests against the policy were as predictable as the Earth’s rotation. The Palestinians have no real alternative to being heard. They suffer in Gaza internationally know to be “an open air prison” because Gaza-Palestinians need ridiculous documentation and Israeli permission to cross out of Gaza for any purpose. The West Bank is somewhat better. Jerusalem Palestinians have it best. They are relatively free to come and go between zones. It does not take a genius to figure out the implications of a new Israeli capital.
58 people were killed yesterday, 2,300 were injured. The IDF (Israeli Defense Forces) are notorious for their unjustified and overly aggressive murders in response to protests. Someone throwing a rock does not deserve to be shot down, and yet routinely are. The entire world knows that the Palestinians have a legitimate and rightful claim to some of land that used to be known as Palestine and that is why NATO and the UN opposed our action yesterday.
When a devastatingly poor people (a significant cause of which is due to Israeli apartheid) are abused in their rights by an overwhelming military force – one paid for in large part by the United States, there is one, and only one, means to fight, asymmetric warfare, violent protests. A “non-violent” peaceful protest has no effect when you don’t live among the people you’re protesting. Israelis can safely ignore it and will.
Terrorism is never justifiable. Never. By anyone. It is simple murder, always. But protests that turn violent can be justified when people are abused by the barrel of a gun. This recognition is why the world opposed our move yesterday. The protests were assured, the IDF’s reputation for over-reaction assumed.
Jared Kushner stood there and said the protestors, not the United States’ unjustifiable decision were “part of the problem.” He said it as 58 were being killed, 2,300 being injured. He said it to a world that knows Palestinians do have rights that Israel violates. He said it despite there being no practical reason to move the embassy. He said it because Trump intended to enrage Muslims around the world by the symbolic move. Moving the embassy serves no U.S. Israeli purpose, unless the purpose is to justify killing Muslims, and then blaming them for dying.
As I noted 2 days ago, moving the embassy is nothing more than a step in Trump’s plan for war against Islam, a war fought in the land with oil. Everyone familiar with the situation knows it. That is why Kushner blamed the Muslims for their own deaths. It is part of that march to war. Enraging a people, treating them like animals, ultimately results in a counter-attack, each attack moves Trump closer to generalized war.
