Netanyahu Is the Reason Israel Is Not Always the “Good Guy”

There will never be peace in the Middle East as long as Benjamin Netanyahu is involved in Israel’s politics. He is an arrogant hawk who consistently ignores the Palestinian people claiming that this area of the world is exclusively a Jewish State.

Obstruction to Peace Rests on Israel’s Side of the Fence

For decades the Palestinian people have requested some form of peace talks, but Netanyahu has refused to participate.

The extremely dangerous situation which exists between Israel and the Palestinian people continues to be a threat to world peace. Although Israel was recognized by the United Nations in 1948, the same does not apply to the Palestinians. Efforts to grant Statehood to Palestine have been blocked by members of the United Nations Security Council.

The U.S. Leads the Effort to Prevent Statehood for the Palestinian People

As recently as December 31, 2014, seven of the fifteen members of the UN Security Council voted against Statehood which would create the State of Palestine. The measure requires nine members of the Council for passage. The United States led the group of seven, preventing shared residence in the Middle East, and confirming its support of Israel’s continued land grabbing on the West Bank.

Think about this. It has been 75 years since Israel was recognized as a State, but the people of Palestine are still waiting. Is the reason for denying them recognition founded on bigotry? Muslims have been under attack by Christians and Jews since the tragic events on September 11, 2001, when a small group of radical men claiming to follow the Prophet Mohammad, attacked the United States. These cowards worshiped themselves and their radical leaders, not the teachings of the Quran.

The Hypocrisy of Nations Claiming to Support Human Rights

I find it interesting that the countries which oppose Statehood claim to support human rights and protect other nations which profess to be Christian or Jewish. Why not the people of Palestine?

One of my few true idols is Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Although his focus was primarily on equality for Black Americans, his overall philosophy was my own: an interconnected world where all people are one, with the same human rights guaranteed by the courageous men who founded the United States of America.

When King said that “injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere” it was not a moralistic platitude encouraging us to be nice to each other.

America has its own problems. We are an arrogant nation, professing a belief that our nation is superior to all others. If this were true, we would have led the nation in the quality of life for all of our nation’s people. All other developed countries offer free universal healthcare for all. And the list goes on.

Racism is Ignorance, but it Persists Everywhere Including Israel

Four-hundred-and-four years ago the first Black slaves arrived in the “New World.” Racism continues to be a major problem in America. White supremacists, members of Neo-Nazi groups which led the attempted coup on January 6, 2021, under the leadership of Donald Trump, are far more numerous than most of us believed. However, four years of Trump’s illegitimate presidency exposed the truth.

Anger, Hatred, and Violence Solves Nothing

Violence continues between the Israeli military and the Palestinian people. I am proud to be a pacifist. All wars are futile. Military conflict has never solved a problem. An original baby boomer, I denounced every war since WWII, which ended one year before my birth. Each succeeding military conflict has been lost by the United States, proving that in the 21st century, all wars are unwinnable.

Israel’s war on the Palestinian people must be denounced by the entire UN Security Council. Peace in the Middle East must become a priority for all nations.

By James Turnage

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Sources:

Palestine Chronicle: Netanyahu’s Declaration of Jewish Exclusivity Must Be Confronted: Will South Africa Lead the Charge?
The Guardian: Democrats’ Ilhan Omar defence weakened by party’s own attacks over Israel
UN News: UN Security Council action on Palestinian statehood blocked
Waging Nonviolence: Martin Luther King’s vision of an interconnected world is more relevant than ever

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