President Trump has won praise from Christian Zionists and many staunch supporters of Israel for declaring Jerusalem Israel’s capital, but critics say it only makes peace a more distant goal, reports Dennis J Bernstein.
By Dennis J Bernstein
Protests have broken out across the Middle East against President Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital — and Western critics complain that the move adds one more brick in the wall against the prospects for peace.
Professor Francis Boyle, who teaches international law at the University of Illinois College of Law and served as a long-time legal adviser to the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), calls Trump’s announcement a “symbolic but still critical step in Israeli designs to control not just Jerusalem, but all of historic Palestine.” I spoke with Boyle on Dec. 6.
Graffiti on Israel’s wall in Bethlehem, West Bank. April 16, 2011. (Flickr Montecruz Foto)
Dennis Bernstein: What was your initial response to the announcement by President Trump that the United States will be moving its embassy to Jerusalem?
Francis Boyle: It is always a sad day when you know that people are going to die. It is a defeat for the human spirit. In the last intifada [September 2000-February 2005], about 3,000 Palestinians died and 1,000 Israelis. I don’t know what will happen this time. The Palestinians have called for “three days of rage.” Trump could very well set off a third intifada here.
Dennis Bernstein: Trump says this doesn’t get in the way of the US being an honest broker, that the vision is for peace. From the legal perspective, how do you see this?
Francis Boyle: First of all, the United States has never been an honest broker here. I was legal advisor to the Palestinian delegation to the Middle East Peace Negotiations from 1991, when they began, to the signing of Oslo. It was very clear that the United States was always serving as Israel’s lawyer. You had Miller, Ross, and Kurtzer, all three American Jews, two of them orthodox.
The Palestinians had to go hat-in-hand to present their case to American Jews. Nothing has changed: We now have Kushner, Greenblatt and Friedman, all three of whom are orthodox Jews. The whole thing has been preposterous from the beginning. We have always been in favor of Israel, using lies, threats and intimidation to force the Palestinians to accept whatever the Israelis are giving them. That is international diplomacy for you, conducted by the United States, not only in the Middle East but all over the world.
Dennis Bernstein: Would you say that what is going on here is not just Israel trying to control Jerusalem but all of Palestine?
Francis Boyle: That has always been Israel’s policy. I had a conversation with the chair of the Palestinian Delegation to the Middle East peace negotiations. He told me that the Zionists have not changed their position since the Basel Convention of 1897. They want all of Palestine. What is happening now in Jerusalem is a step in that direction.
If you look at the recently leaked so-called peace plan that was presented to [Palestinian President Mahmoud] Abbas in Saudi Arabia, he was basically given an ultimatum to either accept some tiny bantustan or forget it. It is very clear that they want all of Palestine, all of the West Bank, all of Jerusalem. They want the Golan Heights and maybe even some more of Syria.
President Donald J. Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel at the United Nations General Assembly (Official White House Photo by Shealah Craighead)
Dennis Bernstein: We have revelations now that Jared Kushner, our chief peace negotiator in the Middle East, failed to disclose in ethics filings his role as director of a family foundation that funded Israeli settlements. Do you think that is a problem?
Francis Boyle: Of course, because basically he is aiding and abetting war crimes and crimes against humanity in Palestine.
Dennis Bernstein: Is the United States participating in illegal actions in Israel, or doesn’t it matter anymore?
Francis Boyle: For most of the Arab and Muslim world, it matters. Here in the United States, apart from the BDS movement, we have basically thrown in our lot with the Israeli government. Congress has been bought and paid for by the Israel lobby. During his campaign, Trump made explicit promises in order to secure Jewish funding and votes.
We arm, equip, supply and train Israel. What is going on in Gaza right now is a form of genocide. They are being strangled to death. The 1948 Genocide Convention, to which both Israel and the United States are parties, says that “deliberately inflicting on a people conditions of life calculated to bring about their physical destruction in whole or in part” is genocide. That is exactly what is going on in Gaza today.
Dennis Bernstein: How would you assess the situation now? Is a two-state solution at all viable?
Francis Boyle: That is for the Palestinians to decide. Their right of self determination is at stake here. As of today, their official position is two states with their capital in East Jerusalem. There have been hints that they might go back to the one-state solution, which was their position before the Palestinian Declaration of Independence of December 15, 1988, when they officially accepted a two-state solution. Since then they have gotten nothing. Every day Israel just steals more land and drives out more Palestinians.
Dennis Bernstein: Are there any options for the Palestinians in the international arena, for example, at the United Nations?
Francis Boyle: I have advised them to invoke the “Uniting for Peace” resolution adopted by the general assembly in 1950, so that they can be admitted to the UN General Assembly as a full-fledged UN member state, recognizing their capital as East Jerusalem. And, as you know, after Palestine became a UN observer state, you and I discussed the concept of a “legal intifada” that the Palestinians could pursue.
Israel Defense Force soldiers patrolling Nablus during the Second Intifada in 2002. (Photo credit: Israel Defense Forces)
My advice to the Palestinians is a full-court press in all specialized United Nations agencies and affiliated organizations, using all available legal mechanisms. This would include suing Israel at the International Court of Justice, which I have offered to do for them. And of course they have filed a complaint against Israel for war crimes and crimes against humanity before the International Criminal Court. According to press reports, they are meeting right now to decide what to do and President Abbas will soon be addressing the Palestinian people.
Dennis Bernstein: I suppose it is important to emphasize the fact that this could turn very violent.
Francis Boyle: I am afraid so. This could turn into the third intifada. The First Intifada, which took place in 1987, was spontaneous. The Second Intifada [September 2000-February 2005] was provoked when Ariel Sharon went to the Al-Aqsa mosque with a couple hundred soldiers. Eventually, about 3,000 Palestinians lost their lives as a result.
Now we have Trump provoking the situation. His people, including Bannon and Flynn, know exactly what they are doing. They believe in Sam Huntington’s concept of “the clash of civilizations.” They truly believe that they are leading a crusade against the Muslim world. This is being done very deliberately.
Dennis J Bernstein is a host of “Flashpoints” on the Pacifica radio network and the author of Special Ed: Voices from a Hidden Classroom. You can access the audio archives at www.flashpoints.net.
Trump is a walking, talking, disaster. I’d have a good laugh if Jordan summoned the guts to vote against the dingleberry. Should the US cut off the money spigot to that nation, the opportunity to meddle in Syria would undoubtedly instantly end, because as far as I know, that’s the only entry the neocons have to Syria.
Nikki Haley is making threats at the UN.
Haley: ‘The US will be taking names’ when UN votes on Jerusalem decision
What is this bubble-brain with a Bachelor of Science degree in accounting doing at the UN?
http://thehill.com/policy/international/365686-haley-the-us-will-be-taking-names-after-un-vote-on-jerusalem-decision
I review a handful of crap Zionist sites every now and then to see what they’re saying to each other. Here is an example:
Notice the last bit where this “blogger” gloats about the effectiveness of the US campaign of destroying Muslim Countries.
Who is the site owner? He’s the son of a Famous American Author, specifically “America’s only prominent Orthodox Jewish novelist”. I’m going to read Daddy’s book about the founding of Israel. I expect it to be fantasy on the order of Leon Uris’ Exodus.
Who is Mordechai Kedar? Pardon my French, but he appears to be a generic lying asshole. From his wiki:
Sort of highlights his 25 years in IDF Intelligence, doesn’t it? More from that wiki:
An example of lying by narrowly focusing on a trivial truth. Never mind that as soon as the Muslims conquered Jerusalem they immediately built a church there.
This fellow is Israel’s equivalent of torturer John Yoo. Both assholes and torture supporters. Both in very cushy academic jobs.
Both swine.
I’m a little confused here. The Palestinians want East Jerusalem for their capital. Why can’t Israel have West Jerusalem?
The Israel propaganda person pretends to be “confused” while working very hard to throw another sack of **** at the fan. He knows very well that the holy shithole nation wants ALL of Jerusalem.
Now if the ignoramus Trump had done the same, he might be hailed as a wise and far-seeing man. I must note that the web site with that “quote” had a headline/title with a direct lie – it claimed that the Russians had “pulled a Trump” in giving the entire city to the Zionist land grabbers. That site “The Hill” is now off my bookmarks list for this and another recent violation of ethics.
The Palestinians are being endlessly harassed and abused by the likes of “Bernia”. Recent example:
Now that’s something the pissant Zionists probably enjoyed. Probably something “Bernia” and his brethren here applauded. Now for some even more recent news.
China echos call to make East Jerusalem capital of independent Palestine
It’s going to be interesting to watch developments now. First, are the Chinese just talking, or will they do this thing.
Second, will the murderous and thieving Israelis destroy THIS “solar power project”. Beating up on and casual murdering of Palestinians is one thing the IDF is really, really good at. Will they want to tackle somebody who can most definitely fight back? Will they deliberately piss off a nation which they do NOT own lock, stock, and barrel?
Israel does not share. They move the goalposts
Cut off aid to Israel and identify them as a State sponsor of terrorism and they would come to the negotiating table promptly. Their attitude towards the Palestinians is reminiscent of the Turks view of the Armenians. At least since the days of LBJ and his intentional lies concerning the Israeli attack on the USS Liberty, Presidents have understood where their bread is buttered. Many Congressman and others may as well have dual citizenship. Trump has family and friend (Ray Cohn) connections and is a staunch supporter of Israel.
Abbas is as worthless a piece of human scum as exists on the entire planet , A collaborator. Arafat called him a traitor. As long as he represents the Palestinians, even a minority stake, then there is no hope for the Palestinian People to get justice. In point of fact the PNA represents only a few hundreds thousand Palestinians. Hamas has more support and that is why Israel and the United States will not allow Democracy in Palestinian and that is why we subverted their last election and their last elected government .Our Press refers to Abbas as a Leader and President of the PNA when in fact he was termed out over 5 years ago and his Party and Israel have blocked new elections ever since.. This guy Dennis Bernstein is interviewing here is part of the scam because he is insinuating that Abbas and what we recognize as the Palestinian Leadership has some legitimacy. They do not. They are bought and paid for collaborators . The majority of their leadership council are over 70 years old and are receiving direct payment from the State of Israel and the USA and being bribed by Saudi Arabia as well. Meanwhile Abbas has 5 layers of security protecting him and Israel will jump in if he is ever truly threatened. The man being interviewed here seems OK but if he recognize Abbas and his people as legitimate well let’s just say that he is not a part of the solution. Hezbollah has it right, just like Trumpworld, RESIST UNTO DEATH because you’re gonna die anyway when push comes to shove. Easy to say but really, who is protecting their interests and what have they got to lose. It’s like all us humans, our species vs. Capitalists and Big Oil in the fight against Global Warming. Blood will have to spill or else …..
Why Are Democrats Enabling Trump’s Jerusalem Decision?
The article says a few objected, but…
If we’re moving the Embassy to Jerusalem, why not also relocate Congress there too? The crappy little state of Israel obviously owns 98% of them.
h**ps://www.truthdig.com/articles/democratic-senators-enabling-one-trumps-worst-decisions/
Great idea. another one I have read is to locate Israel in the USA where it would be fawned upon as usual and would be a lot cheaper to “defend” by the USA.
Since separation of church and state is one of our founding principles, I can’t understand how we can support Israel as a “Jewish” state.
Of course, if Israel were to become a true democracy (equal rights for all) in the entire geographic area they lust for, demographics would cease to make them a “Jewish” state. Their preferred solution is obviously genocide. Soon it will be time for them to “mow the grass” again. And these are our allies?
‘They believe in Sam Huntington’s concept of “the clash of civilizations.”’
The cultural and political circle of ‘control’ may be seen in [Huntington], [Clark], [Kissinger] and [Brzezinski]. The added dimension of economics and tax collection is discernible in [Ferguson] and Paul Kennedy’s “The Rise & Fall of the Great Powers”. In this sphere, the West saw a clash of religious and economc influence from Europe’s Reformation in Augsburg [Steinmetz]. As an aside, I believe it was the Medici (Florence & Venice) who were the early pioneers of the public bond market, bypassing usury laws, as well as developing double-entry accounting with Arabic numerals and ‘zero’. It seems that a ‘Clash of Civilizations’ would be a popular belief, just as it may have been for Henry VIII and Theresa May.
To wit, the Trump Administration, knowing full well the international community would oppose him, has drawn attention to the Jerusalem question, cried, “Havoc”, and is now hurriedly trying to push through Mnuchin’s one page or less tax cut plan and inflated $700 billion military budget to grease the wheels before the Christmas shopping spree, while the fireworks play out in the Middle East for the crowd.
[Huntington] The Clash of Civilizations | Archive.org
[Clark] Civilisation | Youtube
[Brzezinski] The Grand Chessboard | Youtube
[Kissisnger] World Order | Youtube
[Ferguson] ‘Civilization’ & ‘Ascent of Money’ | Youtube
[Steinmetz] The Richest Man Who Ever Lived: The Life and Times of Jacob Fugger | Amazon
I have all branches of government in the United States by the balls. I squeeze them for my pleasure. The real capitol of Israel for now is DC. My chosen always wins. I’m sure you’ve noticed by now. Sit back . Watch. Behold the Glory.
Good one. You made me chuckle. And, if I might add, when they have invented a system that creates real money out of thin air they can control the world. :)
Well, Mr. YHWH, please, allow me to say this about that. According to the in-depth article concerning your origins as a deity, which is found in the “Dictionary of Deities and Demons in the Bible,” and which is edited by Karl Van Der Toorn, Bob Becking, and Pieter W. Van Der Horst: “A number of texts suggest that Yahweh was worshipped in Southern Edom and Midian before his cult spread to Palestine. There are two Egyptian texts that mention Yahweh. In these texts from the 14th and 13th centuries BCE, Yahweh is neither connected with the Israelites nor is his cult located in Palestine. The texts speak about ‘Yahu in the land of the Shoshu-beduins.’… By the 14th century BCE, before the cult of Yahweh had reached Israel, groups of edomite and Midianite nomads worshipped Yahweh as their god.”
According to the Jewish Virtual Library: History of Jerusalem: Timeline for the History of Jerusalem and other reliable sources, the history of the settlement of Jerusalem goes back to the middle of 4th millennium BCE (4500 BCE) or the late Copper Age (Chalcolithic Period). The evidence for the first settlement dates to circa 3500 BCE, while evidence for further permanent settlements has been established for the era between 3000 and 2800 BCE, with the first house in the area being built circa 2500 BCE. The construction of the first city wall took place around 1800 BCE. This archeological evidence makes the site of Jerusalem one of the oldest permanently occupied sites in the world. In other words, Mr. Yahweh, a long time before you or the Israelites came into existence.
The Israelites, as a coherent people, did not exist before the 13th century BCE. “The name ‘Israel’ first appears in the Meneptah Stele circa 1209 BCE…This Israel was a cultural and probably political entity, well enough established for the Egyptians to perceive it as a possible challenge, but an ethnic group rather than an organized state.” (“Who were the Early Israelites and Where Did They come From?” by William G. Dever).It is widely recognized and accepted that an Israelite leader by the name of David conquered Jerusalem circa 1000 BCE.
So, it would appear that you, Mr. Yahweh, and your chosen people [chosen for what?] were rather latecomers to Palestine – party crashers, so to speak, with little real claim to this territory aside from the handful of centuries that you occupied and ruled this land as a political entity. The destruction of Samaria came around 720 BCE and then of Judah around 586 BCE. From 586 until the Hasmonean Dynasty (135-47BCE) Israel was an occupied land. Then came the Roman occupation and wars, and the final destruction of Israel as a political entity in 131CE.
I find it inconceivable that the Zionists of 1897 or that the Zionists of today can make a legal claim on Palestine and Jerusalem based on such flimsy grounds as a few centuries of actual political control. There is no prima facie case here for such a frivolous claim – it is laughable, at best. The Israelites took the land by force from the people that they conquered and murdered because they were directed to do so by you, Mr. Yahweh. What kind of god are you, Mr. Yahweh, or should I refer to you by you other name, El Shaddai, the meaning of which is “Destroyer.” Shaddai comes ftom the root, shadad, which means to plunder, overpower, or make desolate: it can also refer to the ‘god of the wilderness.’ Or is the claim for the Jewish state based upon a sham set of biased religious propaganda narratives found in the so-called Hebrew Bible? Or was it because you, Yahweh, supposedly told the Israelites that they could gobble Cannaan up and have it for their own source of milk and honey? Theocratic plunder and pillage come to mind. The Hebrew Bible is not a real history – it is a historical document that has been written and edited by human beings over a long period of time. It is not an authoritative source of international law and, as such, it has absolutely no bearing whatsoever on any legal claim to Palestine by the Zionistic Jews or by any other set of Jews.
Overreaching is never a wise political strategy, as it generally causes an adverse reaction and a backlash. Most people do not like a tiny but powerful elite telling them how to live their lives and continuously influencing and propagandizing them. Sooner or later, people will come to see such an elite minority that controls their media, their government, and their money supply as their enemy and the enemy of their freedom. Then, unfortunately, the good will suffer with the bad. but it does not have to be the way that it is. Mr. Yahweh, you should have a little mercy on the goyim: We are people, not animals, and our sole purpose is not to serve the Talmudic/Kabbalistic Jews. That is not fair and it is not just, and you, Mr. Yahweh, know it.
Loosen up baby, relax your grip a bit. What, you think you’re some kind of Hava na-Gila Monster. Let the blood flow a little, you’ll still get what you want, there’san election next year and well, we all know who are writing the big checks. Come on. Blue balls are no fun. Oy vey, don’t I know it?
If the Palestinians are smart they won’t go “postal” and start getting murdered and brutalized even more than usual. At the moment the swinish Israelis hold the whip hand, and there is nothing to be done about it except wait.
Trump is truly a dummkopf for doing this, but he DID do exactly what he promised – something stupid. And don’t forget, he’s not alone with this:
Israel’s pet poodles in Congress set this up way back in 1995. (now where are those Zio-Propagandists who swear Israel doesn’t own the Congress lock, stock, and barrel?)
More recently:
I’m guessing now, but I’d imagine the 1995 vote was a “show of strength” – a demonstration to everyone that Israel Is Boss not only in the Stolen Lands, but also in the US. Probably they were privately horrified that Trump actually kept his word and did his dumbass thing. Zionist barbarism in the shadows has worked out very well for the holy shithole state, and now there is going to be more publicity. This is not helpful to God’s Favorite Thieves and Murderers. Also, as the essay says, this removes even the fig leaf of US impartiality.
https://splinternews.com/chuck-schumer-backs-trumps-disastrous-plan-to-recognize-1821036193
I loved Mr. Boyle’s straight forward answers. I hope Trump’s decision to make Jerusalem the capital makes people more aware that America has never been an honest broker, and never will be. The Jews were given another people’s land with the major assistance of the US and American Zionists who strong armed UN countries to provide them a state. Zionists with a genocidal mentality already had a strong toe hold in that country thanks to the Balfour Declaration. Britain and the US are highly culpable in this outrage. I feel nothing but distain for Israel, and never buy any products that come from that country, and that has been true for many years. The absolute irony that a people who experienced genocide turn around and perpetrate it against another group. The abused, becomes the abuser and we assist them in their inhumanity. It’s all too disgusting.
Trump is an egoistic simpleton to buy into the Zionist schemes of Israel. Just as he stupidly fell for the Saudi Wahabi religious fascism. Trump’s vision does not go beyond the Almighty $$$$$$$$.
mike k. The central bankers have Trump by the balls. If he doesn’t follow orders they tank the system and the country goes down the drain; which, in the end, is really what is required to clean the rot out of the system. But even then we won’t get it all.
Both the bankers and Trump pose problems, though somewhat separate problems.
The money guys bring us the Russia-gate versus Israel-gate issue. Has Russia been determining the outcome of American elections? Or is Israel drumming up Russia-gate to deflect attention from Israel-gate, Israel’s HUGE financial influence on American elections?
Then there is the issue of President Trump’s shallowness. He doesn’t do nuance well. That is a separate issue. It’s also secondary to the issue of who is controlling America’s elections. We need to deal with that first, then Trump’s shallowness.
The Israelis brag about how they’re better than everybody else. So I’d bet on the Israelis over the Russians on who controls America’s elections.
JWalters. While agreeing with everything you say, let’s add in the money guys are also the ones pushing us toward a digital currency age where everything from garage sales to baby sitters can be taxed and your every move can be monitored by the government. Establish this world-wide, with a huge central bank in control, which will in turn divide up the pie with “their criminal friends” (as good ol’ George would put it) and I hardly need expand on the possibilities for a full-blown totalitarian world, let alone state. One could also make a case for such a system being required to save the species from self annihilation, but I wouldn’t buy into it.
On regaining control of US elections, requires a massive grass roots movement, which ain’t gonna happen until the majority feels the pinch a lot more than they do now. And even then their method of protest will be to first blow off steam on some social network, like the one we are chatting on now. Imagine for a moment if the time wasted on sites like this were put into mobilizing your town, county and then state. But while we are all thinking we are bolstering social awareness, “The Real Owners” (as good ol’ George would also put it) buys time to slowly maneuver toward their ultimate objective. As to what that ultimate objective will actually entail, we can only guess at. And since they are keeping their real intentions a secret tells me it ain’t good. :)
Trump is so self-obsessed that he is probably delighted that almost the whole world, especially the world’s Muslims, is against him.