Democratic party platform on Israel-Palestine is the most realistic and most progressive of its kind
ed note–a few ‘protocols’–no pun intended–to keep in mind when wading through all the noise that permeates all discussion concerning ‘peace’ in the Middle East.
As hard as it is for any sane person to understand, Israel (and by extension, any society where Jewish influence driven by Judaic thinking predominates) does not want ‘peace’. From the moment of its inception, Judaism with it’s ‘God’s chosen people’ precepts and its ‘our way or else’ processes has been/is now/always will be in a state of perpetual war with any and all societies–host or otherwise–that find themselves in the unfortunate circumstance of being in close proximity to this highly-radioactive/highly dangerous delusional and deranged cult mindset. Whether it is the ‘Jewish State’ in the Middle East proper (that has been the sole source of instability and violence in that part of the world for the last century) or whether it is ‘the Jewish state’ within any country/civilization where Jewish influence and Jewish control predominates over money, media, politics, etc, the results are the same–instability and turmoil as all are witnessing now.
As it pertains to the ‘Jewish State’ in the Middle East, keep in mind that this ‘state’ was born in the womb of violence, corruption and criminality. Its founding fathers were gangsters, terrorists and Ju-hadists who were foreign transplants and every bit as much a rapacious invading force as was Genghis Khan and his Mongol horde. They mass-murdered men, women and children whose ancestors had been there for thousands of years, and then in aggrandizing and expanding upon their booty, instigated subsequent wars of conquest that allowed this ‘state’ to push its boundaries further and further outward.
What’s important to keep in mind throughout this entire exercise is that at present this ‘state’ is only in its embryonic stage of gestation, as Judaism commands the creation of a sprawling theocratic landmass incorporating the Arab countries of Palestine, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and parts of Saudi Arabia, to wit–
…On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abraham, saying “To your descendants I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river Euphrates…–Genesis, 15:18
…And God spoke unto us saying, ‘Go to the hill-country and all the places nigh thereunto… in the Arabah, the hill-country and in the Lowland… in the South and by the sea-shore, the land of the Canaanites, and Lebanon, as far as the great river, the river Euphrates…Go in therefore and possess the land which the Lord swore unto your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, unto them and to their seed after them… Deuteronomy 1:6–8
…Every place whereon the sole of your foot shall tread shall be yours, from the wilderness, and Lebanon, from the river Euphrates, even unto the hinder sea shall be your border… Deuteronomy 11:24
…From the wilderness, and this Lebanon, even unto the great river, the Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and unto the Great Sea toward the going down of the sun, shall be your border…Joshua 1:4
…And when the Lord your God brings you into the land he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, he will give you a land with large, flourishing cities you did not build, houses filled with all kinds of good things you did not provide, wells you did not dig, and vineyards and olive groves you did not plant…–Book of Deuteronomy
And those in charge of this entire ‘Jewish state’ project fully intend to see these divine decrees followed to the letter of the law, that ‘law’ of course being the ‘Laws of Moses’ as scribed within the dark pages of the Torah.
It is for this reason therefore that all persons witnessing the spectacle of the various ‘peace discussions’ taking place in the last century need to understand that in any and all such discussions Israel is only there participating in order to create a mirage and optical illusion of sorts. She needs to paint herself as the innocent, pure-as-the-wind-driven snow victim who really, really, REALLY wants to get along with the surrounding ‘Ishmaelite’ nations, but, alas and doggone it, those stubborn AY-rabs just won’t have any of it.
And it is for this reason that Judea, Inc is moving heaven, hell and everything in between to see to it that DJT is not re-elected as POTUS. Just as he stated as candidate Trump to an assembly of Hebrews at the Republican Jewish Coalition to wit–
‘I know why you’re not going to support me — because I don’t want your money, and you want to control your own politician.’
And who went further in another speech to a group of assembled Hebrews where he made clear his plans for coming to some sort of resolution to the Palestinian/Israeli situation, to wit–
‘Some of you in this room won’t like this, but I would love to see peace in the Middle East’
What’s more, the Jews know that Trump means business and that once he has set his mind on a particular ‘real estate deal’, he gets what he wants, come hell or high water and it is for this reason that they just GOT to get him the hades out of the White House before he can implement any of this in his 2nd term.
As far as the word wizardry penned below by our unesteemed Hebraic writer, Trump’s ‘Ultimate Peace Deal’ IS the ‘2 state solution’, and all anyone need do is to honestly look at what it proposes in seeing that it is the most practical and doable ‘solution’ to this blood-soaked problem, which is why Israel opposes it with every fiber of her diabolical and deranged being.
Joel Rubin for Haaretz
Resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is never going to be an easy task. Multiple American presidents have dedicated significant amounts of time to this cause with only limited success.
Yet the clock for peace is ticking. And we are on the precipice of a disastrous Israeli annexation of the West Bank that could permanently undermine the chance for achieving a two-state solution.
This is why we need a realistic policy that moves us towards peace, and why the current draft Democratic party platform on Israel-Palestine is both so important and strong. The next four years may be the last window for an American president to help the two sides get to peace.
What this platform does is serve as a pivot from Donald Trump’s failed Middle East peace policies while also building upon the 2016 Democratic platform in significant ways. This version makes additions that aren’t just more progressive, but that are also more helpful in getting the parties to a solution.
Let’s get real. If a two-state solution isn’t achieved soon, then we will witness further deterioration in the status quo between Israelis and Palestinians and increasing calls for a one-state non-solution. One state will almost certainly lead to either permanent occupation and disenfranchisement of Palestinians, or a minority status for Jewish Israelis.
This is why neither side currently calls for such an outcome. Two states must be an urgent priority.
Thankfully, this platform, unlike its predecessors, focuses squarely on the substantive issues that will facilitate a two-state solution. While it is, at its core, a political document, it also has a role to play in laying out a realistic vision of the positions that a president should take to achieve peace.
On this count, the platform should give pro-Middle East peace progressives confidence that an incoming Biden administration has it right on the substance.
For example, the platform makes opposition to Israeli settlements central to its language – the first time ever for any party platform. It condemns unilateral actions by both sides, including annexation — meaning that for the first time, a party platform explicitly tells Israel to not take such unilateral steps.
It also clearly calls for the creation of a “viable” Palestinian state, where Palestinians “should be free to govern themselves.” That has not been referenced in a Democratic platform since 2008, and the 2008 platform merely called for a Palestinian state, and only as a result of final-status negotiations. No such caveat exists now.
And perhaps most significantly, it makes a clear statement about the human worth and value of both Palestinians and Israelis. It’s frankly troubling that such a statement had not been included in previous platforms: its inclusion this year is important. Human life on both sides of the conflict is valued as equal. Period.
In addition, the platform also maintains many longstanding points about “ironclad” support for military aid to Israel and a Democratic belief that a “strong, secure, and democratic Israel is vital to the interests of the United States.”
These pro-Israel aid positions are not problematic to peacemaking, so long as they are not the only such position – and in this platform, they’re not. Here, the platform explicitly pledges to “restore U.S.-Palestinian diplomatic ties and critical assistance to the Palestinian people in the West Bank and Gaza, consistent with U.S. law.”
Just as a Democratic President Joe Biden would continue to have Israel’s back, so, too would he for the Palestinians who have been completely abandoned by Donald Trump.
One more item should hearten progressives: the language related to Boycotts, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS). This platform allows for “protecting the Constitutional right of our citizens to free speech.” Such a nod to progressives is significant, as it makes clear that the Democratic party does not seek to demonize and make speech that is critical of Israel illegal nor even completely off limits.
Every American should be free to criticize Israeli policies without fear of going to jail or being automatically called an antisemite.
The opposite viewpoint has taken root in the Trump administration’s authoritarian approach to government. Democrats have drawn a clear line in defense of civil liberties, which will ultimately lead to a more inclusive American public debate about Israeli-Palestinian peacemaking.
At its core, this platform expresses the vision and core principles that will guide the next president in his peacemaking work. While there will be debates about specific language – and there should be – there’s no debate or doubt about Joe Biden’s commitment to tackling the core obstacles to peace. It’s there in black and white.
That’s why the Democratic party platform on Israel-Palestine is both the most realistic and most progressive of its kind.
*Joel Rubin was the Jewish Outreach Director for the Bernie Sanders 2020 Presidential Campaign and is a former Obama-Biden Administration Deputy Assistant Secretary of State.