The Two-State Chronicles:

How Trump Could Prolong Apartheid Rule Over Palestine

Rasa - We all know how for decades consecutive US administrations have been denouncing Apartheid in occupied Palestine while asking its neighbours to recognise Israel.

News ID: 426259

Date: 03 January 2017 - 23:59

RNA - The same could be true for the upcoming Trump administration. The Republican presidential nominee once embraced the possibility that he would kick the failed cycle of repeated US-brokered peace talks between the Palestinian Authority and Israel to the curb. He even claimed he wanted to be a “neutral guy” in the conflict and not pick sides.

It’s hard to take seriously, as after becoming the new president, Donald Trump has had a change of heart, which is not surprising. He is no longer “silent” about his plans for managing the conflict and the “special relationship” with Israel - Washington’s largest recipient of military aid.

His slow buildup of hawkishly pro-Israel and anti-Muslim advisers and likely political appointees hints that the president-elect isn't seeking to stake out a “neutral” position anymore. Quite the contrary, he has decided to appoint David Friedman, a pro-Israel attorney and adviser, as US ambassador to Israel. Friedman has already announced his intention to seek the relocation of the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem al-Quds.

Make no mistake. This is not a dramatic reversal of American policy or a move guaranteed to antagonize Palestinians and the Muslim world. Consecutive US administrations have been doing all that and more for decades. The only difference now is that the Trump administration is carrying the pro-Apartheid sword in public – with no intention to hide their Christian-Zionist roots or hostility toward Palestinians and Muslims.

It sends a strong message that the Trump presidency has little intention of seriously supporting the creation of a Palestinian state. Quite the contrary, he has no intention to support a two-state solution to the conflict. And the evidence is out there for all to see. Friedman, his pick to represent America in occupied Palestine, leads American Friends of Israel, which collects tax-deductible contributions to support illegal settlements in occupied territories.

You get the idea. Trump would abandon the bogus US support for a two-state solution in favor of an Apartheid regime where, in most interpretations of the concept, Palestinian residents are treated as second-class citizens.

It marks a significant departure from decades of so-called “US support” for a negotiated solution to the conflict. It should also ring the alarm bells in occupied Palestine for those who are still under the illusion that they can make peace with the Zionist regime – brokered by its traditional ally.

In the prevailing environment, the long-suffering  people of Palestine have no choice but to continue their lawful resistance under International Law and UN Charter. They can't destroy Zionist racism, much less change the Apartheid regime on the basis of US-brokered talks. This is a regime that has made no attempt at reconciliation whatsoever, has lit no spark of humanity in anyone for more than 60 years. There's got to be something harder.

There is a word which sums up this "separate but equal" mentality in Washington - Apartheid. And we all know how separate and how equal that has been for Palestinians. They can be pretty much sure that the Trump administration – just like its predecessors – will continue to back the Zionist regime’s annexation of Palestinian lands. At the same time, mainstream media and governments in the West would continue to accuse President Trump of being an anti-Semite when he suspiciously voices objection – just in case.

It’s a familiar pattern. A reminder why after 8 years of “unconditional support” and “special relationship”, leaving President Obama suddenly decided to abstain from a UN Security Council resolution that condemns Israel for building illegal settlements in occupied lands. The Two-State Chronicles must go on. It’s a tradition; only this time, the torchbearer is a White Supremacist called Donald Trump.

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