Trump Will Never Back Palestinian Self-Determination

Rasa - The Zionist regime doesn’t need to swallow a tough pill, as President Trump during his first visit to Israel is not going to endorse the idea of Palestinian “self-determination.” He won’t make genuine efforts to kick-start peace talks either.

News ID: 429651

Date: 14 May 2017 - 23:45

RNA - He has already abandoned US support for the two-state solution, as giving the Palestinians self-determination would necessarily imply that they can establish an independent state on Palestinian soil. On the other hand, even if he does the impossible and endorses the idea, he will surely switch his stand the moment he returns to Washington.

After all, Trump has a history of self-contradictions and flip-flops. Since his election, Trump has switched his stands on everything from his signature border wall to the ongoing war on Syria. He has a way to go to before he matches the sheer volume of self-disagreement that he racked up prior to his election, but his Syria escalation as the 45th president is perfection itself – and the Palestinian issue is not an exception:

On the eve of the first summit between President Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the White House was quick to back away from the long-standing US advocacy of a so-called two-state solution for peace between Israel and the Palestinians. The statement was the latest fluctuation in what seems to be an evolving Middle East policy for the new administration.

Initially, Trump took hardline positions on Israel, refusing to condemn the expansion of settlements in Palestinian lands, and vowing to move the US Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Relocation of the embassy is controversial because both Israelis and Palestinians claim Jerusalem Al-Quds as their capital.

Trump also said he would turn over the Israeli-Palestinian portfolio to his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, a longtime supporter of Israel. He has nominated as his ambassador to Israel one of his lawyers, David Friedman, a financial backer of settlements, which much of the world consider illegal and an impediment to peace. More recently, however, the Trump administration dropped talk of moving the embassy, at least in the short term, and issued a statement that was critical, albeit mildly, of settlements.

Trump now claims he wants to make peace in the long conflict the "ultimate deal." US administrations over the years have been stymied in similar goals. Peace talks have been at an impasse for several years. Both Trump and Netanyahu are eager to show an improved relationship following eight frosty years with the Obama presidency. But experts have also warned that Trump should be careful not to risk provoking Arab states, whom he needs as counterweight to Iran in Iraq and Syria.

The facts tell another story. The US is not an honest broker and has never sought to bring about peace in the Middle East, let alone in Palestine. The US supports Israel’s expansionist policies, including its illegal occupation and other violations of International Humanitarian Law. It supports Israel’s criminal policies financially, militarily, and diplomatically. The US also supports Saudi Arabia’s criminal policies in the ongoing war on Yemen.

The Trump administration might state publically that it is opposed to Israel’s settlement policy and ostensibly “pressure” Tel Aviv to freeze colonization activities; yet it will never cut back financial or military aid to Israel, even if it defies International Law and continues settlement construction. That message is perfectly well understood by Tel Aviv, which continues its colonization policies.

We can still remember vividly how both the US House of Representatives and the Senate passed resolutions openly declaring support for Israel’s Operation Cast Lead, despite a constant stream of reports evidencing Israeli war crimes in Gaza. On the same day the US reaffirmed its “strong support for Israel in its battle with Hamas” (January 8, 2009), the International Committee of the Red Cross issued a statement demanding that Israel allow it to assist victims of the conflict because the Israeli military had blocked access to wounded Palestinians – a war crime under International Law.

When Israel waged a war to punish the defenseless civilian population of Gaza, its pilots flew US-made F-16 fighter-bombers and Apache helicopter gunships, dropping US-made bombs, including the use of white phosphorus munitions in violation of International Law.

US diplomatic support for Israeli crimes includes its use of the veto power in the UN Security Council. When Israel was waging a devastating war against the civilian population and infrastructure of Lebanon in the summer of 2006, the US vetoed a cease-fire resolution. As Israel was waging Operation Cast Lead, the US delayed the passage of a resolution calling for an end to the violence, and then abstained rather than criticize Israel once it finally allowed the resolution to be put to a vote. And this was done by Obama who was said to be cold in his ties with Israeli leadership, let alone a US under Trump.

Through its virtually unconditional support for Israel, the Trump administration will effectively block any steps to implement the two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The so-called peace process has for many decades consisted of US and Israeli rejection of Palestinian self-determination and blocking of any viable Palestinian state. When in Tel Aviv, Trump will make sure this will continue to be the case under his presidency.

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