Though the United States remains a strong supporter of Israel, there are some indications that the supposed ‘unbreakable bond’ with Tel Aviv is faltering, though more in language than in deeds.
Following the provocative ‘Bendera Machi’ on May 18, which is carried out annually by Israeli Jewish extremists in the Occupied Palestinian city of East Jerusalem, the US joined other countries around the world in condemning the racism displayed at the event.
The language used by the US State Department was firm, but also guarded. Spokesman Matthew Miller did not condemn the racist, provocative march – which involved leading Israeli officials – but the language used by the large crowds, most of whom are strong supporters of the far-right government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
"Marekani inapinga bila shaka lugha ya kibaguzi ya aina yoyote," Miller tweeted. "Tunalaani nyimbo za chuki kama vile 'Kifo kwa Waarabu' wakati wa maandamano ya leo huko Jerusalem."
Carefully articulated not to appear as a condemnation of Israel itself, the US position is still more ‘balanced’ than previous positions, where Palestinians were often the ones associated with the US use of words such as “condemnation”, “incitement”, and the like.
Kwa upande mwingine, wakati wa umwagaji damu wa Israeli wa siku tano vita on Gaza, starting on May 9, Washington had resorted to the same old script, that of Israel having the ‘right to defend itself’, thus entirely misrepresenting the events which led to the war in the first place.
This US position on Israel’s war on Gaza suggests that Netanyahu is the ‘defender’ of Israel against supposed Palestinian violence and ‘terrorism’. But this purported champion of Israeli rights is yet to be walioalikwa to the White House five months after he returned to power at the helm of Israel’s most rightwing government in history.
Some want to believe that the decision by the Joe Biden administration to distance itself from Netanyahu was entirely altruistic. But that cannot be the case, as the US continues to back Israel militarily, financially, politically and in every other way.
Jibu liko katika makosa makubwa ya Netanyahu ya siku za nyuma, wakati alivuka mstari hatari, kwa kugeuka dhidi ya Chama cha Kidemokrasia na. ushirika nchi yake pamoja na Republicans. Mbinu zake zilizaa matunda wakati wa muhula wa Rais wa Republican, Donald Trump, lakini ziliambulia patupu wakati Trump alipoondoka Ikulu ya White House.
Biden bila shaka anaunga mkono Israel. Kulingana na matamshi yake ya mara kwa mara, uungaji mkono wake kwa Israeli sio tu wa kisiasa bali wa kiitikadi pia. “Mimi ni Mzayuni. Si lazima uwe Myahudi ili uwe Mzayuni,” amewahi mara kwa mara, na kwa fahari hivyo, mara kadhaa.
But the US President is also dhidi ya Netanyahu, chuki ambayo hata ilitangulia penzi la Trump-Netanyahu. Ni zaidi tarehe back to Barack Obama’s two terms in office, when Biden was the vice president.
Netanyahu’s political shenanigans and relentless attacks on the Obama Administration at the time taught Biden that Netanyahu simply cannot be trusted.
Bado, Biden, akiwa na viwango vya chini vya kihistoria miongoni mwa Wamarekani wa kawaida, hawezi, peke yake, kupinga Netanyahu na ngome ya Israel huko Washington kupitia ushawishi wake wenye ushawishi.
Kitu kingine kiko kazini, yaani, ukweli kwamba Chama cha Kidemokrasia kwa ujumla kilihamisha uaminifu, kutoka Israeli hadi Palestina.
Madai haya yasingefikirika hapo awali, lakini mabadiliko hayo ni ya kweli, yamethibitishwa mara kwa mara na makampuni yanayoaminika ya kupigia kura. The karibuni ilikuwa mwezi Machi.
“After a decade in which Democrats have shown increasing affinity toward the Palestinians, their sympathies … now lie more with the Palestinians than the Israelis, 49% versus 38%,” the Gallup poll alihitimisha.
The fact that such growing ‘affinity’ with Palestine has been taking place for at least a decade suggests that the position of the Democrats was a generational one, not an outcome of a single event.
Indeed, numerous organizations and countless individuals are working on a daily basis to create a link between ‘affinity’ and policy.
Buoyed by the growing sympathies for Palestine, long-time advocate of Palestinians’ rights in the US Congress, Rep. Betty McCollum ilifanywa upya, on May 5, the ‘Defending the Human Rights of Palestinian Children and Families Living Under Israeli Military Occupation Act’.
Co-sponsored by 16 other members of Congress, the legislation demands that Israel must be prohibited from using “US taxpayer dollars in the Occupied West Bank for the military detention, abuse or ill-treatment of Palestinian children.”
Two years earlier, the Intercept had taarifa that McCollum and her supporters were pushing towards barring US aid to Israel from “subsidizing a wider array of Israeli occupation tactics.”
Alex Kane aliandika, this is “an indication of just how far the debate over the US aid to Israel has come in the past six years”, a reference to 2015, when McCollum introduced the first legislation on the matter.
Tangu wakati huo, mambo yamesonga mbele kwa kasi kubwa zaidi. Juhudi za kuiwajibisha Israel sasa zimefikia bunge la jimbo la New York.
On May 16, The New York Post taarifa that legislation was introduced by several Democratic lawmakers aimed at blocking registered US charities from funneling money to fund illegal Israeli Jewish settlements.
The sheria, “Not on Our Dime!: Ending New York Funding of Israeli Settler Violence Act” dares to challenge Israel on multiple fronts: the traditional power of the pro-Israel lobby, questioning US funding of Israel and confronting the channeling of funds to illegal settlements in the name of charity work.
Several reasons compel us to believe that the shift in US policy on Palestine and Israel, though slow, nuanced and, at times, symbolic, will likely continue.
One is the fact that Israel is turning towards far-right nationalism, which is increasingly difficult to defend by US liberal government and media.
Mbili, uthabiti wa Wapalestina na uwezo wao wa kushinda vikwazo vya kawaida vya vyombo vya habari na udhibiti ambao ulikuwa umewazuia kuwa na uwakilishi wowote wa haki.
And, finally, the dedication of numerous civil society organizations and the widening network of support for Palestinians throughout the US, which allowed courageous lawmakers to push for substantive change in policy.
Muda utaonyesha mwelekeo gani Washington itachukua katika siku zijazo. Lakini, kwa kuzingatia ushahidi wa sasa, msaada kwa Israel unapungua kwa viwango ambavyo havijawahi kushuhudiwa.
Kwa wale wanaotetea amani ya haki huko Palestina, hili ni jambo zuri.
ZNetwork inafadhiliwa tu kupitia ukarimu wa wasomaji wake.
kuchangia