Since winning reelection, Obama has championed Netanyahu's war in Gaza and rejectionism in the UN. Enough illusions about this U.S. administration. It's hard to see how Mitt Romney could have been any more pro-occupation or anti-Palestinian than Obama's been since getting reelected three and a half weeks ago. (That's all it was!) First Rashid Khalidi's old friend supports Operation Pillar of Defense as an exercise of Israel's "right to self-defense," without any mention of the people in Gaza (or the West Bank) living under Israel's thumb for nearly half a century, or, God forbid, that they may have a right…

Toppling the regime in Damascus should be the top priority these days | Those who once praised the Assads as anti-colonial heroes should learn their lesson | and condemnations of the Chinese-Russian Security Council veto would have sounded better if it wasn't for the Americans' history of using its own veto power This blog deals mainly with political news and events from Israel/Palestine, but I do write about human rights issues, so it seems absurd not to say anything about the shocking events that take place so close to where I live. And while I might not have something new…

A little-noticed quote from Susan Rice, U.S. Ambassador to the UN, reveals the depth of the United States' commitment to Jerusalem's demands and more importantly, the enormous effect the Israeli lobby has on American foreign policy. H/t to The Progressive Realist for picking up this one (my bold): Discussing the possibility that a resolution recognizing a Palestinian state could pass the General Assembly in September, she [Rice] said, “And this would be exceedingly politically damaging in our domestic context, as you can well imagine. And I cannot frankly think of a greater threat to our ability to maintain financial and…

Following the United States' veto of a United Nation Security Council resolution condemning Israel's settlement activities By Jerry Haber Thank you, Mr. President, for vetoing the UN Security Counsel Resolution condemning the Israeli settlements as illegal. Thank you for making America the only country in the world to support Israel on this matter. Thank you for contradicting long-standing US policy on the settlements. Thank you for not abstaining on this vote – which is what the US has done in the past. Thank you for talking the talk on settlements but not walking the walk. Thank you for allowing Israel to…