The Obama administration has broadcast that since Benjamin Netanyahu announced that there will never be a Palestinian state so long as Netanyahu remains Prime Minister of Israel, the US may end its policy of blocking consideration of the Israel-Palestine conflict at the United Nations Security Council. In particular, the US may support a Security Council resolution that lays out parameters for a diplomatic resolution of the conflict, and the US may support a resolution against Israeli settlements in the West Bank.
If the Obama administration makes such a move, will Democrats support it? Here is some preliminary evidence that Democrats will be ready to support the administration.
The Jewish Daily Forward reports that J Street will support such a push at the UN by the Obama administration:
In terms of policy, taking on the fight means stating J Street’s open support to moving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to the United Nations Security Council…
This position puts J Street at odds with most other pro-Israel organizations, led by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, which have been preparing to lobby against the administration’s move.
In addition, the Forward notes, J Street is urging the administration to challenge the flow of US tax dollars to Israeli settlements in the West Bank:
The group is also calling on the U.S. government, Ben-Ami said, to “examine how it can eliminate funding” to Jewish settlements in the West Bank by taking a closer look at how government agencies provide funding to Israel and the way the IRS views donations going to settlements. J Street called on its members and supporters to make sure the Jewish charitable organizations they donate to do not support settlers beyond the Green Line.
Americans for Peace Now is calling on its supporters to “Stand Up for Peace, Stand Up to Bibi“:
The recent Israeli elections definitively unmasked the real Benjamin Netanyahu.
– Netanyahu cynically campaigned as an adversary of President Obama
– Netanyahu brazenly ruled out a two-state peace agreement with the Palestinians
– Netanyahu flagrantly incited racism and intolerance in the Israeli body politic
[…]
President Obama needs to hear from you today! Tell him that you will support him as he stands up to Bibi – including at the UN, with respect to a potential nuclear agreement with Iran, with respect to international pressure on settlements, and with respect to the Palestinians.
More than 20,000 Americans have signed a petition to President Obama at MoveOn, urging him to lift the “diplomatic shield” that has protected Netanyahu’s policies towards the Palestinians from censure at the United Nations Security Council.
We are on uncharted political terrain. Not so long ago, it would have been hard to imagine that 60 Democrats would ostentatiously skip a speech by Netanyahu to a joint session of Congress. Not so long ago, AIPAC – which backed Netanyahu’s speech – was perceived as invincible in Washington. But so far, AIPAC has failed in its efforts to get congressional Democrats to join with Republicans to try to blow up diplomacy with Iran.
Public engagement with congressional Democrats has helped change the balance of forces on Iran diplomacy. Public engagement with congressional Democrats can help change the balance of forces on Israel-Palestine diplomacy. You can add your voice here.
We’re not backing down in the face of Trump’s threats.
As Donald Trump is inaugurated a second time, independent media organizations are faced with urgent mandates: Tell the truth more loudly than ever before. Do that work even as our standard modes of distribution (such as social media platforms) are being manipulated and curtailed by forces of fascist repression and ruthless capitalism. Do that work even as journalism and journalists face targeted attacks, including from the government itself. And do that work in community, never forgetting that we’re not shouting into a faceless void – we’re reaching out to real people amid a life-threatening political climate.
Our task is formidable, and it requires us to ground ourselves in our principles, remind ourselves of our utility, dig in and commit.
As a dizzying number of corporate news organizations – either through need or greed – rush to implement new ways to further monetize their content, and others acquiesce to Trump’s wishes, now is a time for movement media-makers to double down on community-first models.
At Truthout, we are reaffirming our commitments on this front: We won’t run ads or have a paywall because we believe that everyone should have access to information, and that access should exist without barriers and free of distractions from craven corporate interests. We recognize the implications for democracy when information-seekers click a link only to find the article trapped behind a paywall or buried on a page with dozens of invasive ads. The laws of capitalism dictate an unending increase in monetization, and much of the media simply follows those laws. Truthout and many of our peers are dedicating ourselves to following other paths – a commitment which feels vital in a moment when corporations are evermore overtly embedded in government.
Over 80 percent of Truthout‘s funding comes from small individual donations from our community of readers, and the remaining 20 percent comes from a handful of social justice-oriented foundations. Over a third of our total budget is supported by recurring monthly donors, many of whom give because they want to help us keep Truthout barrier-free for everyone.
You can help by giving today. Whether you can make a small monthly donation or a larger gift, Truthout only works with your support.