Israel gets what Israel wants (from the US)

Israel gets what Israel wants (from the US)

 

Why do I say this?  In searching for material on Maryland’s mayor who recently stripped Maryland’s citizens’ right to free speech to criticize Israel, I found more than I was looking for. There are now 22 US states that have active legislation banning state business with companies that support the BDS movement (boycott, divest, sanction) Israel. This is almost half of the United States now under direct Israeli control in matters of US free speech (and the lack of it).  I can’t believe it.  I don’t want to believe it. But it’s true.

 

The US has catered to Israel so much for so long I suspect Americans are under the impression that Israel is another part of the US government.  Certainly American governments, on both state and federal level, have lost their senses. Look at all the fuss made over some US football players not standing for the US anthem while the US government itself disregards the US Constitution by trading away the right of free speech to a foreign country.  What irony. 

 

Obama made some small effort at push back on the ability of Netanyahu to completely guide the US (which mainly was, and still is, to bomb Iran). Trump is a sucker for Israel.  In spite of the rest of the world agreeing that Iran is living up to its commitments on the nuclear agreements, Netanyahu wants Iran bombed and never stops telling Americans that it should be bombed and hints that the US should do this. Trump does indeed love Israel.  His bromance is not with Putin as the Democrats repeatedly and boringly insist, but with Netanyahu. He stands ready to do Netanyahu’s bidding. Trump’s constant bashing of Iran appears to me like a grooming of the world for a pre-emptive strike against that country.

 

But where is Canada in this?  Is the Trudeau government just following the lead of the US who listens to Netanyahu and the Israel lobby, even when their voices go against Canadian and American best interests? And in fact, the best interests of the world?  I worry that is the case. There has been one bill surreptitiously passed in the Canadian parliament that leans in that direction. Next time.