California Free Press

Off the Top of My Head

Omar Accused of Being Anti-Semitic for Suggesting that the US Contributes Too Much Money to Israel?

by John Lawrence, March 11, 2019

Yes, Israel has a lobby called AIPAC. It's purpose is to get American lawmakers to contribute more money to Israel, already a very prosperous country. Omar tweeted, "It's all about the Benjamins, baby," which some have taken to be anti-semitic. I thought the word "Benjamin" was an anti-semitic slur that I'd never heard of. But it turns out to be a reference to Benjamin Franklin on the $100 bill. Meanwhile, the US gives nothing to Israel's poor neighbors, the Palestinians having cut the relatively meager $200 million it had been giving out of the budget at the urging of Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner. NPR reported: "The Trump administration announced Friday that it has cut nearly all the money the U.S. had planned to spend on aid projects for the Palestinians this year —including money to address a humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip."

So why is the American media jumping all over Omar, a Muslim, for supporting her Muslim fellow religionists in Palestine which is suffering a humanitarian crisis? It seems that the slightest criticism of Israel will get the powers-that-be jumping all over you and calling you anti-semitic. Omar has a right to call out the US for giving a huge amount of foreign aid to a country that doesn't need it while totally neglecting its poorer neighbor. Her problem is that she and the other Muslim woman in Congress, Rashida Tlaib, will be attacked any time they take a pro-Palestinian and anti-Israel stand. This cuts off debate; it cuts off discussion about how to solve the Israeli-Palestinian problem and bring peace to that region. It shuts the mouths of anyone daring to be pro-Palestinian.

However, Rabbi Jill Jacobs writes in the Washington Post:

Despite what some pro-Israel organizations would have us believe, not all criticism of Israel is anti-Semitic. Like all countries, Israel has a duty to uphold international human rights laws and to protect the rights of those living under its control. One may protest the use of live fire on unarmed protesters, the closure of the Gaza border and the subsequent humanitarian crisis, the military occupation of the Palestinian territories, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s attacks on democracy and incitement against human rights leaders without invoking anti-Semitic tropes. Such policies would be wrong in any country, whether carried out by Jews or other people.

However, there is legitimate criticism of Israel, which the two Muslim Members of Congress should not suppress. The government of Israel has been criticized for issues regarding Israeli settlements in the Palestinian territories, its treatment of Palestinian Arabs, the conduct of Israeli Defense Forces during conflicts and the blockade of the Gaza Strip.  Other historic issues with ongoing consequences have also been criticized including: the refusal to allow post-war Palestinian refugees to return to their homes, and the prolonged occupation of territories gained in war and the construction of settlements therein.

Among the most controversial policies enacted as part of its occupation, Israel has established numerous Israeli settlements throughout the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. The international community considers these settlements illegal under international law, though Israel disputes this. The United Nations Security Council has consistently reaffirmed that settlements in that territory are void of legality and are a "flagrant violation of international law", most recently with United Nations Security Council Resolution 2334. The creation and ongoing expansion of the settlements have led to Israel's policies being criticized as an example of colonialism.

Perhaps if Israel did something nice for the Palestinians like easing the humanitarian crisis, lifting the plight of those living in absolute poverty or reducing settlements in disputed lands, then the conflict between Palestine and Israel could start to be ameliorated. As long as both sides are intransigent, this area of the world will remain mired in conflict and war. The two Muslim women in Congress should continue to speak out on a more even handed approach to the Palestinian-Israeli situation. They are the only ones representing the Palestinian point of view.

Off the Top of My Head

How George W Bush's Iraq War Wasted a Trillion Dollars, Killed Thousands of People, Spawned ISIS, Caused the European Refugee Crisis and Turned Iraq into a Client State of Iran

by John Lawrence

Before the US invasion Iraq was a majority Shiite country ruled by a Sunni elite. Naturally, the US in its never ending efforts to spread democracy in the world, was happy to see the democratic (Shiite) country ruled by a Shiite government after it eliminated Saddam Hussein. But wait. Iran is a majority Shiite country and they're our supposed enemy. The US is allied with Saudi Arabia which is Sunni and an enemy of Shiite Iran. So naturally when Sunni terrorists groups like ISIS started operating in and taking over Iraq, who came to the rescue and forced ISIS out?

Of course, you can't make this stuff up. It was the US enemy Iran who came to Iraq's rescue with its Popular Mobilization Force (PMF). They, not the US, rescued Iraq from ISIS. So now everybody is happy, right? Iran, which is Shiite, has enormous influence in Iraq, which is majority Shiite and they both are adjacent to Syria which is ruled by a Shiite variant al-Assad.

Net net: The US invasion of Iraq helped create a Shiite dominated middle east controlled by the US enemy Iran while undercutting the US ally, Saudi Arabia. Are we happy now? Can the bloodshed stop now? After an enormous price was paid in money and blood, the US weakened the position of its ally and strengthened the position of its enemy. Iran, by the way is allied with Russia, which now the US is trying to recreate as its enemy. The US needs enemies in order to justify more trillions of dollars in expenditures on its military-industrial complex and more bloodshed among the hoi polloi of the world, the little people.

Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton completed the destabilization of the middle east with their efforts in Syria, which came to nought, and Libya which spawned another terrorist movement. But terrorism is good for the economy because it justifies more dollars spent on the military-industrial complex.

In the meantime the destruction in the middle east gave all the ones there who survived the US onslaught the idea that Europe with its progressive and humane vales might just be a better place to live after their homes and businesses were destroyed and their friends and relatives killed. So Europe is now not only overwhelmed by refugees but is suffering the brunt of the terrorist attacks. They have the US to thank for this starting with George W Bush's efforts after 9/11. He couldn't attack Saudi Arabia where the majority of the hijackers were from because the US was allied with them because of oil so he had to attack some country and Iraq was the logical choice.

Oh, the tangled web we weave. This is what happens when we elect a narcissist, egotist, ignorant ignoramus for President. Oh wait, we've elected two of them lately.

Off the Top of My Head

Sunnis and Shiites Fight, Children Starve in Yemen

by John Lawrence

It's the same old story. Two different religious factions are at war with each other, and children starve as a consequence. The Protestants and the Catholics fought decades long wars in Europe in the 16th and 17th centuries. Two sects of Islam - Sunnis and Shiites - have been fighting for more than a thousand years. The latest version is the war in Yemen between the Shiite minority (the Houthis) and the Sunni majority. Yemen borders on Saudi Arabia which is Sunni, so naturally the US-allied Saudis are using their American supplied military might to fight the Houthis, who took over the government in 2015, and restore a Sunni led government.

Iran which is Shiite supports the Houthis and in general Shiites wherever they are located like in Iraq which now has a Shiite government whereas before the US invasion, they had a Sunni government. So the result of the US led war in Iraq was to change the government from Sunni to Shiite, not exactly the US' intention since the US is effectively allied with Sunnis because of their alliance with Saudi Arabia, which beheads non-violent violators of its laws in public. Then the US goes around the world accusing other nations of being human rights violators. Hypocrites.

If there is ever to be peace in the Middle East, the nut that has to be cracked is the Shiite-Sunni conflict which is at the heart of all the wars in the region. But nobody is concerned about that. Each side is concerned about winning. The US is allied with one of the biggest human rights violators in the world, Saudi Arabia, which makes it effectively allied with the Sunnis while Russia is allied with Iran which makes Russia effectively allied with the Shiites. Instead of creating peace between Iran and Saudi Arabia - between Sunnis and Shiites - both sides are intent on subsidizing the conflict.

The two sides in the conflict and all their proxy groups are just like two teen age gangs fighting each other. Rather than being the world's policeman, the US is being the world's protagonist. If the US and Russia got together as friends and allies, a lot of these problems could be solved. But that's the last thing the US military-industrial complex wants. Peace would cost them too much money. So they continue to promote and subsidize war.

Meanwhile, children continue to starve to death because of Saudi Arabia's blockade of Yemen. The Saudis cannot tolerate a Shiite led Yemen because then they would have Shiites to their north and Shiites to their south. The Muslims need to get their act together and make peace like the Protestants and the Catholics eventually did. That's what the US initially stood for - a refuge from the religious wars in Europe. In that spirit the US should be cooperating with the United Nations to bring peace to the Middle East. Until they do, we will have perpetual conflict in that part of the world combined with a widening refugee crisis and children starving to death beset by disease combined with terrorism. Death and destruction is the price to be paid for continuing conflict. We need more adults in the room.

Bill Maher on Radical Islam