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His speech to the Israeli Lobby, three days before Purim
Obama, the "Denier" of Israeli Crimes
By Ann Wright (US Army - Ret.)
Palestine, (Pal Telegraph, March 5) - I listened to President Obama's
speech to AIPAC Sunday, March 4, 2012, while sitting outside the Washington
Convention Center where AIPAC was holding its annual conference. We
at OCCUPY AIPAC hooked up a PA system to a computer and listened to
the live stream while watching tens of thousands of Israel's American
supporters arrive for their yearly intimidation of the U.S. Congress
and the U.S. President to fund and protect Israel.
Much of the focus for others writing about the President's pandering
speech to AIPAC will be about the Iran nuclear program and, if weaponized,
the threat to Israeli and U.S. security, in that order. I will leave
the Iran nuclear program to them while I will write about a part of
his speech that pertains to a part of the world that I know personally.
But one last comment about Iran -- Obama said the Iranian government
denies the Holocaust.
I would say that the Iranian government is not the only "denier."
President Obama and his advisers are the "deniers" of incredible Israeli
violence and horrific violations of international law.
In his speech, Obama said, "When the Goldstone report unfairly singled
out Israel for criticism (after Israel attacked Gaza), we challenged
it."
Having been to Gaza within days after the 22-day Israeli attack on Gaza
that killed 1,440, wounded 5,000 and left 50,000 homeless (13 Israelis
were killed -- five of them by Israeli fire), I know the Goldstone Report
is accurate in its recording of endless Israeli attacks on Gaza by air,
land and sea. President Obama must not know that the Goldstone report
comments on the actions of all parties, not just the Israelis. How would
Obama know whether the report is accurate or not, when not one Obama
administration officer has visited Gaza to observe the destruction first-hand,
nor have they asked any of the American citizens who have traveled to
Gaza for their observations.
In another event concerning Gaza, Obama recounted, "When Israel was
isolated in the aftermath of the flotilla incident, we supported them."
I was a passenger on one of the six ships in the 2010 Gaza Freedom Flotilla.
I know personally that Israeli commandos brutally attacked all six ships
in the flotilla. On the Mavi Marmara commandos executed nine passengers
and wounded 50 more.
There were only civilians on the ships and there were no weapons on
the ships. Israeli commandos murdered an American citizen, shooting
him five times. Despite the repeated requests of the family of the U.S.
citizen, 19 year old Furkan Dogan, the Obama administration decided
it did not need to conduct its own investigation but would rely on the
Israeli government investigating itself. Israel was isolated by the
world after its criminal behavior against the Gaza flotilla -- and for
good reason! I will add that the Obama administration did not contact
any of the American citizens on the flotilla to ask for their comments
on the Israeli attack other than a brief consular visit in the Israeli
prison where we were held.
Obama said the U.S. protects Israel from "one-sided resolutions" in
the United Nations Human Rights Council, yet the U.S. and Israel stand
virtually alone as the rest of the nations of the world see clearly
Israel's outrageous actions that are condemned by the Human Rights Council.
Obama stated the United States stands against divestment and boycott
of Israeli goods, yet as boycott, divestment and sanctions actions by
citizens demanding that organizations look at human rights records of
companies in which they have invested, despite what Obama says, Israel
is beginning to feel the pinch as citizen "sanctions" on Israeli companies
that steal resources from Palestinian lands are implemented.
Finally, Obama said that the U.S. opposes those who "delegitimize" Israel.
Yet it is the State of Israel that, by its illegal actions against Palestinians
in the West Bank and Gaza, delegitimizes itself -- Israel does not need
anyone to help in delegitimization.
Obama ended that section of his speech with "when the chips are down,
I have Israel's back," no doubt hoping that AIPAC supporters will contribute
substantially to his re-election campaign because of his perpetual "denial"
of the criminal actions of the state of Israel -- a "denial" dangerous
for the national security of both the United States and the State of
Israel.
Ann Wright is a retired US Army Colonel and a former U.S. diplomat who
resigned in March, 2003 in opposition to the war on Iraq. She served
in Nicaragua, Grenada, Somalia, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and
Sierra Leone. |
