The approach to Israel/Palestine politics by liberal Democrats like Jared Huffman has not led to peace, but to an endless cycle of bloody resistance to a brutally violent system of apartheid, land theft and displacement of Palestinians. This has ultimately led to the genocide in Gaza carried out in full view of the world and supported and financed by the United States. This genocide was fully supported by President Biden, funded by Congressman Huffman and most of Congress. It continues under Trump, even after what is cynically called a “ceasefire”. It is time to stop this madness and call for a radically different way.
We must recognize reality. The land between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River, commonly called “Israel” and the “Palestine territories”, is now essentially one apartheid state ruled by Israel. Huffman and like-minded congresspeople may at times see that Israel has responded excessively to Palestinian resistance, that it continues to expand illegal settlements, but they offer only sternly written letters along with more arms shipments to Israel and billions in U.S. aid, and very little in actual consequences for Israel. Huffman has even decried as “antisemitic” the Palestinian-led nonviolent resistance in the form of Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions. Huffman does not reject Israel’s right to put down any resistance to its oppressive rule. Instead, Huffman only offers that one day, in the sweet by and by, Israel’s imagined future leaders will negotiate a “two-state solution”, and Palestinians will enjoy whatever rights Israel and the United States is willing to concede to them. This is the premise of the endless “peace process”, that has not brought peace for Palestinians or Jewish Israelis. There must be another way.
We must first demand that before any determination of how the peoples in this region will govern themselves, either by one-state, two-states or more states or a confederation, that Israel and the United States abide by international law. The genocide being carried out by Israel in Gaza must be fully recognized and it must end. Apartheid must be fully dismantled; the occupation must end. It is the legal, and obviously moral, duty of the United States to bring its full weight of any leverage it has available, including boycott, divestment, and sanctions to end Israel’s impunity and firm rejection of international law. Crimes against humanity must have consequences.
There is a glimmer of hope that Congressman Huffman is evolving beyond his material support for Israel and simultaneous “concerns” regarding the denial of Palestinian human rights. His cosponsorship of the “Block the Bombs” legislation is a very welcome development. Up until now, Huffman has attempted, as Jon Stewart has said regarding Democratic Party policy in general, to be “both Israel’s rehab sponsor and drug dealer at the same time”. For the first time Congressman Huffman is supporting actual material consequences to Israel’s flagrant disregard for international law. Yet we are concerned that this is only a performative rejection of Trump’s rule, that when a Democrat is elected to replace the Trump team, he will once again revert to his previous role as “concerned” enabler of Israel’s oppression. Huffman’s silence on the issue of late, his refusal to condemn Israel’s daily violations of the ceasefire agreement is not encouraging.
There can be a future of peace rooted in justice. To get there we need a radical rethinking of current U.S. policies and instead call for a framework that puts compliance with international law as the first necessary step to a better day. It is the only hope for all who live from the river to the sea.
