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THINGS THAT SHOULD BUT CAN’T BE SAID – US LEADERS STILL
DELUSIONAL DESPITE ISRAEL’S GENOCIDAL ASSAULT ON GAZA  
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Dr. James J. Zogby
February 12, 2024
Arab American Institute
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_ Four months into Israel’s genocidal assault on Gaza, one might
have thought that American policymakers and commentators would have
learned some lessons. _

Photo by Amir Hanna on Unsplash // Quillette,

 

Instead, their discussions about the conflict appear to remain trapped
in the same tiresome and, at times, delusional framing that existed
before the current fighting began. As a result, they frustratingly tie
themselves in knots struggling to explain what’s happening and
what’s to be done in the future. They refuse to step outside the
constraints imposed by conventional wisdom and dare not venture beyond
the accepted terms of what is defined as correct political discourse.
Conditioned, in this manner, there are things that should be said that
they will not say. 

For example, despite the ruling of the International Court of Justice
that Israel’s behaviors establish a plausible case for genocide,
that word is verboten. When presented with the numbers of those
killed, those facing starvation, and clear evidence of mass
destruction of Gaza’s infrastructure, policymakers and commentators
shift the discussion to the crimes committed by Hamas on October 7th
or blame the civilian deaths on Hamas’ use of “human shields.” 

They also seek to absolve the US from any responsibility for the
deaths insisting that the President and his administration continue to
urge the Israelis to take measures to avoid civilian casualties. They
then ignore the fact that Israel pays no attention to our “urging”
while they continue to resupply Israel’s deadly munitions and block
international efforts at a ceasefire. 

Equally frustrating is the US insistence that it stands behind efforts
to provide humanitarian assistance to the desperate Palestinian
population in Gaza, while at the same time refusing to hold Israel
responsible for the fact that its cumbersome, duplicative inspection
regime and continued bombing in the south of Gaza impedes delivery of
supplies to those in need. Additionally, the recent US decision to
withhold funds for UNWRA—the only agency with the capacity to
deliver aid—makes a mockery of our commitment to providing
humanitarian assistance. As obvious as these linkages may be, they may
not be said. 

In acceptable US discourse Israel is never blamed. It’s all Hamas’
fault and the US is doing everything it can to alleviate suffering. As
for the decision to cut off UNWRA thereby punishing the entire
Palestinian population for the alleged crimes of about 12 of the
agencies thousands of staff, it is not allowed to refer to this as
collective punishment. 

After ignoring the reality that daily Israeli raids into West Bank
Palestinian cities and towns have resulted in the murders of over 400
Palestinians and that 500 settler attacks on Palestinians in their
homes, cars or fields have resulted in the deaths of eight and the
destruction of thousands of olive trees, the US decided to take action
by sanctioning four settlers. This was heralded by the pundits as
“unprecedented” and “dramatic,” but scoffed at by the settlers
as a hollow gesture—which, in fact, it was. But that cannot be
said. 

What is not discussed are the root problems with the Israeli
occupation (a term that Democrats have never allowed in the party’s
platform), the ever-expanding settlement enterprise, the apartheid
(another word that is not allowed) system that creates impunity for
both settlers and the Israeli military. This self-censorship of terms
that can be used is infuriating.  

Equally troubling are discussions about the “day after” that is
gaining momentum in the US media and policy circles. In the first
place, this topic is insensitive at best, racist at worst. What is the
“day after” for 2.2 million in Gaza? Are they supposed to forget
the tens of thousands who’ve died? Their homes and entire
neighborhoods that have been reduced to rubble? Where will they live?
And what of the trauma to the hundreds of thousands of children
who’ve been physically and psychologically maimed by this war? And
what of the tens of thousands who are expected to die in the coming
months from disease or starvation? 

These questions aren’t asked by pundits or policymakers. They’re
not part of the accepted discourse. 

While official Washington has not yet presented its own plan, they
have provided hints of their thinking in speeches and in discussions
with journalists. From these we can discern an outline of ideas, that
amount to “much ado about nothing.” 

It appears that the cornerstone of “the day after” construct is
nothing more than “a pathway to an eventual Palestinian
state”—reminiscent of the famous ancient Greek philosophers
Heraclitus-Parmenides’ debate about the endless “half-the-way to
half-the-way to half-the-way” to the never reachable goal. In this
fantasy “pathway,” the burden is placed on the Palestinians to
create a credible, viable, democratic, functioning state that will
pose no threat to Israel. The problem, of course, is that Palestinians
must do this while the occupation continues with no restraints on the
occupiers’ control over land, resources, borders, and economy. This
is no different that the bizarre plan proposed by then President Bush
in 2002. The lesson that should have been learned then, but was not,
is that as long as the Palestinians are not free to grow their economy
and protect their land and people from the acquisitiveness and
repression of the Israelis, no such credible state can come into
being. The proposal, if it can be called that, is a mirage designed by
the US to place the burden on the weakest party, while absolving the
Israelis and ourselves from responsibility. 

When blame is directed at Israel, it is focused solely on Benjamin
Netanyahu and his extremist partners, whom the pundits say are the
major obstacle to moving forward. This fails to pass muster because
any close examination of the Israeli electorate and their views would
note that while Netanyahu and company are extreme, there is no
conceivable coalition that can replace them that would be willing to
end the occupation and withdraw from territories and settlements to
allow for a viable independent Palestinian state to come into being. A
recent Israeli poll showed that a majority of Israelis would reject
the creation of a Palestinian state even if that were accompanied by
recognition by Saudi Arabia and security guarantees.  

When confronted with the fact that any future Israeli government would
either be unwilling or afraid to withdraw from the occupied lands
because of negative public reaction, the pundits fall silent out of
their concern for Israeli public opinion. This underlies the racism
that causes the entire fantasy to evaporate. I say racism, because in
the American mind, the opinions and fears of Israeli public opinion
are always placed above those of those of Palestinians. But, of
course, this cannot be said. 

And so Israel’s genocidal assault continues as does the
detached-from-reality US political discussion. Change will not occur
until we can free ourselves from the shackles of acceptable discourse
that has led us into this dead end.

_[DR. JAMES J. ZOGBY [[link removed]] is the
author of Arab Voices
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(2010) and the founder and president of the Arab American Institute
(AAI), a Washington, D.C.-based organization which serves as the
political and policy research arm of the Arab American community.
Since 1985, Dr. Zogby and AAI have led Arab American efforts to secure
political empowerment in the U.S. Through voter registration,
education and mobilization, AAI has moved Arab Americans into the
political mainstream. Dr. Zogby has also been personally active in
U.S. politics for many years; in 1984 and 1988 he served as Deputy
Campaign manager and Senior Advisor to the Jesse Jackson Presidential
campaign. In 1988, he led the first ever debate on Palestinian
statehood at that year's Democratic convention in Atlanta, GA. In
2000, 2008, and 2016 he served as an advisor to the Gore, Obama, and
Sanders presidential campaigns.]_
 

* Israel
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* Gaza
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* Palestine
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* Israel-Gaza War
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* Genocide
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* Hostages
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* Hamas
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* Oct. 7
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* Palestinians
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* IDF
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* Israeli airstrikes
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* Israeli bombing
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* West Bank
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* Occupied Territories
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* Rafah
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* Nabka
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* Benjamin Netanyahu
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* Biden Administration
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* Joe Biden
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* Democrats
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* Democratic Party
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* 2024 Elections
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* Donald Trump
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* Two-state Solution
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* Palestinian State
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