Israelis And Palestinians Clash

D. S. Mitchell

Calamity Politics is a progressive blog which is most obviously a reflection of my own personal life view.  That vision is a forward looking view for the United States. A country where equality is the norm, not the oddity.  A place where religious freedom is never questioned.  A place where merit, not money is the basis of power.  A country fully open and fully inclusive.

I could go on and on, but you get the idea. Many would call it another Snowflake dream, however you don’t get to the moon if you are convinced no one will ever fly.  The election of Donald Trump to the presidency is like electing that guy who doesn’t believe anyone will ever  fly.  I think you need to think ‘a thing’ is possible before it will ever become possible.  I am convinced of that observation.

So, please join me as I do post-mortem examination of the political news of the day.

The bubble of American politics broke open for just a minute or two and more unrest in Israel between the Netanyahu government and Palestinian representatives and Palestinian protesters came into focus.

In the 1967 War, Israel captured East Jerusalem along with all its holy sites from Jordan.  Furthermore, Israel then annexed the area in a move that was condemned by most world leaders.  In fact, to this day the world community has declined to recognize the legality of the annexation, and that action has led to years of unresolved conflict between Israel and the occupied Palestinian territory.

Israel had allowed the Jordanians to maintain a special role in administering certain religions sites including the Aqsa Mosque.  The Aqsa Mosque is believed by Israeli’s to be the site of the destroyed Temple of the Mount, one of the most holy sites of ancient Israel.

Six people died Friday in a new outbreak of violence. At the entrance to the Aqsa Mosque, a sacred site to both Jews and Muslims.  Israeli authorities installed metal detectors and instituted a restriction on who could enter the Mosque and its grounds after the brutal killing of two Israeli guards by two Arabs who had been attending a service at the mosque.

The three Palestinian protesters were killed in separate events.  All three were fatally shot by Israeli police around the city of Jerusalem and the surrounding territory.  Israeli spokesman claimed the actions were necessary for police safety when rock throwing and firebombing became a serious endangerment.

Three Israeli’s were brutally stabbed and killed in their home, by a Muslim man in an apparent response to the previous killings of the three Palestinian protesters in clashes with Israeli security forces.

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas cut a trip to China short to address the spiraling crisis over the installation of the metal detectors.  Mahmoud announced he was, “freezing contacts with Israel at all levels until it cancels the new measures” around the holy site.

Clashes came as thousands of Palestinian Muslims prayed in front of police barricades in the streets around the “Old City” of Jerusalem as Israeli authorities clamped tougher restrictions on Palestinians. The metal detectors at Aqsa have increased friction between the parties and have emerged as a symbol for the protesters.

An Arab member of the Israeli Parliament argued that “the metal detectors are a political issue.  They have them all over the world, in supermarkets, shopping malls, everywhere.  But, they are there by consensus, not imposed by someone else.”

Netanyahu government “believes the decision to leave the metal detectors at the entrance of the Temple Mount is the right decision–in the national interest.”

Israeli police issued a statement, “according to the decision of the highest political echelon,  police “will decide how strict the security checks would be, based on assessments of the situation.”

The situation for many of the Middle Eastern countries is perilous. Whether it is Syria, Iraq, Yemen or Israel the centuries of fighting and distrust have torn the region apart.  I have no answers.  I do not have the education or diplomatic experience to do much more than observe and comment.  I freely admit those shortcomings.  that is why I am going to take a moment to slap Donald Trump around the ears.

It was just a month or two ago when the American people were advised that Jared Kushner could and would, solve the Middle East crisis.

I am waiting, but I think like nearly everything else Trump, he does not know what the hell he is talking about; and neither does that spoiled son in law of his, and I guarantee that Jared Kushner will not solve the Middle East problem, this year or ever.

Join the Resistance.  Don’t forget to call the Senators and demand they halt their attack on ACA and encourage them to do some quick fixes. Organize your neighbors.  Register to vote. Run for office. Donate your time. Donate your money. Vote Democratic.  Twitter your reaction to political events.

Let’s not let Trump stop our forward motion.  Hopefully Trump will be nothing more than an ugly blot on our country’s history.

Darlene