Fortress Israel Spurns Peace

by Stephen Lendman

Netanyahu is creating a greater fortress Israel than already, building more walls, encircling the country for "protection" from "Arab predators," wanting "beasts" kept out.

A longterm project continues, including a new barrier along Gaza's border. In January, construction of a fence bordering Jordan began.

A previous article said irresponsible fence-building continues costing billions of dollars in lieu of fence-mending costing nothing, creating peace and good will - policies Israel systematically rejects.

A new project to isolate Arab communities in East Jerusalem was proposed, affecting 200,000 Palestinians if implemented.

Apartheid segregation is longstanding Israeli policy. A so-called "Saving Jewish Jerusalem" campaign was begun, demonizing Palestinians, calling them existential threats to Israeli security, to the city's demographic balance.

Former MK Haim Ramon heads the scheme to construct a wall through the heart of East Jerusalem, isolating Palestinian communities, a step toward ethnically cleansing them altogether.

UN Resolution 181 (the 1947 partition plan one-sidedly favoring Jews) declared Jerusalem an international city under a UN Trusteeship Council - including all Jerusalem, Bethlehem and Beit Sahour, to encompass Christian holy sites.

It called for an independent Arab state by October 1, 1948 never achieved. Israel's so-called War of Independence intervened - a just and lasting peace unattainable for nearly 70 years.

Zionist Union head Isaac Herzog supports segregating and isolating Palestinian communities, weeks earlier saying:

"…I believe that reality calls right now to understand that, tomorrow, peace is not around the corner. What needs to be done is separating from the Palestinians as much as possible. This is taking our fate in our own hands."

His late February shamelessly published NYT op-ed endorsed "separation," division to create a "unified capital," saying:

"Twenty-eight Arab villages to the north and east of Jerusalem must be physically and politically separated from the city's municipal boundaries, leaving a unified, strengthened capital." 

"This would also mitigate the spate of Palestinian knife attacks that have originated in no-man's-land neighborhoods and are facilitated by free access into the city."

Zionist extremists and religious fanatics run Israel, a fascist police state by any standard. Peace is anathema, equity and justice for Palestinians verboten.

Endless conflict, violence and persecution of an entire population persists for the crime of not being Jewish.

Nothing in prospect suggests any possibility for responsible change.

Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago. He can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net. 

His new book as editor and contributor is titled "Flashpoint in Ukraine: US Drive for Hegemony Risks WW III."

http://www.claritypress.com/LendmanIII.html

Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com. 

Listen to cutting-edge discussions with distinguished guests on the Progressive Radio News Hour on the Progressive Radio Network.