Commemorating the ‘Nakba’: United States Rewards Israeli Occupation

In what looks like a reward to Israel for continuously hampering the peace process, the United States presented its main ally in the region with an award that will extend the lifespan of their threat for approximately 10 more years. Commemorating the 68th anniversary of the Palestinian people’s “Nakba”* and their suffering from the crimes committed by the Israeli army and its settlers, U.S. officials signaled that the United States is to complete a bundle of military aid to Israel — which will be the largest of its kind.

During a ceremony held by the Israeli Embassy in the United States commemorating the so-called establishment of Israel — which coincides with the anniversary of Nakba — White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough said that the United States is communicating with Israel in order to deliver a bundle of military aid to the latter, renewing the commitment to safeguard the security of Israel.

The deal was welcomed by the Israeli side, which considered it a sign that the dispute around the nuclear agreement with Iran had come to an end. Although Israel called for an increase in annual military aid from the United States from $3 billion to $3.8 billion, the United States exceeded expectations and raised the aid (according to what had been leaked through this deal) to $5 billion a year and for the upcoming 10 years, which means the United States increased its permanent aid to Israel by 40 percent.

This unprecedented American generosity reinforces the devotion to the occupation and swallows the rights of the Palestinian people, giving Israel a stronger position from which it can reject any peace initiative. This was apparent in the statements of the general manager of the Israeli Foreign Ministry, which coincided with the proclamation of this deal. It was stated that the Israeli government opposes the French initiative about organizing an international ministerial meeting on May 30, 2016 without any Palestinian or Israeli presence. If the meeting succeeds, it could lead to another international meeting before the end of this year.

Furthermore, it is possible that the deal entails new breakthrough weapons such as missile systems Israel always demanded that always hampered negotiations determining the kind of aid given to Israel. Such weapons will now give Israel the upper hand and will allow it to be a source of threat to the security and stability of the region. To continue to bet on the United States in the peace process will prove useless as days go by; the United States is fully aligned with Israel. Therefore, the international community should strive to end the exclusivity of the U.S. as the sole sponsor of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, and follow other diplomatic channels such as those started by Palestinians at the United Nations and other organizations that fall under its umbrella.

*Editor’s note: “Nakba” refers to the exodus of Palestinian people during the 1948 Palestine war, and literally means “catastrophe.”