The astonishing similarities between the United States and the State of Israel

Tags : United States, Israel, colonisation, Palestine, Gaza, Indians, Nakba, Naksa,

The unwavering friendship between the Hebrew State and Uncle Sam remains steadfast, regardless of the political affiliation of those in power. Donald Trump’s recent peace proposal, clearly favoring Israeli interests, is not surprising: it follows the line of what his predecessors proposed, who never envisioned a viable Palestinian state.

But one can legitimately ask: why such a strong alliance between the two nations? A convergence of interests, of course, and the pro-Israel lobby in America is often cited as a cause of this foreign policy. However, there is something else that should be noted: as soon as one takes the time to study their respective histories, the similarities between the two countries become strikingly apparent. It’s no wonder that each recognizes itself in the other:

1. Shared origins: Both countries were settler colonies established by the British Empire.

2. Wars of independence: Each was created after a « war of independence » against the British, led by settlers rather than the colonized: 1775–1783 for the United States, and 1947–1948 for Israel.

3. Religious ideology: Both are heavily influenced by a messianic and biblical ideology, including the idea of a « chosen people » with a right to a land: Manifest Destiny for the United States, and Zionism for Israel.

4. Territorial expansion: Each pursued continuous territorial expansion fueled by this ideology: « Greater Israel, » including the now largely abandoned revisionist Zionism justifying control over the West Bank; and, in the U.S., the pioneer mentality driving the westward expansion, at the expense of indigenous peoples.

5. Revolts by native peoples: Indigenous peoples in both cases revolted multiple times: during the colonial period against the British (e.g., the Arab Revolt of 1936–1939; the long Indian Wars spanning several centuries in America) and after independence, which accelerated their dispossession.

6. Forced displacement of indigenous peoples: Indigenous populations were forcibly displaced: North American Indians through measures like the Indian Removal Act of 1830, and Palestinians through the Nakba of 1948 and the Naksa of 1967.

7. Political regimes: Both are undeniably representative democracies, often invoked as an argument to assert moral superiority, while in practice, democratic rights are denied to the occupied and dispossessed peoples.

8. Demographic weapon: Continuing their origins as settler colonies, both heavily rely on (selective) immigration to acquire new territories and overwhelm their adversaries.

9. Ethnic dominance: Within this immigration/colonization, a dominant ethnic group prevails and remains favored: White Anglo-Saxon Protestants (WASPs) for the U.S., and Ashkenazi Jews from Eastern Europe for Israel. Other groups have faced discrimination, creating significant resentment: African Americans, Hispanics, and Asians in the U.S.; Sephardic Jews (or « Mizrahim ») from Arab countries, and Ethiopian Falashas in Israel. Interestingly, a movement called the Black Panthers, led by Moroccan Jews, once existed in Israel.

10. Emphasis on diversity: Despite this history, diversity is now highlighted to showcase tolerance.

11. Technological and military advancement: Both are leaders in technology, have highly efficient economies, and possess powerful, well-regarded armed forces.

12. Rewritten histories: The histories of both nations were rewritten and falsified to obscure inconvenient truths, surrounded by myths and lies still repeated today as if they were established facts (e.g., « a land without a people for a people without a land, » denying the expulsion of Palestinians; or the frequent omission of Native Americans when discussing the American Dream).

13. Global admiration and rejection: For all these reasons, both nations inspire profound admiration and great attraction (soft power) but also deep repulsion worldwide.

This enumeration might seem somewhat simplistic, as there are major differences (e.g., size, population). Yet the similarities are striking, and one can imagine that, unconsciously, each sees its reflection in the other!

Source: Ludovic Yepez, 14/02/2020

Israel #United States #Colonisation #Palestine #Gaza