Days ahead of Israeli Knesset elections on Tuesday, Netanyahu fighting for his political life, Trump tweeted the following:
“I had a call today with Prime Minister Netanyahu to discuss the possibility of moving forward with a Mutual Defense Treaty, between the United States and Israel…further anchor(ing)” bilateral relations, he added.
He tacitly endorsed Netanyahu’s reelection bid, saying
“I look forward…after the Israeli elections when we meet at the United Nations later this month!”
Trump suggesting a mutual US/Israeli defense treaty was a pre-election stunt, supporting Netanyahu’s bid to remain prime minister — a Ziofascist extremist, a recklessly dangerous Iranophobe, an enemy of peace, equity and justice.
Trump’s remark came when the last pre-election polls showed a dead heat between Netanyahu’s Likud party and Gantz/Lapid’s Blue and White party.
It’s also at a time when Netanyahu faces post-election indictment for bribery, fraud and breach of trust following an October hearing, his personal freedom at stake.
Saturday on Israeli television, he appealed to his base, saying
“I’m going to get us a defense pact that will provide us with security for centuries, but for that I need your votes.”
The US and Israel have no enemies, no threats to their security, so they’re invented.
What would a defense treaty mean between both countries? In 1989, the US designated Israel a major non-NATO ally (MNNA).
It’s the closest thing to alliance membership, affording the Jewish state significant military and other advantages not given to non-NATO countries.
In December 2014, the US-Israel Major Strategic Partner Act made the Jewish state more equal than other MNNA nations — the Orwellian notion.
In his novel “Animal Farm,” some animals were more equal than others — Israel at the top of the pecking order among US allies because of the power and influence of its lobby.
James Petras powerfully discussed it in his book, titled “The Power of Israel in the United States” — creating a “tyranny of Israel over the US,” he explained.
The Jewish state today is US-dominated NATO’s leading partner country. Since 1995, it’s been a Mediterranean Dialogue nation, reinforcing its partnership with alliance nations.
The US and Israel are imperial partners, allying in each other’s wars of aggression, the Jewish state provided aid and other benefits beyond what Washington affords other nations.
If consummated, a US/Israeli defense pact would elevate relations to a higher level. It would likely have provisions similar to what’s in the NATO Charter.
Its Article 4 calls for members to “consult together whenever, in the opinion of any of them, the territorial integrity, political independence, or security of any” is threatened.
Article 5 considers an armed attack (real or otherwise) against one or more member states, an attack against all, collective self-defense called for, alliance members mandated to intervene.
While the US already goes all-out to aid Israel militarily, a bilateral defense pact would mandate it.
For example, when Gazan rockets respond to Israeli aggression, followed by Israeli-terror-bombing, the US would be obligated to get involved if the Jewish state requested it.
The same goes if Israel manufactures a pretext for war on Iran, Lebanon’s Hezbollah, or greater war on Syria than already.
A mutual defense pact elevates the risk of greater regional wars instead stepping back from the brink to avoid them — why it’s a dangerous idea if Trump actually pursues it.
For now, it’s just a DJT pre-election stunt to help save Netanyahu’s political future.
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Award-winning author Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago. He can be reached at [email protected]. He is a Research Associate of the Centre for Research on Globalization (CRG)
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.
Featured image: President Trump meets with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in New York on Sept. 18, 2017. (Screenshot from Whitehouse.gov)
