Donald Trump. Consistently showing one-sided support for Israel, it appears so. In May 2018, his regime moved the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem – a world body-designated international city, recognized by nearly all UN member states.
Israel illegally usurped it as its capital. The US under Trump is the only nation with its embassy in the city. Guatemala announced its intention to make a similar move.
On June 30, 1980, Security Council members unanimously passed Resolution 476 (the US abstaining), declaring
“all legislative and administrative measures and actions taken by Israel, the occupying Power, which purport to alter the character and status of the Holy City of Jerusalem have no legal validity and constitute a flagrant (Fourth Geneva) violation.”
Security Council Resolution 478 affirmed
“that all legislative and administrative measures and actions taken by Israel, the occupying Power, which have altered or purport to alter the character and status of the Holy City of Jerusalem, and in particular the recent ‘basic law’ on Jerusalem, are null and void and must be rescinded forthwith;”
“Affirm(ed) also that this action constitutes a serious obstruction to achieving a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in the Middle East;
The resolution called on “(a)ll Member States to accept this decision…(T)hose States that have established diplomatic missions at Jerusalem (must) withdraw such missions from the Holy City.”
Israel claiming the city, “complete and united, as (its) capital” has no legal standing. East Jerusalem is illegally occupied territory – along with the West Bank, Gaza, and historic Palestine entirely.
Security Council Res. 497 (December 1981) said the following about Syria’s Golan – illegally seized by Israeli forces in June 1967:
“(T)he Israeli decision to impose its laws, jurisdiction and administration in the occupied Syrian Golan Heights is null and void and without international legal effect.”
“Demands that Israel, the occupying Power, should rescind forthwith its decision;”
‘Determines that all the provisions of the Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War…apply to the Syrian territory occupied by Israel since June 1967.”
Golan is sovereign Syrian territory, illegally occupied by Israel. Russia slammed Trump’s tweet, saying:
“Changing the status of the Golan Heights bypassing the Security Council is in direct violation of UN decisions.”
Damascus issued a statement, calling Trump’s tweet “irresponsible…confirm(ing) (his regime’s) commitment to Israel and support for its aggressive behavior,” expressing a “determin(ation)” to regain control over its sovereign territory.
The US and Israel ignore all Security Council resolutions and other binding international laws, conflicting with their imperial aims.
The Trump regime’s envoy to Israel David Friedman got the State Department to stop calling Palestinian territories occupied, falsely saying “settlements are part of Israel.”
In December 2016, Security Council 2334 was adopted by a 14 – 0 vote, Washington abstaining.
It said settlements have “no legal validity and constitute a flagrant violation under international law.”
It demanded “Israel immediately and completely cease all settlement activities in occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem.”
It recognized no territorial changes “to the 4 June 1967 lines, including with regard to Jerusalem, other than those agreed by the parties through negotiations.”
It “(c)alled upon all States, to distinguish, in their relevant dealings, between the territory of the State of Israel and the territories occupied since 1967.”
It “(c)alled for immediate steps to prevent all acts of violence against civilians, including acts of terror, as well as all acts of provocation and destruction, calls for accountability in this regard…”
Last week, the State Department Country Reports on Human Rights Practices referred to the West Bank, Gaza, and Syria’s Golan as “Israeli-controlled,” no longer calling these territories “occupied” or under “occupation” as of last year’s report.
On Thursday, Trump tweeted:
“After 52 years it is time for the United States to fully recognize Israel’s Sovereignty over the Golan Heights, which is of critical strategic and security importance to the State of Israel and Regional Stability!”
He ignored Security Council Res. 497 and all others discussed above. Golan is sovereign Syrian territory, illegally occupied by Israel since June 1967.
The same goes for the West Bank, Gaza, and East Jerusalem. Was Trump’s tweet about Syria’s Golan prelude to formally and illegally recognizing it as Israeli territory?
Will similar recognition of the Occupied Palestinian Territories follow – illegally declaring them part of the state of Israel?
Note: The US Constitution grants presidents power to determine relations with other nations. It includes negotiating agreements – not subject to Senate approval.
Supreme Court rulings affirmed this power. Trump used it to recognize Guaido as interim Venezuelan president – despite acting in flagrant violation of Bolivarian Republic constitutional law, rendering his action null and void.
He can also use this power to declare Syria’s Golan Israeli territory – even though the action would conflict with international and US constitutional law under its Supremacy Clause, stating international laws, treaties, conventions, and agreements are automatically US law (Article VI, Clause 2).
Israel occupies Syria’s Golan illegally. Security Council resolutions are binding international law.
Trump’s tweet suggests he’ll recognize Golan as Israeli territory – ignoring its illegality, perhaps thinking it’ll help Netanyahu remain Israeli prime minister following April 9 elections, paying no heed to his coming indictment for bribery, fraud, and breach of trust.
If tried and convicted of one or more of these charges, he’ll be replaced as prime minister if reelected, his political career likely over.
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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 is from IMEMC
