Opinion Editorials, September 2012

Jerusalem and the Israeli-Occupied Democratic National Convention

By Eileen Fleming

Al-Jazeerah, CCUN, September 8, 2012

It was a left to the liver witnessing the scripted outcome in the shout out decision regarding Jerusalem at the DNC convention in Charlotte, N. C.

After much debate around this nation the DNC Platform committee had deleted the 2004 and 2008 Platform sentence "Jerusalem is and will remain the capital of Israel."

The good news was that the Democrats had decided to be on the side of international law and UN Resolutions which assert that the status of Jerusalem and whether it is to become the capital of Palestine, Israel, both- or internationalized like the Vatican-is a final status negotiation between the indigenous Palestinians and Israeli occupiers--who are aided and abetted by US foreign policy and we the peoples tax dollars of over $3 billion a year.

Everywhere except in America the Palestinian occupation is seen as a US collaboration.

Romney’s strategy to run ads asking where is God and support for Israel in the Democrats platform helped pressure Obama to cave and thus order the Platform Committee to restore the old language.

No doubt that the American Israeli Public Affairs Committee had put the pressure on Obama over the omission as does the video report make it clear that the delegates voted roughly 50/50 and no where near the required 2/3’s needed! Three votes were called but the No’s were ignored and against more Party rules, Mayor Villaraigosa rejected the motions for a roll-call vote from the floor. He also falsely announced that 2/3’s had agreed to the language change and then abruptly walked off the podium.

When the shocked and awed party stalwarts who had supported the new language regroup and vent their righteous anger this conversation could blow the doors and force The Party to face the prospect of a full convention vote on this issue and even a court challenge by the delegates.

The international community does not recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital or a city that is properly Israel's.

UN member states adhere to the United Nations proposal that Jerusalem should have an international status.

Israel's very statehood was contingent upon upholding the UN UNIVERSAL DECLARATION of HUMAN RIGHTS and as a Member State, America is obligated to hold ALL other Member States to it:

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The Washington Report on Middle East Affairs compared the sameness of the Democrat and Republican platforms:

GOP: The U.S. and Israel "speak the same language of freedom and justice"

DEMS: The U.S. and Israel "share common values"

GOP:“The security of Israel is in the vital national security interest of the United States”

DEMS: “A strong and secure Israel is vital to the United States”

GOP:“Ensure that [Israel] maintains a qualitative edge in military technology”

DEMS: "Ensure Israel’s qualitative military edge”

GOP:“We envision two democratic states”

DEMS: "Seek peace between Israelis and Palestinians….producing two states for two peoples”

GOP:“Palestinian people must support leaders who reject terror, embrace the institutions and ethos of democracy, and respect the rule of law.”

DEMS: Palestinians must "recognize Israel's right to exist, reject violence, and adhere to existing agreements”

GOP: “We call on the new government in Egypt to fully uphold its peace treaty with Israel”

DEMS: "We will continue to support Israel's peace treaties with Egypt and Jordan"

GOP:“We call on Arab governments throughout the region to help advance [the] goal [of peace]”

DEMS:“President Obama will continue to press Arab states to reach out to Israel”

GOP:“We support Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish state with secure, defensible borders; and we envision two democratic states—Israel with Jerusalem as its capital and Palestine—living in peace and security”

Dems:“Jerusalem is and will remain the capital of Israel…The parties have agreed that Jerusalem is a matter for final status negotiations. It should remain an undivided city accessible to people of all faiths"

GOP and Dems: No reference to Israeli settlements. No reference to Israeli settlements. No reference to violence carried out by Israeli government or settlers. No reference to violence carried out by Israeli government or settlers. No hint of any Israeli wrongdoing. No hint of any Israeli wrongdoing

And yet, I still have hope that "The Peace of the World begins in Jerusalem."

Rev. Theodore Hessburgh, president emeritus of the University of Notre Dame, spoke those words at the end of my first 16 Days in Israel Palestine in 2005.

I founded my website WeAreWideAwake.org three weeks after that first of seven trips to the Holy Land, have written three books and over a thousand articles seeking a just peace in the Middle East and that is also when I began to dream of serving in the US House of Representatives.

I registered as an independent at 18 years of age and have voted for democrats and republicans. I share some common ground with both, but I also dissent from much and foremost are their policies regarding Israel Palestine.

The time is now for all to hold “these truths to be self-evident: That all [people] are created equal; that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights...that, to secure these rights, governments are instituted among [people] deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed; and, whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the RIGHT of the people to ALTER or to ABOLISH it." -July 4, 1776, The Declaration of Independence.

I am Eileen Fleming for US HOUSE and I approve of all of my messages.

Opinions expressed in various sections are the sole responsibility of their authors and they may not represent Al-Jazeerah & ccun.org.

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