A lot of people seem to be confused as to why American news and media outlets are so focused on the Gaza strip and Westbank. Of course what is happening in that part of the world is absurd. But, that is not to say that there are not other horrible things happening all over.
I mean, the indigenous population of Uyghur people in East Turkistan is effectively being annexed by the Chinese as their government continues to ethnically cleanse the entire region with horrendous policy. While the socio-economic status of Venezuela is hitting an all-time low.
Why don't Americans hear are about these other international issues at the same rate that they hear about the Israeli/ Palestinian conflict? Media outlets jump to tell us about, what feels like, every single thing that happens on the Gaza strip. Why is this the case? Is it because media outlets are anti-semitic?
Maybe they are, maybe they are not, that is a whole separate topic.
In any case, the prerogative a particular news outlet or individual may have is distinct from why Americans need to be informed on the issue.
The reason why the Israeli/Palestinian conflict has to be important to America and the American people is that of the role our great nations plays. That is, America has enabled the high majority of what Israel has done, and continues to do.
The high and mighty Israel we know today was funded by the United States of America. Of course, the economy and resources the nation called upon was done in its own right. Yet, it should be very well known, America has funded plenty of Israel's projects.
I am about to start dropping some hard numbers and facts gathered by Noam Chomsky. He articulates beautifully the special relationship had between the U.S, Israel, and Palestine in his book, The Fateful Triangle. His research comes straight from Israeli human rights organizations and has been faq checked by Palestinian NGOs; or in, in other words, you should have good reason to trust these numbers.
Back in 1983, the United States handed Israel $2.2 billion of our $8 billion budget (and just by the way, those are your tax dollars). America gives and has always given more money to Israel than they do to any other nation in the world. Especially considering Israel is a Middle Eastern nation, America's efforts are and should be curious.
American policies, support, bias, and ideology have been a huge component in everything Israel has done.
When people say that the blood of Palestinians is on American hands, they are not exaggerating. In the exact same way that someone who assists in a murder is just as guilty as someone who commits murder, America is responsible for Palestinian deaths.
Yes, it is true that American people are not the ones behind the guns and American people are not the ones assembling and enforcing the blockades being imposed on the Palestinian people. But the American people are the only group with any agency to make it stop.
In the same way that, when children break rules, parents can ground them by taking away their allowance, America and thus Americans need to set hard rules for Israel to follow. Lives are being lost, international laws are being broken, and clearly, humanity is in danger. Why are we sitting here silently?
There is a lot we can do to stop this; here is some historical (and present day) evidence that we have yet to try.
Under the Reagan administration, on June 26, 1982, the United States stood alone in vetoing a UN resolution calling for the simultaneous withdrawal of Israeli and Palestinian military forces from Beirut.
Scholars have also noticed patterns of America forgiving Israel's loans, offering weapons at a discounted price, and provide tax-deductible charitable contributions.
Currently, America provides Israel with $38 billion dollars in military aid. Ever since the Trump administration took control, America's aid efforts to Israel increased by 27%. And just to be clear, Obama was absolutely funding Israel as well; no U.S president to date has done anything helpful.
In other words, We are funding their military projects, and I am sure if we are giving them the money to do the things they are doing, we could potentially have some say in restricting those things.
Americans support Israel materially, diplomatically, and ideologically. Materially by providing them aid, diplomatically by defending their actions on an international level, and ideologically due to the false narrative we paint.
America has played a pivotal role in the destruction of Palestine's future and the feasibility of a two-state solution. Israel may have been the executive voice behind their actions, but friends do not let friends drive drunk. Why hasn't America spoke out?
Please do note, I am not saying anything against Israel. It is the case that as of current day, Israel is an economically sound, innovative, world power. I am not hoping to argue that America should not help Israel at all; I am hoping to argue that as American citizens, operating under a democracy, we have a responsibility of knowing what our dollars are going towards.
