US needs to change policy toward Netanyahu’s Israel

The tale of Frankenstein’s monster tells a story of a scientist who, without any ill intent, creates a monster that behaves violently and wreaks havoc and destruction throughout the local village, beyond the control of even his own creator.

Benjamin Netanyahu and his extreme rightwing government in Israel have proven over these past four months to be our “Frankenstein’s monster” in this analogy, as they have systematically bombed out practically all of Gaza, specifically targeting homes, hospitals, churches/mosques and refugee camps, and committing genocide and horrendous war crimes by the wholesale slaughter of 30,000-plus (and counting) innocent Palestinian civilians with bombs, bullets, starvation, dehydration, disease, famine and by blocking the delivery of critical humanitarian aid (ie., food, water, fuel, medical supplies, etc.).

Of the approximately 2 million Palestinians fleeing for their lives and trapped in refugee camps in Gaza, two-thirds are women, children and the elderly, and of those 2 million, the UN estimates that one-fourth, or 500,000, are only “one step away” from famine and are currently dying of starvation, thirst, disease, etc. In fact, the rate of childhood malnutrition and starvation presently occurring in Gaza (1 in 6 children) has been reported by the World Food Program to be higher than any other impoverished or war-torn country on Earth, creating the worst humanitarian crisis on the planet.

Because Israel is intentionally blocking virtually all humanitarian aid from getting into Gaza, desperately hungry Palestinians are having to eat their animal feed, grass and tree leaves, and with the lack of any medical supplies and bombed-out hospitals, wounded children are subjected to painful and unsanitary medical procedures, including surgeries/ amputations of limbs with no anesthesia or antibiotics.

In addition, Israel has bombed out existing farms, destroyed crops and has wiped out 75% of the fishing fleet in Gaza, assuring that the Palestinians cannot sustain themselves in any way. When the few food trucks have been allowed in, they have been targeted by Israeli missile strikes and shot at by IDF soldiers. In fact, just a few days ago, 118 desperate refugees were shot and killed by ID soldiers while scrambling for food handouts from one of those food trucks.

All of these horrific crimes against humanity being committed by Netanyahu’s government are defined by the Geneva Convention as war crimes, and the World Court in the Hague has recently filed charges against Netanyahu’s Israel for these crimes. It is blatantly obvious that Netanyahu’s intent is to exterminate the entire Palestinian population of Gaza, so that Israel can claim that prime real estate by the sea, for themselves.

Returning to the “Frankenstein” analogy, the United States helped create the state of Israel with the best of intentions, providing a safe and prosperous homeland for Jews who had been persecuted in the Holocaust of World War II — and the world rejoiced!

Since the founding of Israel, the U.S. has been its staunchest supporter, and has gifted the country approximately $300 billion total over that time period, or on average, more than $10 million per day, mostly in military support. It is estimated that 83% of the armaments that Israel is using in Gaza are U.S.-made, meaning that our tax dollars are paying for much of this genocide and humanitarian catastrophe.

As such, the U.S. has all the leverage it needs to demand that Netanyahu declare an immediate and permanent cease-fire, open up the border crossings immediately for the hundreds of food trucks that are currently being blocked, and enter into serious and genuine negotiations with Hamas over the release of all of the hostages held.

Furthermore, the U.S. should make any future financial support of Israel contingent upon the following requirements; 1) that Israel rebuild all of the homes, towns and infrastructure it destroyed in Gaza and grant reparations to the Palestinians so that they will have a home and the necessary resources to return to, and 2) Israel adopt a “two-state solution” for the establishment of a sovereign Palestinian state.

This change in U.S. policy toward Netanyahu’s Israel is the proper and humane thing to do under these horrific and catastrophic circumstances, and it is not in the least bit anti-Semitic. it’s just anti-Netanyahu’s brutal and barbaric governmental policies. Now our government just needs the moral clarity and courage to do just that!