Why Do Our Politicians Care More About Israel Than Americans?
I was astonished by the lack of response when I asked senators about the deadly beating of a 20-year-old American by Israeli settlers.
Three episodes over the last nine days underscored the US bipartisan establishment’s unparalleled commitment to Israel – and their utter disdain for anything that gets in the way of it.
Including Americans.
‘I Am Pro-Israel’
First, last week, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is wanted by the International Criminal Court on war crimes charges, visited Washington, DC (for the third time since “anti-war” Donald Trump was re-elected). Amid the fanfare and revelry, I asked seven Republican senators if they knew how many Americans had been killed in the past 21 months by the government they were sending blank checks to.
Each senator either had no idea, or no interest in the question itself.
When pressed on whether she had any insight into Americans killed by the Israeli military,
Maine Senator Susan Collins responded, puzzlingly: “I am pro-Israel.”
A US senator was asked about US citizens killed by a foreign country. She responded by saying she supports the foreign country.
Oklahoma Senator Markwayne Mullin responded that he did not know, and that he hadn't "even given it much thought.”
Two days later, on Friday, Israeli settlers – tolerated and protected by the Israeli government – brutalized 20-year-old American Sayfollah Musallet. The settlers, as well as Israeli forces, blocked ambulances from reaching Musallet, and another Palestinian they attacked, Mohammad al-Shalabi, for hours.
Both were killed.
After Musallet was killed, I reached out to the same seven senators, asking for their reaction to it and giving them more information about the previous six American victims they apparently didn't know about.