Marco Rubio’s recent visit to Israel could not have been more poorly timed. On his visit, Rubio donned a kippah and paid a visit to the Wailing Wall, asserting his unfaltering support for the nation. This support was displayed almost parallel to Israel’s execution of an air strike in Qatar. This attack was intended for Hamas mediators, who were there to deliberate over a peace agreement for Gaza introduced by the Trump administration.
Coinciding with Rubio’s trip, Israel amplified its dismantling of domiciles in Gaza City. As a result, Qatar held an urgent meeting of Arab leaders. They were incensed by the previous week’s assault and were arranging for a united retort. In the midst of Rubio’s travel, the Israeli administration broke the news of another event, raising more questions.
This revelation involved the American President, Donald Trump, who had apparently been given prior information about the air strike. This assertion contradicted the White House’s denials of being in the loop. Just before Rubio’s exit from Israel, the Netanyahu government initiated a ground attack in Gaza City, stirring negative reactions on an international level.
On that same day, the United Nations published a report stating that Israel was committing heinous acts against Palestinians. In a joined press conference, Netanyahu mentioned his reservation to command future strikes on other nations. At the beginning of the press session, Netanyahu expressed his gratitude to Rubio for America’s continuous backing of Israel’s right for self-defense. Netanyahu’s comments indeed indicated he was observant of the shifting global perspective towards Israel.
Countries in the west, with France at the front, are getting ready to acknowledge Palestine as a state in the United Nations this month. Majority of the globe is already on-board with recognizing Palestine as a state and desires Israel to do the same. The General Assembly of the United Nations has largely supported a resolution for a two-state solution for the Israel-Palestine issue.
But Netanyahu, before anything else, plans on wiping out Gaza, taking control over the West Bank region, and neutralize perceived threats around the region. Hence, Netanyahu, is seen everywhere post the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. As an evangelical who supports Israel and head of America’s biggest conservative youth organization, Kirk played an instrumental role in curbing the growing hostility towards Israel among younger conservatives.
Kirk’s unfortunate demise could greatly affect Jerusalem’s future, with the decline of America’s Boomers, who have consistently pro-Israel sentiments. This group has substantial influence and its departure would mean a great loss for Israel. This makes Rubio’s visit to Israel seem all the more bizarre and mis-timed.
Despite all this, Rubio was in Jerusalem. He lent his support to Israel’s quest for an absolute military victory, dismissing a diplomatic resolution, in the Gaza situation. Earlier in June, Israel had staged a sudden attack on Iran, just a few days shy of discussions being held between Washington and Tehran.
The United States was hoping for a nuclear pact, not a war, whereas Israel intended to destroy diplomacy and overthrow Tehran’s government. Then, as now, there exists the chance of Israel drawing America into another war in the Middle East. Meanwhile, American state legislators were assembling for a conference in Jerusalem.
Throughout the conference, these legislators emphasized the significance of prohibiting anti-Israel boycotts, endorsing broad interpretations of antisemitism, and resisting pro-Palestinian advocacy. People like Bannon disregarded Israel as a mere U.S. ‘protectorate.’ Consequently, Americans may start to question whether this ‘exceptional relationship’ has bizarrely turned into an unusual case of reverse colonialism.
The esteemed Pat Buchanan, a co-founder of his magazine, once described Capitol Hill as ‘Israeli-occupied territory.’ In 1996, after an encounter with an overbearing Netanyahu, then President Bill Clinton famously asked his aides a striking question: ‘Who does he think he is? Who’s the superpower here?’
Clinton’s question was understood as rhetorical, considering Netanyahu’s ludicrous lack of acknowledgement of America’s superior status. However, as decades have passed, this question has lost its potency. The answer is not as glaringly obvious as it used to be anymore.
The post Marco Rubio’s Controversial Visit to Israel Amidst Heightened Tensions appeared first on Real News Now.
About Author
