By John Skippings From Caribbean News Now

Bernie Sanders dared to take on his fellow Jews in defence of the Palestinian people; something no other American, or any other western leader or politician has dared to do in such manner – at least openly. Not now, not ever! “Criticism of Israel and promotion of Palestinian rights from a canvassing US presidential candidate” is without precedent.

And which American politician would dare to say Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “is not right all of the time”, and describe American policy toward the Israeli/Palestinian situation as being “one-sided”. Said presidential candidate Bernie Sanders: “We cannot continue to be one-sided.”

Sometime, long ago by whomever, it was decided that the standard response to whatever Israel does in its defence, no matter how many Palestinian non-combatants – including women and children died in the process, or how much destruction was inflicted, as a result it is said of Hamas’ fighting tactics – would be that Israel “has a right to defend itself.”

Secretary of State John Kerry recently blamed a “massive increase in settlements over the course of the last years” for feeding “frustration that is growing” that a two-state seems less and less likely.

Kerry realized that quite contrary to what Prime Minister Netanyahu, who in the heat of Israel’s last general elections vowed that if he was returned to office he would never establish a Palestinian state, and describes Palestinian resistance to Israeli occupation as “Palestinian Islamic terrorism”. Further saying that “they [Palestinians] murder us because they are anti-Semitic. And they are so because of their religion and culture”.

Which of course, contradicts United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, when he said that: “As oppressed peoples have demonstrated throughout the ages, it is human nature to react to occupation, which often serves as a potent incubator of hate and extremism.”

And there has to be little, if any doubt that Vice President Joe Biden was emboldened by Bernie Sanders to speak of “overwhelming frustration with Israel’s government”; further saying that “Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s administration has led Israel in the wrong direction.” And that “I firmly believe that the actions that Israel’s government has taken over the past several years — the steady and systematic expansion of settlements, the legalization of outposts, land seizures — they’re moving us and more importantly they’re moving Israel in the wrong direction.

“There is at the moment no political will that I observed from either Israelis or Palestinians to go forward with serious negotiations.”

But back to Bernie Sanders. He had the fortitude to criticize Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton for not saying that she would do more to promote Palestinian rights, when she addressed the powerful right-wing American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) lobby in Washington in March; himself saying, “If we are ever going to bring peace to that region, which has seen so much hatred and so much war, we are going to have to treat the Palestinian people with respect and dignity.”

Perhaps unprecedented by any American presidential aspirant, Bernie Sanders was the only candidate who declined to speak at the AIPAC event in Washington on March 21; which sponsors a competition demonstrating who most supports the policies of AIPAC.

By accusing Israel of abusing the Palestinians, and America of not being fair in its efforts to bring about peace between the two peoples and the pursuance of a two-state solution – as both the Israelis and the Americans profess to support – it does not seem much of a stretch to believe that that Sanders is actually blaming Israel for the state of constant war between the two peoples, and the inability to achieve a peace settlement over the past 64 years of occupation.

What else? According to Britain’s The Guardian newspaper, “The Democratic US presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders brought his political revolution to the Vatican on Saturday, where he was granted a five-minute audience with Pope Francis.”

According to Sanders: “I told him that I was incredibly appreciative of the incredible role that he is playing in this planet in discussing issues about the need for an economy based on morality, not greed.” Sanders and his wife stayed “at the papal residence, in the Domus Santa Marta hotel in the Vatican gardens, on the same floor as the pope,” according to the Guardian. This seems all too coincidental to me.

And in an interview with ABC news, Sanders called the pope “a beautiful man”, adding “I am not a Catholic, but there is a radiance that comes from him.” Eerily mindful of some Biblical transformations. And Sanders went on to tell ABC, “I just conveyed to him my admiration for the extraordinary work he is doing raising some of the most important issues facing our planet and the billions of people on the planet and injecting the need for morality in the global economy.”

Presidential candidate Bernie Sanders’ meeting with Pope Francis, head of the Roman Catholic Church; some 36% of New Yorkers are Catholic. Despite His Holiness’ categorization of their five-minute meeting, those New York Catholics will have to be excused if all they can see in this brief encounter between the two is ENDORSEMENT.
New York’s Jews threw their support behind Hillary Clinton.

Although Democrat Sharon Goldtzvik, 29, founder of Uprise, a non-profit focused on human rights issues in the Middle East, called Sanders “a breath of fresh air”, saying she thinks that “he represents the views of many, many Jews and a growing number of Jews.”

And by the way, there was another well-known Jew; who claimed to be the saviour of mankind. And who condemned some of the actions of his fellow Jews. He was called Jesus, and was rejected by his own people. That Jew, Jesus, gave to the world Christianity – not always kind to Jews. As well as Pope Francis.

However, while I did not actually serve with Jesus Christ, I do know him, and I guess I can call him my friend. Bernie Sanders is no Jesus Christ. Although being president of the United States of America would make him the most powerful person on earth.

PS: In a previous post: Which way will the Empire State go? Hillary or Bernie? I said that Hillary Clinton would be the candidate of both the democratic and the Republican establishments (and the great majority of blacks of course). Well in a recent interview on ABC’s “This Week” program, billionaire industrialist Charles Koch, a big financier of conservative Republican causes, was asked if Hillary Clinton would be a better president than the other three Republican candidates in the race for the presidency, his reply was, “It’s possible, it’s possible.” An endorsement?

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John Skippings is a former Director of Tourism and Chief Marketing Officer for the Turks and Caicos Tourist Board 1999-2003; and Tourism Marketing Consultant with the Montserrat Tourist Board 2004 – 2006. And has had a career in banking in The Bahamas and the US; he holds a Bachelor of Science in Public Administration from Southeastern University in Washington, DC. Email: [email protected]

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