Biden’s commitment to supporting Zionism: a major threat to Palestinian rights
by Meïssen Hindi
Associating Zionism with the Jewish people’s right to freedom and peace while it manifests at the expense of the Palestinian people’s livelihood makes it harder to denounce the occupation without weaponized accusations of antisemtism. By affirming the “Jewish nature” of the land occupied by Israel, the American President has marginalized the Palestinians and thus legitimized the occupation.
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Following President Joe Biden’s visit to Israel, ACHRS expresses concern about the future of the Palestinians living under Israeli occupation. Indeed, the American President was very lenient toward the Israeli regime. His uninhibited promotion of Zionism can be analyzed as a huge obstacle to the possibility of criticizing the actions of the Israeli authorities in the future.
As soon as he stepped off the plane, the American President gave a speech in the presence of various Israeli officials, including Israel’s Prime Minister Yair Lapid.
Joe Biden identified himself as a Zionist and recalled the right of the Jewish people to benefit from a state of their own and the right to self-determination. He also reiterated his commitment to helping ensure Israel’s security.
This discourse is highly problematic, and ACHRS underlines the impact the words used by Joe Biden carry. Indeed, while the occupation continues, the Palestinians’ repression, intimidation, and arbitrary checks intensify. While their freedom of movement keeps being reduced and their expropriations increase — Joe Biden has failed to maintain his commitment to putting human rights at the heart of his diplomacy.
Associating Zionism with the Jewish people’s right to freedom and peace while it manifests at the expense of the Palestinian people’s livelihood makes it harder to denounce the occupation without weaponized accusations of antisemtism. By affirming the “Jewish nature” of the land occupied by Israel, the American President has marginalized the Palestinians and thus legitimized the occupation.
Moreover, the fact that Israel was labeled as a Jewish state designed for the Jewish people built on the historical Jewish land is highly questionable in that it will, by definition, place the Jews above the Palestinians and confirm the Jewish supremacy desired by the state of Israel. In doing so, it has helped to reinforce the feeling of impunity by allowing Jewish citizens of Israel to be viewed as the superior entity of Israel.
Even though Biden broke away from Donald Trump’s position towards the Palestinian authority by re-established contact with Mahmoud Abbas, he did refuse to meet the family of the American Palestinian journalist Shireen Abu Akhleh. By doing so, American diplomacy proved its wish to keep the façade of acknowledging the Palestinians but a total lack of clear intention to defend their rights.
Joe Biden’s visit to Israel was a complete failure from a human rights perspective. ACHRS deeply regret that Joe Biden’s commitment to placing human rights at the heart of his foreign policy has been sacrificed in favor of security interests.
ACHRS expresses its concern at the total distancing of the Palestinian struggle from the political spheres and the growing and increasingly unpunished abuses committed by the state of Israel.
