Even though U.S. policy unequivocally opposes all forms of settlement activity in the West Bank, Americans remain a staunch pillar of financial support for settlers, according to an op-ed in today’s Washington Post. The author cites multiple organizations in North America that function as non-profit organizations in support of settlements. Moreover, many Christian groups support settlement activity, partially on messianic grounds due to the belief that Jews should inhabit Jerusalem prior to the second coming.
The author notes that some acts of terror targeting Palestinians, such as Baruch Goldstein’s 1994 attack, originated in the settlements; similarly, the racist Kahan party also stems from these towns. While some of the settlers espouse similar ideologies, many also do not. To characterize all settlers as racist or terrorists remains inaccurate and akin to labeling all Palestinians as terrorist, which they are not. However, due to the controversial and hate-filled ideology of some settlers, the author suggests potentially intervention by U.S. tax officials to attempt to limit U.S. support for settlements. The author states:
“If the courts can’t find a way to dissuade settlement expansion, perhaps the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control should intervene. The U.S. government has already designated Kahane’s movement a foreign terrorist organization for reasons unrelated to settlement financing, but in doing so, it has prohibited U.S. citizens from providing financial support to this group.”
A few months ago, I wrote about the early stages of the conflict in Ukraine through the lens of Sun Tzu’s The Art of War. While it appears likely that the war will carry on into the foreseeable future, enough time has passed for us to make an honest assessment of each side’s relative […]
The Ukrainian Army has made dramatic strides in the last few weeks. Ukraine’s tactical commanders have outfoxed their Russian counterparts, and by issuing a feint towards the south the UA has been able to earn substantial gains in the north of their country. The impact of these efforts have been compounded by the steady stream […]
In mid-May the Irish political party, Sinn Féin, won the plurality of seats in the Northern Ireland Assembly. Many American readers might not fully understand the significance of Sinn Féin’s political victory- but rest assured that subjects of the United Kingdom and a wide range of political movements the world over have heard the message […]
The first wave of the Russian offensive in Ukraine has fallen short of Russian autocrat Vladmir Putin’s ambitions. Most analysts deduced that Putin had hoped to achieve a decapitation strike of the Ukrainian government- taking Kiev and replacing Ukrainian President Vladimir Zolinski with a pro-Kremlin voice. Kiev has been threatened repeatedly through the course of […]
On the weekend of March 26th, the notorious MS-13 gang went on a massive killing spree in El Salvador which left more than 70 people dead by Sunday. Even for a country where powerful gangs hold massive sway, this recent tragedy stands out considering that it was the bloodiest day on record since the civil […]
