Blinken/Biden Lie Reverses U.S. Policy; Violates U.S. Treaties; Harms Peace and Endangers Israel’s Security
Zionist Organization of America (ZOA) National President Morton A. Klein released the following statement:
In the wake of yet another deadly Arab terror attack on innocent Jewish civilians on Thursday, the Biden administration sided with the terrorists: Biden’s extremist/Israel-bashing Secretary of State Antony Blinken illegally reversed the official U.S. policy (and violated longstanding binding international law) that it is legal for Jews to build homes in the Jewish homelands of Judea/Samaria. Here is what occurred:
On Thursday, February 23, 2024, three Arab terrorists from Judea/Samaria, armed to the teeth with an M-16 rifle, a submachine gun, grenades, and cartridges, exited from their vehicles and ran down Israel’s Highway 1 shooting at Jews who were simply sitting in their cars during a morning traffic jam. Before the Arab terrorists were neutralized by a brave Jewish civilian, the three Arab terrorists murdered an innocent Jewish man, Matan Elmaliach, and seriously injured at least eight other innocent Jewish women and other civilians, several of whom suffered multiple gunshot wounds.
This murderous Arab terror attack occurred on Israel’s Highway 1 between Ma’ale Adumim and Jerusalem – an area that has long been vulnerable to terror attacks due to U.S. interference with Israeli plans to build Israeli homes that would make it more difficult for terrorists to operate there. Israel correctly promptly responded to Thursday’s terror attack by discussing processing approvals for 3,000 long-needed homes.
Despicably, the next day, during a press conference in pro-Israel Argentina, far-left, extremist Biden’s Secretary Blinken stated that he was “disappointed” by Israel’s announcement about moving forward with these needed home-building approvals. Blinken then falsely stated that “new settlements are counterproductive to reaching an enduring peace,” are “inconsistent with international law,” and “only weakens – it doesn’t strengthen – Israel’s security.”
Blinken’s statements were shameful, blatant, illegal lies. Enduring peace and Israel’s security require as large a presence as possible of Jews in Judea/Samaria. Building in and around the suburbs surrounding Jerusalem, such as Ma’ale Adumim, is a key bulwark for preventing Arab terrorists from perpetrating another October 7 against the Jews living in Jerusalem and the entire country.
Significantly, binding international law, including the League of Nations mandate system, the San Remo Resolution, the British Mandate for the area, and the Anglo-American Convention (a signed and ratified U.S. treaty) specifically designate all of Israel – including Judea/Samaria – for “close Jewish settlement” and for the reconstitution of the Jewish homeland that had existed there long before Islam began. Further, the UN Charter, Article 80, known as the “Jewish People’s Clause” (and which also has the status of a signed and ratified U.S. treaty) continued all of the Jewish people’s rights under the Mandate after the Mandate’s expiration. Simply put, Israel and the Jewish people have the sole right to Judea/Samaria, and Jewish building there is perfectly legal. Former Dean of Yale Law School and Undersecretary of State Eugene Rostow has stated years ago that it is legal for Israel to build in Judea/Samaria and surely Israel has the best legal claim for building in their ancient homeland. (See ZOA Summary: “Israel has the Legal Right to the Land Of Israel, Including Jerusalem, Judea/Samaria & the Golan, under Binding International Law.”)
Moreover, on November 18, 2019, then-Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and the Trump administration recognized, and made it official U.S. policy that Jewish communities in Judea/Samaria are legal and do not impede peace (the “Pompeo Doctrine”). Secretary Pompeo announced that the Trump administration was reversing the Carter and Obama administrations’ attempts to delegitimize the legality of “settlements” (Jewish communities in Judea/Samaria). Secretary Pompeo explained, “After carefully studying all sides of the legal debate, this administration agrees with President Reagan. The establishment of Israeli civilian settlements in the West Bank is not per se inconsistent with international law. . . . [C]alling the establishment of civilian settlements inconsistent with international law hasn’t . . . advanced the cause of peace.” (See “Secretary Michael R. Pompeo Remarks to the Press,” U.S. State Dep’t Archives, Nov. 18, 2019.)
When the Pompeo Doctrine was issued, ZOA and eminent Professor Eugene Kontorovich set forth further reasons why Israeli settlements in Judea/Samaria do not violate international law, and why Pompeo and Trump were correct to make that America’s official policy. (See “Pompeo Busts the ‘Occupation’ Myth,” by Eugene Kontorovich, Wall Street Journal, Nov. 19, 2019; and “ZOA Strongly Praises Pres. Trump, Sec. Pompeo Repudiating Orwellian Anti-Semitic Lie That Jews Building in Judea Samaria is Illegal,” Nov. 18, 2019.
Among other reasons, the Fourth Geneva Convention Article 49 (which a Carter administration memo falsely and absurdly cited to try to abrogate the Jewish people’s rights to live in Judea/Samaria) is inapplicable. Article 49 prohibits signatory nations from forcibly transferring populations into “occupied territory” of another sovereign nation. By contrast, Jews move to and build in Judea/Samaria voluntarily; this is not a forcible transfer. Article 49 has never been applied to such voluntary moves. Further, Jewish homelands of Judea/Samaria are not “occupied territory” of another sovereign nation. Israel is entitled to the area under international law – and, in the Israel-Jordan peace treaty, Jordan relinquished any claims stemming from its 19-year illegal occupation of the area. Further, Israel is not a signer of Article 49 and hence would not be bound by it in any event.
More outrages in Anti-Israel Biden’s Remarks in Argentina: In addition, Biden stated during his press conference in Argentina that it is a “basic principle” of the Biden administration that “there should be no Israeli reoccupation of Gaza. The size of Gaza’s territory should not be reduced.” This endangers Israel’s ability to take whatever steps are needed to prevent more October 7ths – such as setting up a buffer zone in Gaza.
Sadly, whether it’s opposing Jewish communities that are essential for Israel’s security being built on ancient holy Jewish land; or necessary actions in Gaza to prevent more attacks from there, or providing Iran with $16 billion in recent months and still refusing to enforce sanctions on Iran; putting sanctions on Israeli citizens; demanding a ceasefire and pressuring Israel to not entering Rafah to finish the job of crushing Hamas; demanding a Palestinian Arab terror state; illegally funding the Palestinian Authority and terrorist UNRWA; refusing to speak to Netanyahu for months; appointing numerous hostile-to-Israel personnel in important posts; condemning Israel’s moral and necessary war actions as “over the top”; and falsely condemning Israel’s moral, ethical army as killing too many enemy Arab civilians, 75%-95% of whom support Hamas and Oct 7th; and falsely implying that Israel doesn’t honor international law—it seems that the Biden administration opposes almost everything Israel tries to do to respond to and stop more terror and murder of innocent Jewish people. Extremist, far-left Biden is proving to be among the most hostile-to-Israel presidents ever.