by James M. Wall
Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is the Democratic Party’s 2016 presumptive nominee for President. You knew that already.
What you may not yet know is that she is so confident in her nomination and subsequent victory over whichever Republican candidate arises from the shambles of the GOP nomination process, that she looks the other way from Israel’s 67-year-old illegal and immoral, oppressive and unrelenting occupation of Palestine.
The latest example of Clinton looking away from the occupation and embracing Israel, was starkly presented in a speech she delivered to the pro-Israel Saban Forum in Washington.
Philip Weiss was there and described his outrage:
“Yesterday (December 6) Hillary Clinton gave a speech in Washington at the Saban Forum of Brookings that included more pandering to Israel than any speech I’ve heard from any American politician. It was endless. Israel is a brave democracy, a light unto the nations, a miracle, its ‘prowess in war’ is ‘inspiring,’ and we must take the US-Israel relationship to the ‘next level.’
Our presumptive next president wants the US-Israel relationship to go to the “next level”?
In spite of Prime Minister Netanyahu’s absolute refusal to entertain serious “peace talks”. In spite of Israel’s increased police and army attacks on a captive population. In spite of increased road blocks, home demolitions, terrorizing and imprisoning children, Hillary Clinton wants to snuggle even closer with Israel.
Has she not seen? Has she not heard?
Weiss continued his outrage:
“Introduced by her good friend the Israeli-American megadonor, Haim Saban, Clinton bragged that she and Israel were born a few months apart, gave a shoutout to Israel’s former lawyer in the White House, Dennis Ross, and assured Ari Shavit the rightwing Israeli columnist that the military option was still on the table with Iran.
“In fact, she repeatedly slammed Iran as a bad actor and did all she could to distance herself from the Iran deal and from secretary of state John Kerry, who gave a more realistic speech the day before.
“She never mentioned the occupation, vaguely touched on settlements as a problem, and praised the late Clintonite Sandy Berger as a ‘steadfast friend to Israel’.
Just as the Republican candidates had attacked Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement (BDS) at the Republican Jewish Coalition last week, ‘Clinton said that BDS was hurting the U.S.’s ability to fight terrorism. This is language straight out of Benjamin Netanyahu’s office’. (BF emphasis added).”
Of course, she is not alone in looking the other way in her Jericho Road stance. She is joined by PEPs (Progressive Except for Palestine), those among us who are progressive on traditional liberal issues except when confronted with the Palestinian Occupation.
After a speech like that, it is past time to look at the Good Samaritan parable Jesus told.
Think of Palestinian individuals under occupation who have repeatedly “fell among robbers, who stripped them and beat them, and departed, leaving them half dead”.
As Luke tells it, a priest and a Levite saw a man treated this way and they each “passed by on the other side”.
“And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test, saying, ‘Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?’ He said to him, ‘What is written in the law? How do you read?’ And he answered, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.’ And he said to him, ‘You have answered right; do this, and you will live.’
But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, ‘And who is my neighbor?’
Jesus replied, ‘A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him, and departed, leaving him half dead’.
Now by chance a priest was going down that road; and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was; and when he saw him, he had compassion, and went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; then he set him on his own beast and brought him to an inn, and took care of him.” (Luke 10:25-37 RSV)
Who is my neighbor?
The Good Samaritan parable does not weasel word it: Jesus wants us to pay particular attention to those who are beaten, stripped and left half-dead.
It is a matter of perspective. But can we not see that Hillary Clinton wants to snuggle even closer to a nation which has an occupying force guilty of robbing, beating, stripping and leaving its victims half dead (and often fully dead) by the side of Jericho roads throughout the occupied territories.
Hillary Clinton appears to be the best viable Democrat for the nomination.
She may stumble a bit in the first Iowa caucus, February 1, and even run behind Bernie Sanders in the New Hampshire primary, February 9, but Clinton is campaigning like a candidate already wondering how to write her first federal budget.
Give her this; she is one smart politician. She reads more than the polls. She reads the mood of the voting public. At this moment, she appears to be an almost certain nominee and final winner in the race for the White House.
But will she not read her conscience a bit closer? Can she not see that in that “snuggle close to Israel” speech she gave at the Saban Forum, she was on the side of the priest and the Levite, not the Samaritan?
The most powerful political office in the world is within her grasp. She will not halt wars and heal the dying by taking her relationship to the next level with an Israeli government eager to continue a 67-year-old military occupation because it has the military strength to do so.
Or, is it possible that our almost inevitable next world leader believes she can turn her “next level” Israeli relationship into a Good Samaritan force for good?
We can only hope and pray that the Samaritan route is her long-range intent. We do not have long to wait to find out.
The photo above is from hillaryclinton.com
Wallwritings 
Words fail me. How can she do this? Thank you for exposing her.
Jim, your spiritual and current-day perspectives are powerful. But there has never been a power — with “spiritual,” military, economic, communications, psychological (guilt trip!), and other components — amassed to match the power held by the international Zionist Lobby and its guiding lights and acolytes. They’re everywhere.
The hapless Palestinians, sadly, are in the way of the juggernaut.
Thanks for exposing Hillary Clinton’s ‘snuggling’ even more to Israel, if there is any room still left.
What does she mean by raising the US-Israeli relationship up to the next level?
Let me see….
– Perhaps she could assign Jonathan Pollard as Head of Homeland Security…….?
– Outsource Netanyahu as the US Secretary of State?
– Have the US recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s ‘eternal capital’?
– Send American men and women to fight Iran on behalf of Israel?
I will vote for Bernie, at least for the first round. I trust that he may be the only candidate who does not have to pander to Israel.
Dear Jim: This is excellent, and I hope she gets to read it. However I think she is a hopeless case because she has sold her soul a long time ago, and now more than ever to “whatever is not true, whatever is not honorable, whatever is not just, whatever is not pure, whatever is not pleasing and what is not commendable. (Phil 4:8) Dare we hope that she will see the light once she is back in that mansion?
The time is ripe for the gentle giant to wake up and take the bull by the horn. What most do not realise is that their own salvation hinges on the defeat of Zionism in Palestine.
After reading Hilary Clinton remarks , I am really having difficulty deciding if I can even vote for her with a clear conscience. Her remarks have really left me with many doubts as to whom to support in the coming election. My commitment has really changed in the last week.
Jim,
Thanks again. We have long suspected Hill (and Bill) are in the thrall of the Lobby. She got the message from her NY Jewish constituency when she cozied up to Arafat’s wife in the early days of being a candidate.
Will she be the good Samaritan at the last? There are little to no signs of it on the horizon, not even the size of a woman’s glove.
I am as intrigued by the visit Trump is having with his bedfellow Bibi on Monday December 28, in the “Holy” city. They deserve each other. The one espouses a Jewish ethnocracy and the other a Protestant (Caucasian) theocracy. “Let’s co-join our happy little tribal bands/bonds together and let the dis-enfranchised stay bruised and beaten on the side of the road”. Now THOSE are bedfellows for ya’. Peace, with justice and love, JRK
The capital of the USA is Jerusalem
Very good expose of Hillary. Unlike some of the writers here, I think Hillary has made her devotions clear for years. In addition to her opposition to an ethical treatment of Palestine, she is the most aggressive hawk in the battle to become POTUS.
Bernie is also favorable to Israel, but he is willing to listen and learn, just like he has with “Black Lives Matter.” Most columnists do not think he has a chance, but I have put my money where my mouth is. I STRONGLY urge others to Feel the BURN for BERNIE. THEN tell him. He’s a rough Brooklynite and New Englander. No duplicity here.
If not now, when??
I have said for years that Hillary is already bought and paid for – by Israel and Zionists. Will it do any good for all of us who care write to her, insisting that the plight of the Palestinians is a deal breaker for us?