Green Party Presidential Candidate Jill Stein: U.S. policy to Israel, Palestine must change

by on Wednesday, May 16, 2012 at 12:21 am in Election 2012, Middle East, Politics, World

Dr. Jill Stein, the prospective Green Party presidential nominee, just released a policy statement regarding Israel / Palestine on her website (which follows below).

For those who have longed to hear a U.S. Presidential candidate bravely step up with a Middle East policy platform grounded in international law, human rights, and equality and justice for ALL, her statement will not disappoint: 

United States policy regarding Israel and Palestine must be revised to make international law, peace and human rights for all people, no matter their religion or nationality, the central priorities. While the U.S. government sometimes voices support for this principle in name, in practice U.S policy towards Palestine and Israel has violated this principle more often than not.

In particular, the United States has encouraged the worst tendencies of the Israeli government as it pursues policies of occupation, apartheid, assassination, illegal settlements, blockades, building of nuclear bombs, indefinite detention, collective punishment, and defiance of international law. Instead of allying with the courageous proponents of peace within Israel and Palestine, our government has rewarded consistent abusers of human rights. There is no peace or justice or democracy at the end of such a path. We must reset U.S. policy regarding Israel and Palestine, as part of a broader revision of U.S. policy towards the Middle East.

On taking office, I will put all parties on notice – including the Israeli government, the Palestinian Authority, and the Hamas administration in Gaza – that future U.S. support will depend on respect for human rights and compliance with international law. All three administrations will also be held responsible for preventing attacks by non-state actors on civilians or military personnel of any nationality. The parties will be given 60 days to each demonstrate unilateral material progress towards these ends.

Material progress will be understood to include but not be limited to an end to the discriminatory apartheid policies within the state of Israel, the removal of the Separation Wall, a ban on assassination, movement toward denuclearization, the release of all political prisoners and journalists from Israeli and Palestinian prisons, disarmament of non-state militias, and recognition of the right of self-determination for both Israelis and Palestinians.

Failure by any party to demonstrate sufficient material progress will result in the end of U.S. military and economic aid to that party. Should the end of U.S. aid fail to cause a party to redirect its policies and to take steps resulting in sufficient material progress within an additional 60 days, I will direct my State Department to initiate diplomacy intended to isolate and pressure the offending party, including the use of economic sanctions and targeted boycott. In this way, U.S. policy will begin to become consistent with its practices regarding other violators of human rights and international law in the region.

Consistency in U.S. policy regarding human rights and international law will begin, but not end, with Palestine and Israel. I will apply this same approach to other nations, such as Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Yemen, among others. I will also ensure that the United States begins to honor its obligations to protect human rights, and will expect that the world community will hold us to the same account we hold others.

Finally, as President I will put the full weight of the United States behind the establishment of a Palestine and Israel Truth and Reconciliation Commission as the vehicle for shifting from an era of human rights violations to one based on trust and bringing all parties together to seek solutions. Any stakeholder who enters into this process must pledge to work for a solution that respects the rights of all involved. This will bring America’s Middle East policy into alignment with American values. I understand that in the end, a dedicated commitment to justice will further American interests in the region much better than the current policies of supporting abuses and violence by one side against the other. And I believe that this is in the best interests of all people living in Israel and Palestine.

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5 Comments

  • | 1059#
    Yusuf Reed
    Jun 21st, 2012 at 5:10 pm

    Personally, I think Israel has to be singled out directly especially with regards to Gaza. The siege has to end immediately. I think Jill is trying to sound balanced but the situation on the ground is anything but balanced. The sick, children, and the elderly are suffering today, right now. This is not something abstract. Everyone knows Gaza has become one huge open air prison against international law and yet nobody does anything about it.

  • | 1067#
    homing pigeon
    Jul 14th, 2012 at 3:23 am

    This is a very well informed position. As a libertarian I would prefer to cut off all government aid to all regimes immediately and unconditionally. Attempting too much to manipulate the outcome actually has an interventionist premise and is the first step down the slippery slope to imperial wars.

    In any case, if the Republican and Democrat candidates are going to outdo each other in seeing who can be most obsequious and obedient to Israel, and compete to promise the greatest increase in the size of the its welfare check, it will be refreshing to see Libertarians and Greens seeing who can most quickly disengage from this dysfunction.

  • Aug 12th, 2012 at 10:23 am

    In Philadelphia we are excited about the Vice Presidential candidate Cheri Honkala. Green Party Registration in Kennington didn’t soar due to Jill Stein.

    Jill Stein how about spending more time dealing with the problems of the desperate and struggling hear at home which no Presidential Candidate regardless of party is doing.

    RICHARDKANEpa.blogspot.com

  • | 1143#
    Matt Levine
    Nov 6th, 2012 at 4:55 am

    I have seen at least two people in comment sections claiming that Jill Stein is a Zionist. Where are they getting that from? My guess is they’re just anti-Semitic conspiracy nuts who assume that if her name is Stein then she must be a Zionist. Now that I’ve read this position statement, I think Stein will be getting my vote.

  • Mar 6th, 2013 at 12:04 am

    You greens are such sissies, grovelling for mercy of a govt bully. You mean nothing
    To those crooks. You are cattle to be milked. Mooooooo mooooo! You steal votes
    From libertarians and newly forming JUSTICE PARTY.

    Time to mature Greens!