Another acre, another goat: Israel in the Middle East
Normalisation deals signing ceremony in Washington 15 September 2020
Reza Behnam writes in The Palestine Chronicle:
In the early 1900s, Zionism’s founders laid out their strategy to build a Jewish state in Palestine. According to the plan, colonization had to be slow and covert, beginning with small land acquisitions. In the words of Zionist leader, Chaim Weizmann, “another acre, another goat.”
Zionism’s strategy of gaining Palestinian land here and there through creeping annexation has expanded to include land taken by force. Force, whether diplomatic or military, has been a building block of the Jewish state. “Zionism is a colonizing adventure and therefore it stands or falls by the question of armed force;” so said militant Zionist Vladimir Jabotinsky.
Israel’s annexation strategy is no longer “another goat,” it is instead, “another acre, another Arab dictator.” Establishing diplomatic ties with Arab despots is in keeping with Zionist goals laid out by leaders such as Weizmann.
The “Abraham Accords” of September 2020, establishing full diplomatic relations between the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain and Israel, reveal the seminal role the United States has played as a guarantor of Israel’s expansionist objectives. The agreements also demonstrate Washington’s willingness to put partnerships with oppressive, authoritarian and expansionist regimes over human rights.
A state built on a foundation of domination can never be stable or at peace with its neighbors. Since 1948, Israel has depended on the United States for legitimacy and security. Israel’s leaders have labored to maximize and deepen America’s commitment and involvement in accomplishing their objectives in Palestine. After a half-century of unwavering support, it has become virtually impossible for Washington to imagine a regional reality other than that proffered by Israel.
The UAE-Bahrain deals have made Israel’s leaders all the more confident that they do not have to reckon with the catastrophe they have created in Palestine. In fact, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu brazenly stated that the deal confirms that Israel does not need to withdraw from occupied West Bank land in order to achieve normalization with Arab states.