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GOP lawmakers’ motion proves support for Israel: Analyst

Saturday, 31 December 2016 7:06 PM [ Last Update: Saturday, 31 December 2016 7:06 PM ]

The US Capitol is shown October 11, 2016 in Washington DC. (Photo by AFP)

Republican lawmakers in both chambers of the US Congress are launching a motion to formally disapprove the recent United Nations Security Council resolution that condemned Israeli settlements on the occupied Palestinian territories.

A former US Senator believes this is an opportunity for members of the Congress to really show how supportive they are of Israel’s positions.

“I think the politicians were looking for an opportunity to be able to incur additional favor from AIPAC and the Jewish lobby so that they could retire the political debts that they have or gain support,” Mike Gravel told Press TV in an interview on Saturday.

He also predicted that the resolution will pass overwhelmingly, emphasizing that this is the tragedy of US politics where one community controls the Congress and essentially the presidency.

The analyst further opined that President Barack Obama’s decision to abstain on a UN Security Council resolution condemning Israeli settlements was more personal rather than a policy change in the United States.

He went on to say Obama was trying to do something in return for the embarrassment that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wreaked on him when he accepted the Republican invitation to deliver a speech in front of a joint session of the Congress a few months ago.

Gravel also argued the United States will continue to veto various resolutions against Israel in the future.

According to the analyst, the US Congress is owned by AIPAC and the Jewish lobby, asserting that Washington’s policies towards the Middle East are primarily dictated by Israel.

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