Are Zelensky-Trump Theatrics a Distraction from Israel's Criminality?

Examining Ukraine, Syria and Israel Shows the Agenda of Empire.

I remember years ago, my dad told me how Israel would always have something on every Arab state that they could use as leverage against them so as to limit their latitude regarding Palestine. Most obviously, Israel would hold their territory. So, Israel holding Egypt’s Sinai, helped lead to a treaty with Egypt that excluded the Palestinians. This would be celebrated in the US as a triumph of “peace”.

I have long suspected that similar thinking and other dynamics have been at play regarding Russia and China and other powers.

Well, first a step back.

I also suspected that the targeting of certain Arab states was deeply connected to the project of imperial Israel. This is kind of obvious when one looks at Securing the Realm, a document outlining domination of the Mideast written for Netanyahu in the 1990s.

Clearly, the invasion of Iraq fits with that, as does the ousting of Gadaffi.

Syria I think was more complex, but fits in as well. I was never convinced that simple regime change was the goal of the Obama administration. I suspect that the prolonged war in Syria achieved several goals for the US establishment:

• The level of violence (though some were exaggerated) could be used to minimize the use of US and Israeli government violence;

• Arabs killing Arabs is almost always a win for imperial forces;

• Portraying the US government as a force for good;

• Depicting Syria as using WMDs further distracts from the elephant in the room that is Israel’s nukes;

• Leave Syria weakened was a major goal. A regime change without a war could have meant a new independent Syria. But that’s not in the interest of imperial forces like the US and Israeli governments.

Of course, they did finally get their regime change, after the requisite draining of Syria.

And the timing of it was highly notable. It was just before Trump took office. And Trump brought in Tulsi Gabbard, who was long depicted as an apologist for Assad. Another instance of “Interesting Timing”.

I seriously doubt the US system would have put Gabbard in while Assad was still in. She would be opposed presumably to further attacks on a secular Syria.

As it is, Gabbard can be a useful instrument in ensuring a divided and HTS-led Syria conform to US establishment dictates.

Thus, this conforms to my view of various administrations and political figures being parts of a tool kit. They are pulled out when needed. They are like stages of a rocket in a wider imperial project.

I suspected from the beginning of the Ukraine conflict that part of it was to “have something” on Russia which could be used to ensure the US and Israeli establishments get what they want. (I’d ordinarily spend half an hour finding old tweets to prove what I’m saying here, but difficult to do that in my current state.)

That is, the US establishment provokes a war with Russia striking at a core interest of Russia.

This gives it leverage over Russia with respect to the Mideast.

This general concern grew glaringly obvious when Steve Witkoff, who is supposed to be Trump’s Mideast envoy, was also working on Ukraine. So, he was in an ideal position to make deals pertaining to the two. Most obviously, “we’ll give you so-and-so on Ukraine if you give us so-and-so regarding Syria and Israel and Gaza, etc.” (And there’s obvious real world interests with respect to Ukraine, most clearly the apparent mineral deal that Zelensky might have blown up.)

Thus the mantra that it’s good that the US and Russia are talking only goes so far. At best. This is Husseini’s First Law of Politics: The Powers Collude and the People get Screwed. And not in a good way.

One can obviously imagine that US establishment moves regarding Taiwan and other core China interests will be used as leverage with respect to China to ensure core interests of the US establishment in the Mideast and elsewhere around the world.

Zelensky openly said in 2022 that he wanted Ukraine to be “a big Israel” and this was a welcomed goal by the US establishment, though he’s apparently not up to the job in earnest. Israel is an expansionist settler colonial state, the embodiment of the worst of “Western Civilization”.

Particularly with Russia, the US right wing is open to make an accommodation, at least in the short term. Gorbachev talked of a “united North” — though it’s hard to find references to that now. Such a notion has obvious appeal to the US right wing, much of which still harbors racist views against the people of the global South. And even Putin wanted to join NATO.

So imperial Israel is the tip of the spear for the US establishment in furthering the imperial project, what I call USI, the United States of Imperialism. Components like Ukraine are support structures to that end.

The pause of weapons to Ukraine (it’s just a pause and Blinken/Biden stuffed Ukraine with much before heading out the door) may be less that meets the eye and regardless, it compels Europe to be more militarized. Trump’s ranting against NATO in his first term had the net effect of Europeans spending more money on NATO, effectively empowering the military group.

And Ukraine may well have been an important propaganda tool of late. Just as imperial Israel was escalating its criminality, violating the ceasefire agreement, and choking off supplies to Gaza; so many eyes were riveted in a lovers spat at the White House between Zelensky and his US benefactors to date. Trump demeaned Rubio too, he’s now his Secretary of State. Distraction at critical times is a very important part of narrative control.

As is the accusation that Trump represents a rupture from the allegedly traditional role of the US government as standing up against oppression around the world. Bernie Sanders went on the big talk shows and spoke as if he actually believes this sort of thing. This attempts to put Gaza out of the mind of the US public until it becomes convenient to do so again.

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