2021-05-19 03:46:40

How Billions In U.S. Aid Finance Israel’s Wars On Palestinians


Sonali Kolhatkar speaks with Saree Makdisi about how billions in U.S. aid finances Israel's war on Palestinians.

President Joe Biden on Monday said that in a phone conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, he “expressed his support for a ceasefire.” Israeli air strikes have killed hundreds of Palestinians including dozens of children in just 2 weeks in a conflict that began over Jewish settlers trying to seize Palestinian homes in East Jerusalem. Israel has bombed densely populated areas of Gaza including destroying a building that housed the offices of Al Jazeera and Associated Press. Mr. Biden’s cautious support for a ceasefire is the furthest he has gone so far in expressing discomfort over Israel’s violence.

Considering that Israel is the largest recipient of U.S. military aid a growing chorus of elected officials is demanding that Israel be held accountable. A week before Israel began attacking Palestinians, Congress was notified of a $735 million weapons deal finalized between the Biden administration and Netanyahu’s government.

Israeli violence is not relegated to the state any more as ordinary Israelis have taken to marching in the streets chanting, “Death to Arabs,” and engaging in assaults and lynchings. Hamas, the militant Palestinian group, has lobbed dozens of rockets into Israel, Western media coverage of which has eclipsed Israel’s crimes.

Saree Makdisi, professor of English and comparative literature at UCLA. He recently wrote the piece “The Nakba Is Now” for The Nation.

Rising Up with Sonali is a radio and television show that brings progressive news coverage rooted in gender and racial justice to a wide audience. Rising Up With Sonali was built on the foundation of Sonali Kolhatkar's earlier show, Uprising, which became the longest-running drive-time radio show on KPFK in Los Angeles hosted by a woman. RUS airs on Free Speech TV every weekday.

Missed an episode? Check out Rising Up on FSTV VOD anytime or visit the show page for the latest clips.

#FreeSpeechTV is one of the last standing national, independent news networks committed to advancing progressive social change. 

#FSTV is available on Dish, DirectTV, AppleTV, Roku, Sling, and online at freespeech.org.

airstrikes Al Jazeera Associated Press Benjamin Netanyahu Biden Administration Discrimination Free Speech TV Gaza Indigenous Rights Islamophobia Israel Joe Biden Palestine Palestinians Peace Racism Resistance Rising Up with Sonali Saree Makdisi Sonali Kolhatkar U.S. Aid United States War

Human Rights and Equality

Democracy Now!

Democracy Now! | Supreme Court Reviews Trans Youth Care Ban A Landmark Case

Democracy Now! | Supreme Court Reviews Trans Youth Care Ban A Landmark Case

This Week In White Supremacy- Presented by 1HoodMedia

This Week In White Supremacy | Black and Brown Women: The Ignored Voices in Abortion Rights

This Week In White Supremacy | Black and Brown Women: The Ignored Voices in Abortion Rights

Rising Up With Sonali

Rising Up With Sonali | Rethinking Reproductive Justice: Beyond Abortion Bans

Rising Up With Sonali | Rethinking Reproductive Justice: Beyond Abortion Bans

Democracy Now!

Democracy Now! | The Killings of Climate Activists Worldwide

Democracy Now! | The Killings of Climate Activists Worldwide

The Stephanie Miller Show

The Stephanie Miller Show | Trump Advisers Propose Ukraine Peace Plan Favoring Russia

The Stephanie Miller Show | Trump Advisers Propose Ukraine Peace Plan Favoring Russia

Democracy Now!

Democracy Now! | Voices for Peace: Israelis and Palestinians Unite

Democracy Now! | Voices for Peace: Israelis and Palestinians Unite

This Week In White Supremacy- Presented by 1HoodMedia

This Week In White Supremacy | Ta-Nehisi Coates on the West Bank: Confronting Apartheid

This Week In White Supremacy | Ta-Nehisi Coates on the West Bank: Confronting Apartheid

This Week In White Supremacy- Presented by 1HoodMedia

This Week In White Supremacy | UN Redeemable

This Week In White Supremacy | UN Redeemable

Related

The Stephanie Miller Show

The Stephanie Miller Show | Trump Advisers Propose Ukraine Peace Plan Favoring Russia

The Stephanie Miller Show | Trump Advisers Propose Ukraine Peace Plan Favoring Russia

The Thom Hartmann Program

The Thom Hartmann Program | Does the Left Needs its own Media Ecosystem?

The Thom Hartmann Program | Does the Left Needs its own Media Ecosystem?

The Thom Hartmann Program

The Thom Hartmann Program | American Society Used to Benefit from the Wealthy

The Thom Hartmann Program | American Society Used to Benefit from the Wealthy

The Rick Smith Show

The Rick Smith Show | The Fallout of the Washington Post's (lack of) Endorsement

The Rick Smith Show | The Fallout of the Washington Post's (lack of) Endorsement

Proud Partners