The US, Israel, Palestine, and Mahmoud Khalil

If last year proved anything, it was that given a choice between international law and domestic pressures, the US political establishment will give way to the latter.

- BY UDITHA DEVAPRIYA

Hence the Democrats, led by Kamala Harris, articulated the need for a two-state solution for Palestine and Israel - Harris spoke vaguely of the Palestinians’ right to their own future and land — yet belied it all by promoting Israel's right to self-defence.

One can argue that Joe Biden, easily the most pro-Israel of recent Democratic US presidents, set the stage for this situation. But it was taken to its logical conclusion by Harris and her campaign. Barring a few exceptions like Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib, who were badmouthed by Democrats and demonised by Republicans, there was very little condemnation of Israel's violations of international law in Gaza and the West Bank — violations which continue today and have accelerated because of the sense of impunity that Jerusalem was bound to receive under a hardcore, right-wing Republican administration.

The situation has worsened since then. But in trying to make sense of what has happened, I think we are trying to fit a square peg in a round hole.

The Trump administration operates on a logic of its own, and any attempt to make sense of it or rationalise it, to justify it or counter it, would be rather fruitless. For instance, it came to power on a platform of “absolute” free speech. Those who contend that this contradicts the government’s crackdown on pro-Palestinian students and intellectuals should realise that Trump and his supporters have reserved for themselves the power to define and set limits on such abstractions.