US 'Fury' Over Annexation: A Performative Masterclass
Al Jazeera's 'Inside Story' asks if US-Israeli relations are experiencing 'upheaval' under Trump due to an 'angry US reaction' to a hypothetical Knesset vote to annex the West Bank. Conveniently omitted is the historical pattern: every US administration since 1967 has condemned Israeli settlement expansion (which is de facto annexation), yet US military aid, often facilitated by organizations like
AIPAC and their allies in Congress, consistently flows. For example, in 2023, Speaker Kevin McCarthy – a staunch supporter of Donald Trump – received $1,053,300 from pro-Israel PACs and individuals, according to OpenSecrets.org, demonstrating that 'anger' rarely translates into withheld funds or substantive policy change. So, Washington is 'angry' about annexation, an act that has been occurring
incrementally for decades, while simultaneously approving billions in uncapped military assistance, no questions asked. One might wonder if this 'upheaval' is less about actual policy shifts and more about a carefully choreographed pantomime for public consumption, ensuring that the aid keeps flowing regardless of international law or stated US 'values.' How many times must the US be 'angry'
before it stops funding the very actions it condemns?