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Palestinians Storm Meeting of US Diplomats in Bethlehem

Palestinians Storm Meeting of US Diplomats in Bethlehem

by Stephen Lendman (stephenlendman.org - Home - Stephen Lendman)

US officials are persona non grata in Occupied Palestine - following Trump's lawless recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's exclusive capital.

Palestinian protestors stormed a meeting in progress, halting it. They threw tomatoes at a vehicle with US consular license plates, damaged one of the doors, ripped a plastic casing off a side mirror, forcing its occupants to flee with a police escort.

Bethlehem Chamber of Commerce director Samir Hazbourn said "(s)ome people who have been trying to express their point of view and protest (against) the American decision regarding Jerusalem and the political situation…interrupted the workshop and we stopped the workshop." 

The Americans "le(ft) immediately." They shamefully came where they're not wanted. A sign protesters displayed said "Zionist = Nazism = Fascism."

The PLO's Central Committee, its second highest decision-making body, declared Washington no longer fit to be involved in so-called peace talks.

Last Saturday, Palestinian Aida camp refugees burned and hanged effigies of Trump and Pence. Washington's Jerusalem consulate declined to comment on Tuesday's incident.

Perhaps with tongue in cheek, a State Department spokesperson said "(t)he United States opposes the use of violence and intimidation to express political views."

US culture of violence is longstanding - at home and abroad, terrorizing its most vulnerable citizens, waging endless wars of aggression, forcing its will on others - partnering with Israel's high crimes, brutalizing Palestinians for decades.

At 9:00PM Tuesday evening EST, Trump will deliver his first State of the Union address before a joint session of Congress, Supreme Court Justices, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, his cabinet members, and invited guests.

The White House said he intends focusing on the economy, infrastructure, immigration, trade and national security.

Perhaps he'll mention strong US/Israeli relations and his decision to recognize Jerusalem as its exclusive capital.

He won't likely mention his suspension of UNWRA funding, or his threat to cut off aid to the Palestinian Authority and close its Washington office.

Palestinian rights don't matter in Washington and Tel Aviv - Trump partnering in Israeli viciousness against a long-suffering people.

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My newest book as editor and contributor is titled "Flashpoint in Ukraine: How the US Drive for Hegemony Risks WW III."

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