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To Open The Sky

The Front Pages of Christopher P. Winter
Work in progress
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Benjamin Netanyahu facing trial in Israel
Benjamin Netanyahu Is Indicted on Criminal Charges, and His Defiance Puts Israel's Democracy at Risk.
Israel: America's Ally?

The relationship of nations that are allies generally displays two primary features:

  1. Their leaders deal with each other in good faith;
  2. Their contributions to each other generally balance out; one does not gain at the expense of the other.

I will show here that neither feature is present in the relationship between America and Israel.

The Present Day

In the present, with Benjamin Netanyahu at the helm, Israel's relationship with America looks more like that between bully and victim. We give Israel weapons which it has used to slaughter tens of thousands of Palestinians and reduce most of the buildings in Gaza to rubble. Only 19 of Gaza's 36 hospitals remain operational, and all struggle with lack of supplies, shortages of workers, and arduous working conditions. Israel has also been starving the population there, which is on the brink of famine. Some units of the IDF have been shown to commit gross human rights violations, both in Gaza and in the West Bank. America's Leahy Laws require that aid to such units be stopped; but both the Biden and Trump administrations have waived these requirements.

Israel's Gaza Campaign

Israel's campaign against Gaza began immediately following the Hamas attacks of 7 October 2023. It began in the north, where Hamas was thought to be concentrated, but quickly expanded to all of the territory — even to so-called safe zones where Palestinians were supposed to shelter. It was mostly a bombing campaign using 2,000-pound bombs generally considered too powerful for urban environments, and Israel often explained using them on schools and hospitals because a single member of Hamas was thought to be there. The death toll rose rapidly. Israel steadfastly claimed the IDF was "the most moral army in the world," and that it was doing everything possible to minimize civilian casualties. Video coming from Gaza told a different story. Foreign doctors who volunteer in Gaza have told after returning of large numbers of young Palestinian men shot in the head. What they haven't reported is evidence of Hamas activity in the hospitals where they served. There is evidence that Palestinian and foreign aid workers were targeted even when they had cleared their movements with COGAT and should have been safe. Palestinian journalists working in Gaza, and their families, were also targeted. To date at least 235 Palestinian journalists have been killed by the IDF in Gaza, and Israel has lately begun to brag about this. Foreign journalists are not allowed in Gaza without an IDF "minder."

Settlers in the Occupied West Bank

The West Bank, a territory on the west bank of the Jordan River, has been occupied by Israel since 1967. This occupation is illegal under international law — and under US policy, until 2017. Israelis have been expanding their settlements in the West Bank for decades, often displacing Palestinians. This displacement frequently has involved violence, even before 7 October 2-23, and violence has escalated since then. American visitors have died in this violence: five since 7 October, and at least two before then.

Trump revoked the US policy holding Israel's occupation illegal when he took office in 2017. He also moved the US embassy to Jerusalem against another long-standing US policy. President Biden put sanctions on certain West Bank settlers known for violence; Trump revoked them in January 2025. During press conferences in both the Biden and Trump administrations, State Department spokespeople typically defer questions avout those killed to Israel.

Sources:

Pro-Palestinian Protests

Given these truths, it is no surprise that students in America and around the world — many of them Jews — began to protest the slaughter they witnessed in Gaza. No matter how peaceful these protests, they were met with charges of antisemitism. Netanyahu came to the US and denounced all student protests as antisemitism.1 (Note how he describes Hamas as genocidal, but insists Israel is falsely accused of genocide, starving Gaza, and "sundry war crimes.") He demanded that they be stopped, and certain members of Congress piled on, punishing the leaders of universities where protests had taken place. Many universities cooperated, changing their rules to make protesting more difficult — generally singling out pro-Palestinian protest. Students taking up the Palestinian cause also faced vilification on social media. American media typically downplayed pro-Israel violence, such as the attack on the protest encampment at UCLA. The net result was that the protests died out.

The BDS Movement

Related to the student protests, and long predating them, is the movement to boycott, divest from, and sanction any company that does business with Israel: the BDS movement. This was patterned after the boycotts that helped to overturn apartheid in South Africa, and its 20-year duration is a reminder that Israel's mistreatment of the Palestinians has a long history. A number of universities had divested their funding from companies like Boeing and Lockheed Martin. Now they are losing federal funding as punishment. But it gets worse. Thirty-nine states have anti-BDS laws or executive orders on the books. Recently the federal government announced that it would withhold disaster relief funds from anyone who boycotts an Israeli company or a company that does business with Israel. Specifically, the prohibited behavior is: "Discriminatory prohibited boycott means refusing to deal, cutting commercial relations, or otherwise limiting commercial relations specifically with Israeli companies or or with companies doing business in or with Israel or authorized by, licensed by, or organized under the laws of Israel to do business."

Furthermore, a Homeland Security Department statement reads:

"There is NO FEMA requirement tied to Israel in any current NOFO. No states have lost funding and no new conditions have been imposed.

"FEMA grants remain governed by existing law and policy and not political litmus tests. DHS will enforce all anti-discriminatory laws and policies, including as it relates to the BDS movement, which is expressly grounded in antisemitism. Those who engage in racial discrimination should not receive a single dollar of federal funding."

US Aid To Israel

Amidst all this, money kept flowing to Israel. The US has no formal defense pact with Israel, as it does with Japan and the NATO nations. But Israel is considered a "major non-NATO ally" and it has privileged access to the most advanced U.S. military platforms and technologies. From 1946 through 2024, it received a total of $310 billion from the US. In recent years most of this has been military aid, and since 2007 economic aid has stopped entirely while military aid kept rising. For 2024, the figures are $12.5 billion total and $5.7 billion for missile defense ("Iron Dome").

The US also provides diplomatic support to Israel. From 1967 through 1989, the United Nations Security Council has adopted 131 resolutions addressing the Arab-Israeli conflict. The US General Assembly has adopted resolutions challenging Israel's strategic relationship with the United States, arguing that this relationship enables Israel to act aggressively in the Israel-Palestine conflict. Examples include Resolution 2443 (1968) establishing the Special Committee to Investigate Israeli Practices Affecting the Human Rights of the Palestinian People, Resolution 3379 (1975) equating Zionism with racism, and Resolution 37/123: "Condemnation of Israel's alleged responsibility for the Sabra and Shatila massacre by Kataeb Party in Beirut, Lebanon; resolves that the massacre was an act of genocide; condemns acts of plundering Palestinian cultural heritage; condemns the occupation of the West Bank, Gaza and the Golan Heights; and condemns the annexation of Jerusalem." (Many were reaffirmations of previous demands, like the five resolutions for "a full Israeli withdrawal from the occupied territories.") And as of 2013, the UN Human Rights Commission has condemned Israel in 45 resolutions.

The United States, having veto power as a permanent member of the UNSC, vetoed most of these. In all, it has vetoed 49 UN resolutions concerning Israel. The rare exception took place in late 2016 when the Obama administration abstained from a vote on UNSC Resolution 2334 condemning Israeli settlements in the Occupied Territories — the first time in four decades that a UN resolution condemning Israel had passed. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called it a "shameful" move by the US.

Israel has also routinely enjoyed cover in US domestic politics. This is largely due to AIPAC (the American-Israel Political Action Committee) and other lobbying groups. In recent years it has grown more pronounced as wealthy Jewish and Evangelical Christian interests donate large sums of dark money to the cause. The unsurprising result is that politicians of both parties tend to rubber-stamp measures favoring Israel, even when those measures are not in America's best interest.

Weaponizing Antisemitism

Antisemitism, bigotry against Jews, has always existed, and it is vile. But the Trump regime has begun to use bogus charges of antisemitism as weapons against critics of Netanyahu, or against those who support Palestinians generally. Certain members of Congress have enthusiastically taken up the cudgels. Militant groups such as Betar US and Canary Mission have also arisen or been revived; they track, expose, and harass political candidates likely to vote against Israel, and individuals with pro-Palestinian views. Betar US is said to have ties to Israel's Likud Party. Reportedly, the Trump regime has lately begun to act on the information these groups provide, in some cases deporting immigrants with green cards they have identified.

War Crimes, Genocide, and Illegal Occupation

The things Israel has been doing throughout its 22-month campaign in Gaza — attacking hospitals with no military justification; bombing civilians indiscriminately; destroying infrastructure, croplands, and livestock; withholding food, water, and medical supplies from the population — are war crimes and may rise to the level of genocide. In addition, purposely targeting journalists also violates the laws of war that have developed since the end of World War II. Israel has done this repeatedly, often after warning them to keep silent or suffer harm. This was the case with Anas al-Sharif, an Al Jazeera journalist whom Israel admitted targeting on 10 August 2025. Five others were killed with Al-Sharif when the IDF bombed his tent outside al-Shifa Hospital. At least 235 journalists have been killed by the IDF in Gaza since the Hamas attacks of 7 October 2023. And Israel's very occupation of Gaza, the Golan Heights, and the West Bank violates international law.

Journalists killed in war
More journalists have been killed by Israel in Gaza than in any conflict since the US Civil War.
Israel BRAGS After Assassinating ENTIRE Al Jazeera Crew
(Breaking Points, 11 August 2025)

On 29 December 2023, South Africa brought before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) charges that Israel was committing the ongoing crime of genocide. Israel, of course, claimed the charges were baseless and said South Africa had become "the legal arm of Hamas." The case has moved forward slowly but deliberately; over time, twelve other nations have joined South Africa's case.

Separately, the International Criminal Court (ICC) on 24 November 2024 brought charges against Israel's PM Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, accusing them of "crimes against humanity" in Gaza. It brought similar charges against three leaders of Hamas: Yahwa Sinwar, Ismail Haniyeh, and Mohammed Deif. (Sinwar and Haniyeh were subsequently killed by the IDF.) Israel, not a member of the ICC, rejected these charges. Lead prosecutor Karim Khan has had to step aside under accusations of sexual misconduct, but the case is still proceeding.

Israelis Committing Crimes In USA

There are numerous examples. The most recent happened just last week in Las Vegas. Tom Artiom Alexandrovich, executive director of Israel's National Cyber Directorate, was arrested along with seven others for soliciting sex with a minor in an FBI sting. The others are being prosecuted, while Alexandrovich was allowed to fly back to Israel. It appears no judge was involved. The acting US attorney for Nevada, Sigal Chattah, let him post bond and return to Israel. His hearing is set for 27 August. It's unclear whether Israel will extradite him for trial. Sigal Chattah, born in Israel, is a Trump appointee with a history of online bigotry against Palestinians.

As mentioned below, Israel campaigned persistently for the release of Jonathan Pollard, and eventually got him back. Other spies convicted in the US have also been released to Israel.

A Look into History

Now, let's take a look back into Israel's historical actions as an ally of the United States. I'll just summarize these developments here. See the reference links to fully investigate.

1965 From 1965 to 1980, the FBI investigated Zalman Shapiro, the president of Nuclear Materials and Equipment Corporation (NUMEC), over the loss of 206 pounds (93 kg) of highly enriched uranium from the NUMEC plant near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Shapiro, a long-time Zionist, had contacts among high government officials in Israel. The CIA also investigated, and has stated in 1976 that it believes the uranium went to Israel. But no charges were ever filed, and many US officials defended Shapiro, who died in 2016.
1967 The USS Liberty, plainly marked and flying the American flag, was repeatedly attacked in international waters during the Six Day War. The combined attack by Israeli fighter jets and torpedo patrol boats killed 34 and wounded 171.
1979 A CIA report published 1979 details a history of Israeli spying on the US. Incidents include: A hidden microphone planted by Israeli agents in the office of the US ambassador in Tel Aviv (1954); taps on two telephones in the residence of the US military attache (1956); and .
1984 US Intelligence analyst Jonathan Pollard sold Israel numerous state secrets, including the National Security Agency's ten-volume manual on how the U.S. gathers its signal intelligence, and disclosed the names of thousands of people who had .cooperated with U.S. intelligence agencies. Captured in 1985, he was sentenced to life in prison in 1987. Attempting to justify his crimes, Pollard claimed to be motivated by the fact that the US intelligence community in general endangered Israel's security by withholding essential information. Israeli officials, U.S.-Israeli activist groups and some American politicians continually lobbied for a reduction or commutation of his sentence. Israel granted him citizenship in 1995. He was released from prison in 2015, and after his parole expired in 2020 he moved to Israel, where he was greeted by Benjamin Netanyahu. Since relocating to Israel, Pollard has endorsed Kahanist Party leader Itamar Ben-Gvir and advocated relocating Gaza's Palestinians to Ireland.
1986 Three Israeli Air Force officers were caught stealing 50,000 pages of proprietary information from the Illinois firm Recon/Optical corporation, a maker of surveillance equipment.
1996 A GAO report published 1996 noted: "According to a U.S. intelligence agency, the government of Country A [Israel] conducts the most aggressive espionage operation against the United States of any U.S. ally. Classified military information and sensitive military technologies are high-priority targets for the intelligence agencies of this country."
1997 As president, Bill Clinton had an affair with Monica Lewinsky, a White House intern. Netanyahu met with Clinton twice, an February and April of 1997, reportedly telling him that Israel had recordings of phone sex between Clinton and Lewinsky. Netanyahu sought the release of Jonathan Pollard. The second meeting took place during negotiations with Yassir Arafat over a Palestinian state. CIA chief George Tenet told Clinton he would resign if Clinton freed Pollard. Clinton agreed to "review" Pollard's case, but did not release him.
2004 A 2004 story in the Los Angeles Times, "Israel Has Long Spied on U.S., Say Officials," noted: "Despite its fervent denials, Israel secretly maintains a large and active intelligence-gathering operation in the United States that has long attempted to recruit U.S. officials as spies and to procure classified documents, U.S. government officials said."
2019 Devices known informally as "StingRays" are used routinely by law enforcement organizations in the US. They can intercept calls from cell phones, recovering the locations and identities of the phones' users. Reports of Israel placing such devices near the White House in the first two years of the Trump administration have surfaced. Unlike his predecessor, Trump took no action against this practice. An Israeli Embassy spokesperson, Elad Strohmayer, said, of course, that "These allegations are absolute nonsense." US intelligence professionals observed, of course, that this was an absolute lie.

Where do all these documented facts lead? In my view, they lead to the conclusion that Israel, as it is presently governed and as it has been governed through most of its history, is no true ally of the United States. Rather, it is a nation out to obtain advantages for itself and its Jewish population by any means necessary — including falsifying information to deceive nations that regard it as an ally, spying on those nations to obtain the means of blackmailing its leaders, and oppressing vulnerable populations in order to expand its own territory.

It has been difficult for the world to accept that the nation once dedicated to "Never again" could behave in this way. But Israel's leaders were open about their intentions. By their declared intent and by their documented actions, they have left no doubt; they are committing genocide. Israeli scholars have admitted it. A former Prime Minister has admitted it. The International Criminal Court has charged Netanyahu and Yoav Gallant with war crimes.3 Separately, responding to charges made by South Africa, the International Court of Justice has ruled there is probable cause to suspect Israel of genocide. Last week, 28 nations joined in a statement to demand that the war in Gaza be ended. The world is slowly waking up to the gravity of Israel's misconduct.

If you've followed the news about the Gaza conflict, you will have heard at least some of the reports of IDF snipers killing unarmed civilians, journalists, and aid workers. You will know that Israel doesn't allow foreign journalists into Gaza except with IDF "minders." You may have heard that a building housing offices of Al Jazeera and the Associated Press was bombed with just one hour's warning. You've certainly heard of the famine that's beginning to grip the population.

But what of the fact that Israel does allow some food distribution? Could this mean that the warnings of famine from the UNRWA, the World Food Program, and foreign doctors volunteering in Gaza are exaggerated? Well, no. Israel's track record shows it to be the party pushing exaggerations and outright lies. Consider this description of how food distribution in Gaza really works.

Now it remains only for the United States, Israel's main supporter, to likewise wake up and stop giving Israel offensive weapons and running interference for it at the UN. You can help make that happen by letting your representatives know you want it to happen. Tell them Israel's actions are harming Israel too — which is perfectly true.

For more details on what Israel has been doing in Gaza, and how the US supports it, see this link:

My Reviews of Print References

References:

Aid to Israel:

Student Protests and the BDS movement:

Charges of Antisemitism:

AIPAC:

The JCPOA:

The Leahy Law:

Israelis committing crimes in USA:

History:

Health system in Gaza

War Crimes, Genocide, and Illegal Occupation:

Attack on the Liberty:

Jonathan Pollard and Israeli spying:

1 Netanyahu feels entitled to ban criticism of Israel anywhere in the world. The documentary "The Bibi Files" covers Netanyahu's prolonging the war in Gaza in order to stave off a trial on corruption charges in Israel. He tried to block screenings of the film in Canada.
2 Netanyahu has claimed Iran is on the brink of developing nuclear weapons since at least 2003. During the JCPOA negotiation process, the US cooperated with him in fabricating what's called "additional documents" that falsely claimed to prove Iran's malign intentions.
3 This was government policy before Netanyahu took over. This was confirmed in 2011 by documents dating to 2008.
4 It also charged three leaders of Hamas. But two of those are dead — killed by the IDF.
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This page was last modified on 24 August 2025.