VIJAY PRASHAD, Vijay.Prashad at trincoll.edu, @vijayprashad
Prashad is professor of international studies at Trinity College in Connecticut. He was just on The Real News segment: “Israel Key Link in Exporting ISIS Oil.”
PHILIP WEISS, phil at mondoweiss.net, @philweiss
CNN is reporting: “Trump ‘postpones’ Israel trip after Netanyahu criticism.” Weiss is founder and co-editor of Mondoweiss.net, which focuses on “the war of ideas in the Middle East.” He just wrote the piece: “Trump’s religion test for immigrants is standard practice in Israel,” which states: “The widespread political condemnation of Donald Trump’s call for a ban on Muslims entering the United States and for surveillance of mosques was pretty great yesterday. American leaders left and right said that such policies are unconstitutional and counter to U.S. values. ‘Donald Trump is a race-baiting, xenophobic religious bigot,’ Senator Lindsey Graham said emphatically.”
It’s long standing Israeli policy to not allow Palestinians — both Muslim and Christians — back to where they were actually born in present day Israel, see Jerusalem Post: “Netanyahu Rejects Palestinian Right of Return to Israel.”
Weiss continued: “But those leaders are strong supporters of Israel (‘The pro-Israel community has been the heart and soul of my campaign,’ Graham told Jewish Insider), and Israel practices many of the policies that Trump wants the U.S. to implement.
“For instance, Israeli airport security officials routinely ask travelers what their religion is and often bar Muslims as a result. Last night, Chris Matthews was enraged by Trump’s recommendation that American immigration officials ask travelers if they are Muslim. But our own State Department has blasted Israel for denying ‘entry or exit without explanation; — notably to ‘those whom Israeli authorities suspect of being of Arab, Middle Eastern, or Muslim origin.’ [emphasis mine].
“Nour Joudah, an American who was deported from Israel, explained that Israel discriminates against anyone with an Arab name, at Electronic Intifada:
‘”I think it is very clear that they want as few people with Palestinian origin in what they consider Israel and the occupied territories because they don’t even want the [Palestinians] that are there. So why in God’s name would they want us returning in any form or fashion, even if it’s for a limited period or for a visit? … They consider no one’s citizenship valuable if you have an Arab name, end of story.’
“Sadly, Israeli profiling is already being offered as a model for American ports: ‘What’s so great about Israeli security? Profiling.'”
