#FreeLouFromKaren: On Congressman Correa’s Fealty to Israeli Aggression.

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Guest post from Ivette Xochiyotl;
a response to a Voice of OC opinion piece by Karen Jaffe entitled #FreeGazaFromHamas.

The violence inflicted on the indigenous communities in Tongva and Acjachemen lands, in what is now called Orange County, is at the hands of white-settler colonialism. The same white-settler violence perpetuates ongoing violence and apartheid in Jerusalem and across Occupied Palestine, through OC-based donors who cultivate millions in aid for illegal settlements and ethnic cleansing, while claiming to be philanthropists in Congressman Lou Correa’s district (D-CA-46) and elsewhere.

Like so many “Karens” before her, columnist Karen Jaffe perpetuates an inaccurate narrative in her community opinion piece “#FreeGazaFromHamas”, because it deflects from any obligation she and other South County funders have in perpetuating illegal settlements and war crimes, while fundraising for spoiled Americans to take “Birthright trips” meant to displace indigenous Palestinians.

In this network of violence that is funded by Zionists, one must wonder why Rep. Lou Correa is obligated to consider “Israel a friend.” Is this the only way he can secure programs and resources for Santa Ana and Anaheim? With campaign contributions straight from AIPAC Board Members? Reliance on “philanthropists” who whitewash their support  of settler colonial military forces as AIPAC leaders counters the ideals elected officials claim to protect. It places Rep. Correa in a precarious situation as a person of color who denounces ICE cages while promoting the cage that Palestinians are forced into by the Karen Jaffes of Orange County who thank him. He claims to be different from far right Republicans like Rep. Michelle Steel (CA-48), and yet, Karen thanks both of them.  Who is Rep. Correa really serving? The people, or a “Karen” who lives in an upscale part of Irvine?

Sign from Irvine anti-Hamas demonstration.

Lou Correa, Michelle Steel, and the Proud Boys are united by their dedication to Israel in a way that concern for American Black Lives never could. They dismiss the weeks of bullets, tear gas, mass arrests, attacks on worshippers, and demolitions that preceded the bombing of Gaza and  killed hundreds of Palestinian civilians.. The East Jerusalem neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah has been violently harassed for over a decade by Trump-loving illegal Israeli settlers who receive their funding from a nonprofit said to be in Delaware.

Jaffe would have you believe that the Israeli government is blameless in all of this, and even portrays them as the victim. But in any human rights catastrophe you must follow the money trail. And it will surely lead you to Orange County, complete with story-time programs with murderous soldiers, free trips to ethnically cleansed land, and even “grant funding” for “projects” in Israel— including illegal Israeli settlements. Of course Jaffe WOULD be upset by a candlelight vigil honoring the lives of Palestinian children; it casts light on not only elected officials, but the web of money schemes that entice elected officials to fund Zionist agendas.

Israel has cultivated an army of Congress members including Rep. Correa, who sign their various endorsements of Israel. Karen Jaffe even contributed to Rep. Katie Porter’s (D-CA-45) campaign, and alas – can you hear that deafening silence from Porter’s office regarding Israel’s latest killing spree?  Money can do that even to good people.

Rep. Lou Correa will continue to ignore the names of murdered Palestinian children. But everyone complicit and silent has blood on their hands. According to the Associated Press, the U.N. Human Rights Chief said the Israeli airstrikes in Gaza may be war crimes.  No American is out here celebrating Hamas or chanting “Long Live Hamas.” What people are supporting is the liberation of Palestinians from the Israeli government’s apartheid, and demanding an end to white supremacist settler colonialism funded by the US governement and American Zionist nonprofits.  Remember, it was the Zionists who stood AGAINST Mandela’s fight for freedom, and here they are again on the wrong side of history.

Isn’t it about time to consider that perhaps the future of Israel is at risk not because of the willpower of heroic Palestinians, but because international Zionism is at war with itself over its next steps, and is haphazardly competing with itself? Isn’t that really what spurred the surge in violence? The far right Zionists insisting they completely kill off Palestinians and drive them off their land, with the risk they face an apartheid one state that makes a Jewish majority state impossible… while meanwhile Democrats and leftist Israeli Zionists strive for a two-state apartheid system that will always center Israel as a regional aggressor and money drain for the US, simply to preserve a so called Jewish character.

It’s the question of this character, the monopoly Zionism has over Israel’s identity, that is increasing its vulnerability. It will be by way of these internal struggles that widen the divide between Zionists, of identity and religiosity that plague Israelis against American Zionist agendas, as well as the solidarity of Jews worldwide who decry Zionism and stand with Palestine, that will ultimately collapse Israel onto itself. Even the next generation of US evangelicals, a base that served as primary support to Zionist agendas, is shifting away from Israel in drastic numbers, from 75% supporting Israel to 33%. Pay attention Karen, that is Israeli media complementing what Al Jazeera also reports.

It’s a matter of time. The attempt to scapegoat Hamas as the villain here is an attempt by Zionists to unify their fragmented and weakened agendas against a common enemy. While American Jews have an identity crisis caused by the horror of Israeli bloodthirst, they question the violence they have been indoctrinated to support—with the quips Karen recycles no longer enough to cast Israel as a victim. Meanwhile the rest of us in the United States are questioning why Israel gets more attention and resources from our elected officials than we do ourselves. Elected officials seem to be hostage to donors and billion dollar lobbies to which Karens are privy. Rep. Lou Correa remains silent, or perhaps he is silenced. Maybe it is he who needs freedom?

#FreeLouFromKaren.


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"Admin" is just editors Vern Nelson, Greg Diamond, or Ryan Cantor sharing something that they mostly didn't write themselves, but think you should see. Before December 2010, "Admin" may have been former blog owner Art Pedroza.