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All the right people (i.e. neoconservatives) are sperging out about President Obama’s decision to abstain from the UN Security Council resolution this afternoon. Here’s what happened, in case you missed it…

Defying extraordinary pressure from President-elect Donald J. Trump and furious lobbying by Israel, the Obama administration on Friday allowed the United Nations Security Council to adopt a resolution that condemned Israeli settlement construction.

The administration’s decision not to veto the measure reflected its growing frustration over Israeli settlements, and broke a longstanding American policy of serving as Israel’s sturdiest diplomatic shield at the United Nations.

While the measure is not expected to have any practical impact on the ground, it is regarded as a major rebuff to Israel, one that could increase its isolation over the paralyzed peace process with Israel’s Palestinian neighbors, who have sought to establish their own state on territory held by Israel.

Applause broke out in the 15-member Security Council’s chambers following the vote on the measure, which passed 14-0, with the United States abstaining. Israel’s ambassador, Danny Danon, denounced the measure and castigated the council members who had approved it.

More…

In a press call Friday afternoon, White House Deputy National Security Advisor for Strategic Communications Ben Rhodes explained that the White House abstained on the resolution because it “expresses a consensus international view on Israeli settlement activity.”

“We thought that we could not in good conscience veto a resolution that expressed concerns about the very trends that are eroding,” Rhodes explained. “A two-state solution.”

The resolution is toothless — it does not, for example, authorize any form of sanctions to compel Israel to respect international law. Yet prior to its passage, a long list of both Democrats and Republicans called on the administration to veto it, including President-elect Donald Trump, New York’s Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, and Wisconsin-based House Speaker Paul Ryan.

So, in reality, this resolution does nothing. Israel is not going to abide by it and the future Trump administration will also not consider it binding in any way. Yet, soak in the outrage. You would think Obama had literally sold Israel to the Arabs. Notice that most of the crying is coming from the same people who supported the Iraq War debacle. This includes both Democrats and Republicans.

Failure on Israel policy is bipartisan and looks to continue in that direction. This has always been baffling to me, since in my mind, Israel isn’t really that great of an ally. They steal our secrets, talk about how 9/11 was “good” for them, they even attacked our military forces way back in the day. Even if you believe that attack was a mistake, when has Israel committed troops to any of our wars? They haven’t.

Bibi Netanyhu, the Prime Minister of Israel, is notorious for doing all sorts of underhanded things (like interfering in our elections, for example). I don’t even blame him, though. He’s looking out for his country. He’s putting Israel First, as he should.

I just want to put America First in all areas, including foreign policy. Stepping back from the alliance with Israel will also have the bonus effect of freeing them up to do more of what they really want to do…without us taking the blame for it on the world stage.

And this isn’t even mentioning all the foreign entanglements we’re constantly drawn into as a result of their bullshit. Shielding Israel at every turn has cost the United States valuable political capital, not to mention blood and treasure. The fact of the matter is, Israel is more than capable of defending itself without billions in US military aid every year. Yet, there is a bipartisan consensus that they deserve such largess. Probably because, as one of my Israel First followers unwittingly pointed out, most of that money is funneled directly into the pockets of our military industrial complex. Guess what they do with that cash? That’s right, bribe donate to politicians. It’s a never-ending cycle.

And what about those neocons I mentioned at the outset of this post? Well, although they used to be #NeverTrump, they’re now saying things like this…

Listen, I’m not a big fan of the United Nations. Obama has disappointed me severely, as I’ve talked about on this site many times. However, that doesn’t mean I will stop calling them how I see them.  I just don’t believe this current setup with Israel benefits us in any real way (Oh, and they just got $38 billion off us. They were not “abandoned.”). I’m not saying let them be overrun by aggressors. If some massive invasion was launched against Israel, I would be fine with supporting them in the defense of their country. But the truth is, Israel is more than capable of handling itself very competently when it comes to military matters. They don’t need our help to the extent they now receive it. Not only does it hamstring them, but it also hamstrings us.

Of course a reexamining of the parameters of the US/Israeli alliance won’t happen anytime soon. But hopefully…someday…it will.