133 Comments
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David Larsen's avatar

Kushner and Witkoff are indeed not honest brokers. Not only are they extremely pro-Zionist, but they also stand to make millions upon millions of dollars from the redevelopment of Gaza, as does by the way, President Trump. The whole process is utterly repugnant.

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MUSA💙💙💙USAM's avatar

BonesawKushner have a security clearance, hell, does nonWitkoff have a security clearance??? I’m sure BonesawKushner will get a few more Billions of $$$ from the Saudis while he is over there. FFS, thought we were rid of that plastic pile of puke…

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David Larsen's avatar

Witkoff is the Special Envoy to the Middle East and of Peace Missions. He doubtless has a security clearance.

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MUSA💙💙💙USAM's avatar

Well, I’m sure the psychotic maniac would sign a sc for witlessWitkoff, even if denied, like he did for Iwhinealot and Bonesaw when they were galavanting around the world making millions on our dime the first go around-absolute-f’ng-lutely a trump Family Crime Syndicate. The psychotic maniac doesn’t GAS about our national security.

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Nicolas's avatar

"Common sense dictates that the US negotiators in Egypt should be individuals who are solely guided by what is in the American national interest."

Well, common sense dictates to me that an "honest broker" should be an individual or a state who has no interest whatsoever in the result of the negotiation. I am sure that over 7 billions humans, there must be very qualified lawyers and diplomats who have integrity, and whose country has nothing to loose or gain to the deal, other than the satisfaction and pride to have been an honest broker and helped create peace somewhere in the world.

I believe one of the first rules of law is the the judge cannot have any interest in the case he is judging. otherwise, he will have a conflict of interest.

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May's avatar

Yes of course, the conflict of interest of Trump, Witkof and Kushner being land developers with a plan to develop Gaza is obvious

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Quaid Saifee's avatar

Thank you, Professor Mearsheimer, for pointing out the obvious. Though everyone in the world is aware of this, unfortunately, most Americans are largely unaware of this.

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Ray Noack's avatar

I’m aware but who can I vote for ? I voted for Trump because he said he would stop the war in Ukraine . Look what that got me .

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Carolyn L Zaremba's avatar

Stop supporting the "two-party" system. Look elsewhere. Read the World Socialist Web Site and learn about socialism.

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Roslyn Ross's avatar

Americans do not need socialism. They need democratic social welfare like other developed nations and they need regulated Capitalism like other developed nations.

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EarthAbides's avatar

There are many on the right who consider regulated capitalism as socialism simply because it requires state oversight - or "shackles to free enterprise" as the laissez fairies might put it...

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Roslyn Ross's avatar

Yeah, the rich ones. Understand that which is why the American people must rise up and take their country and their lives back.

The internet means ordinary Americans can see and hear more of the world since Americans are ignorant about the world and 80% do not possess a passport and could not afford to travel anyway and so know little to nothing about the world. The internet makes it possible for them to learn they have the poorest quality of life on average in the developed world because they are rule by the rich.

Ironic really, Americans threw off the English Crown and aristocracy and invented a political system where they elect a King every four years and where their aristocracy is the rich and really, they ended up with the same system, albeit worse.

I mean Americans still have tipping, a patronising practice from centuries ago where the rich tossed a coin to the poverty desperate serf for holding his horse, bringing his meal and emptying his pisspot. As metaphor that is life in the US for most Americans.

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Fran's avatar

And where will that get him, well, a president from the democratic, or republican party. i just don't give them my vote.

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LaVerne Karras's avatar

Not voting, is voting for the system, voting for an outsider/third party at least has some possibility of being productive.

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Fran's avatar

Sorry about the confusion there. It's the way I phrased it. In the past I also voted third party, and recently just let it go. You're right. Maybe someday.

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Gulden Akdemir's avatar

I go on every single officials website to see if they receive funding from the Israeli lobbies, view their voting track related to funding Israel. I voted for Jill Stein!

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Feral Finster's avatar

It was obvious from about a week into Trump's first term that he was not going to stop jack, as Trump is weak, stupid and easily manipulated. (Note that I wrote not a syllable in praise of his opponents...)

That said, good that you got wise. Too many humans just keep on doubling down.

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JennyStokes's avatar

Simple answer. DO not vote/do not pay your taxes.

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Franz Kafka's avatar

All Israelis, Zionists and Jews must be ejected from any negotiations to do with Palestine. They have proven themselves to be objectivity-incapable. Due to the involvment of such persons only Israeli interests have been served, millions have died and the US has gained a reputation for dishonesty, terror and sadism on the world stage.

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Fran's avatar

Especially with Israel referencing the Palestinians as animals, and their treatment of them supports their highly prejudicial statement.

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LaVerne Karras's avatar

I don't know about that, I'd see no problem with Norman Finkelstein, or the Matte family in there, but definitely not any Christian Zionists like Huckleberry!

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Franz Kafka's avatar

At least for awhile, the ban would have to be total. And then quotas could be established based on percentage of population. And all the myths of super intelligence of certain tribes are just that, bought and paid for PR myths.

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CK's avatar

Don’t forget Prof. Shlomo Sand.

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Michel Martinez's avatar

A Man cannot serve two Masters.

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Lydia Karoum's avatar

You express my sentiments precisely. Israel is treated better than most American states.

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David Tavadian's avatar

Great article, professor Mearsheimer. Thanks very much for your wisdom and courage.

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Ray Noack's avatar

I agree . It takes courage for a high profile person like John or Tucker to call this out . Tucker raises a great point when he asks “ what does that say about a person who puts others above himself and his family ? “.

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Sera's avatar

Though of course I agree with all of this, my concern is that the state of Israel is expendable. The financing, as we all know, comes from the US. The tech and press oligarchs, often the same people, are based in America. They control the narrative, and they control the money.

These people and these institutions control the country. And they would continue to control the country even if Israel were to slide into the sea tomorrow. America is in a deep hole.

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Ray Noack's avatar

That does not reflect well on US Citizens . Are we “ gluttons for punishment “ ? We work hard so others can prosper while we suffer ? We should look into the mirror as ask what kind of person does that ? Tucker did and he is speaking out …at great risk I would add

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Fran's avatar

Not too long ago, like a few years back any comment perceived as critical of Israel got you the response, "Sounds anti-Semitic."

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LaVerne Karras's avatar

anti-Semitic no longer has any meaning to critical thinkers.

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Fran's avatar
Oct 5Edited

It was before the genocide, and not long before. Many people are ignorant of the treatment Palestinians have been subjected to under Israeli rule. They also have been indoctrinated with any criticism of Israel is anti-Semitic. It never was to those who were more informed of it's history.

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JennyStokes's avatar

When you live in a Country where education is deplorable......what do you expect..

Yes I had a kid in school in the USA.

No Geography or World History.

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Fran's avatar
Oct 5Edited

Jenny do you really thing in European schools, or those who grew up in Australia and elsewhere it was any different?

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JennyStokes's avatar

US Citizens= not interested in politics. You could shop till you dropped NOT caring one iota what your country has been dong to others. I have absolutely NO sympathy and still you think, this will all go away!

Revolution in YOUR despicable country is coming. Why? Because you did not care for years.

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Lily East's avatar

They can be made to pay their fair share. They can be regulated. But the system is corrupt from the very top.

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Henry Minnerop's avatar

As long as the Israel Lobby is allowed to operate in the shadows, no American administration will dare to be an honest broker to resolve the Israel-Palestine conflict.

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JennyStokes's avatar

Fine statement. All of Europe are in the streets. What are Americans doing?

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Fran's avatar

Maybe that will change as world wide condemnation grows, and their many atrocities are recognized as a genocide.

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LaVerne Karras's avatar

When was the last time they operated in the shadows? Massie has pointed out that every politician has an AIPAC 'handler' and what Trump/Kushner/Whitkoff are and the Zionist billionaires are doing is right in your face and it's happening all over the West the same way and in who knows how many of the BRICS countries as well. Do you really think Fink, et al, are not Zionists, if they weren't, they wouldn't have gotten where they are, look what happened to Musk, he was brought into line very quickly?

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Ian McCracken's avatar

Keep up the fight John, although few in power seem to be listening, ordinarly people do.

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Ray Noack's avatar

Yes we do …but who do we vote for ?

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Carolyn L Zaremba's avatar

I personally vote for the Socialist Equality Party, publishers of the World Socialist Web Site, and have done so for a quarter of a century.

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Ray Noack's avatar

Tucker Carlson has been saying this for weeks now .I was happy to see John and Tucker get together. Also Jeffrey Sachs and Andrew Napolitano. It’s unnatural to put another country first .

I’m not a historian so maybe there have been instances in the past where this has happened but I doubt it . What does that say about US Citizens , many who are struggling right now ? Wil we continue to suffer so others can prosper ? What kind of person does that ?

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LaVerne Karras's avatar

Many citizens of the West are quite happy, even proud of supporting their economic oppressors in the top 10% that have twisted the system to enrich themselves at the expense of everyone else, why would you expect this to be different? Is it the Stockholm Syndrome or just the results of massive propaganda campaigns.?

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Ray Noack's avatar

It’s troubling . There was the brief moment in 2010 when Occupy and the Tea Party locked arms against Goldman Sachs…but suddenly we began talking about which bathroom to use . It’s hopeless now . The wealth gap has widened to unimaginable heights .

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CK's avatar

Deliberate distractions for puny minds.

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Jazzme's avatar

Want leverage Executive branch!

* stop funding the genocide*

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Carolyn L Zaremba's avatar

Professor Mearsheimer is still advocating for nationalism -- United States nationalism. Being a Marxist, I advocate for internationalism. The nation state, as we can see all too plainly when we look at Europe, is over. The nation state is unfit for purpose in an international global economy and does not benefit its populations. Nicolas below is quite correct in that the "honest broker" should be one who has no skin in the game.

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Franz Kafka's avatar

Given a choice between the hegemony proposed by the Fascist West and the Multipolarity proposed by the BRICS which would you recommend?

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Paul Stokes's avatar

I would go further and suggest that there should be no American national interest in play at such negotiations. I would cavil that America should be anywhere near such negotiations as it cannot possibly be accepted as a mediator in good faith.

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LaVerne Karras's avatar

There is a definite conflict of interest as it is arming and providing political cover for the belligerent whose legal obligations are to protect the citizens of the area it has occupied.

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Q10's avatar

A critically important exposure of the "peace" process to date. We need to unify and prohibit DUAL CITIZENS, by federal law, from participating in ANY international congressional activity and legislation. Better to elect citizens without dual citizenship. Let's start an initiative ASAP.

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JennyStokes's avatar

What are YOU doing about this? Are you fighting a revolution? NO. You sit in your Dens with your alcohol/firearms and war games hoping everything will be OK!

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LaVerne Karras's avatar

How about dual loyalties?

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Adam Cheklat's avatar

Then let us be Palestine’s.

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Beyond Spin's avatar

Dr. Mearsheimer, have you had a chance to read Robert Malley's new book, Tomorrow is Yesterday? If not, here's a good interview he did on this topic of Israel/Palestine negotiations:

https://substack.com/@drshushan/p-174199823

He basically reaffirms your point about the Israeli bias.

As you're well aware, Malley served in the Clinton, Obama and Biden administrations as a Middle East advisor.

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Sean Breathnach's avatar

Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, director of Kamal Adwan hospital and a prominent voice of Gaza’s decimated healthcare sector, is still being arbitrarily detained by Israeli authorities since his arrest on 27 December. A lawyer who visited him and other detainees, recently reported that he has been subjected to abuse and other ill-treatment. Join us in demanding his immediate and unconditional release.

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