Meet the American government-backed American Task Force on Palestine. ATFP aspires to be an Arab AIPAC (American Israeli Public Affairs Committe). But, alas, the organization falls far short in skill, support and funding.

Imagine how sympathetic and pro-Palestinian a U.S. government funded group is going to be? Not very much. In fact the organization has no credibility with Palestinians and their supporters anywhere. It is seen, firstly, as serving the corrupt and collaborator Fatah party and, second, as working to subdue Palestinian aspirations for justice to Israeli’s colonial wishes.

ATFP is simply a propaganda group that works, unsuccessfully, to convince Palestinians and Arab-Americans that the Israeli occupation isn’t all that bad. The pro-Palestinian community refers to it as “Americans Tasked to Fuck Palestine.” The worst thing about ATFP is that the U.S. Congress can now get away with saying that they invite pro-Palestinian voices by simply bring a ATFP representative, as it has in the past.

The ATFP logic is simple: Arab-Americans groups are marginalized and get no where sticking to principle. What needs to be done is: If you get beat them, join them.

The ATFP has been sucking up to the very enemies of the Palestinian people in the naive and pathetic hope that they’ll have some pity for them and allow the Palestinians some measure of dignity. But that will never work. Even if they had any sympathy for the Palestinians it pales in comparsion to the fanatical love for Zion. They may say a few nice words, but Israel’s supporters in Washington will never side with Palestinians over Israeli Jews no matter the merits, they will never publicly criticize Israel and certainly never propose, say, a reduction in aid to Israel until it ends the occupation.

But the ATFP tries really, and is desperate to please the White Man. It’s recent fundraising dinner - or “gala” as they pretensiouly call it - reflects their puppet ways. Members of their [dubious] Honorary Host Committee include the very members of Congress who are indisputable enemies of the Palestinian people, who never show any concern for the Palestinian deaths, for cheered the war in Gaza and recently passed another Congressional resolution demanding that the US oppose a UN report accusing Israel of war crimes in Gaza. These are the people who would publicly support Israeli apartheid that the AFTP calls friends:

T.H. Gary Ackerman
U.S. Representative from the State of New York

T.H. Robert Wexler
U.S. Representative from the State of Florida

T.H. Howard Berman
U.S. Representative from the State of California

It thinks that if it has such powerful pro-Israel voices on its side it will have influence. In their delusions. They have just been corrupted, they have no influence and are no where closer in getting US policy to be a little balanced, and worse for them they are neither respected by their people (Palestinians, Arabs) or by the masters they seek to impress.

But that Host Committee for the Occupation isn’t the worst part, here is the worst and most vile thing at the “gala”:

Who is that man? None other than former Bush National Security Policy official Elliot Abrams. Just Google this man for his views on Palestine. A fanatical Zionist who believes Jewish children should only go to Jewish schools lest they lose their connection to their roots, he is the son-in-law of late neo-conservative author and far-right Commentary editor Norman Podhortz. There is so much more to say about Elliot. He is opposed to a Palestinian state and thinks the US should support the continued Israeli colonization of the West Bank and that only Israel should rule Jerusalem. The man is an Israel-first zealot. Just read his own writings if you do not want to take my word for it. And he does not even feign concern for Palestinians.

This is how low and desperate the ATFP. It thinks that if such a man shows up - and shows up only to mock them - they have influence. The reason Abrams et al support ATFP is because they are pretty much on the same side: both support a Palestinian Bantustan under Israeli control.

This is how low the collaboration is. Draw the curtain. Show’s over!