As Gaza burns from Israeli airstrikes, debates rage in America. Who is to blame for this recent spat of violence? Some ponder, why even bother at all:

Yet a closer look at the history and context of the situation, reveal how important understanding this issue is for Americans, even those not tied directly to the volatile region.

What General Petraeus and Osama Bin Laden agree on

The horrific 9-11 attacks in 2001 changed the course of American history. The subsequent “War on Terror” has cost the US 7 trillion dollars and almost ten thousand lives, not to mention giving Congress and the President an excuse for the largest attack on our civil liberties since our founding. Some Americans still believe that the terrorists attacked us for our “freedom”, motivated by religious hatred. Yet, facts show that US support for Israeli policies against Palestinians as well as our tacit backing of a brutal 40 year long military occupation of the West Bank and Gaza are the prime motives for Islamist attacks against the U.S., leading to our subsequent entanglement in the volatile Middle East. Matter of fact, US backing for the Israeli occupation was the stated number one reason by Osama Bin Laden himself as for why they were fighting us, as he declared in his “letter to the American people” shortly after the 9-11 attacks.

American military officials such as General David Petraeus and General James Mattis also back up this claim. Both while heading US Central Command cited that US support for Israel‘s occupation as having the potential to foment “anti-American sentiment” and “ throws oil on the flames of extremist ideologies.” While speaking to the Senate, Petreaus said the following concerning the Israel-Palestine conflict:

The enduring hostilities between Israel and some of its neighbors present distinct challenges to our ability to advance our interests in the AOR [Area of Operations]. Israeli-Palestinian tensions often flare into violence and large-scale armed confrontations. The conflict foments anti-American sentiment, due to a perception of U.S. favoritism for Israel. Arab anger over the Palestinian question limits the strength and depth of U.S. partnerships with governments and peoples in the AOR and weakens the legitimacy of moderate regimes in the Arab world. Meanwhile, al-Qaeda and other militant groups exploit that anger to mobilize support. The conflict also gives Iran influence in the Arab world through its clients, Lebanese Hizballah and Hamas.

Gen. Mattis later even went further and stated the settlements are turning Israel into an Apartheid state and he “paid a military and security price every day as the commander of CENTCOM because the Americans were seen as biased in support of Israel.”

‘War on Terror’ Threatens American Civil Liberties

The blowback our country faced from our support for Israel, and the subsequent War on Terror has been devastating to our economy, to our standing in the world and our civil liberties here at home. The cost of this war to our free and open society is well documented. From the Patriot Act, to warrantless surveillance, to prosecution of whistleblowers, and the attacks on due process, such as indefinite detention and Obama’s ‘drone memo’, the list goes on. This existential threat to our liberty, made possible. by the the “War on Terror” compels us to disengage from aggressive wars and foreign nation-building to focus on creating a free and just society at home

In order to disengage from a ‘perpetual war’ state, one of the steps to making peace in the Muslim world is to bring a just solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict. US financial, political and military support, including $3 billion in military aid annually, allows Israel to dominate its neighbors and occupy the West Bank and Gaza, home to over 4 million Palestinians. For those needing to understand the conflict, click here for a short video from Jewish Voice for Peace.

Social Media Uproar Over Racist Tweets and Facebook post

As reports of anti-Arab racism in Israel and a lop-sided bombing campaign in Gaza, dominate the airwaves, an opportunity arises for the international community to put pressure on Israel to grant equal rights to the Palestinians. A media narrative that once held Israel as the victim is shifting rapidly as pictures surface showing Israelis sitting on lawn chairs and cheering as they watch the bombing of Gaza. This pic caused an ‘uproar’ on Twitter and went viral:

Images such as these juxtaposed with pictures of whole apartment buildings being flattened, fathers crying holding their dead children, and the lopsided death toll(193 Palestinians dead to one Israeli), are pushing the mainstream media to become more sympathetic to the Palestinians. Social media is also abuzz with articles depicting racist tweets and Facebook messages from Israel’s youth:

Tweets such as “Kill Arab children so there won’t be a next generation” and “We wage war so this will be our land without any Arabs” and “Kill them already, Arabs are whores” and “Arabs are not human, they’re beasts” dominate social media:

One Israeli Facebook user, exposed by blogger Patrick Strickland, posted: “What an orgasm to see the Israeli Defense Forces bomb buildings in Gaza with children and families at the same time. Boom boom.” and later posted, referring to 16 year old Palestinian, Muhammad Abu Khudair, who was kidnapped and burned alive: “Sweet settlers, next time you kidnap an Arab boy, call me and let me torture him!! Why do you get to have all the fun?”

Though these social media postings show a growing racism among Israel’s youth, it is important not to put all the blame on Israel. Most Israelis were born into a complicated situation on contested land, in a hostile region in which US oil interests and the defense industry exploit conflict to advance their interests. In fact, the pro-Israel lobby is only one piece of a hawkish foreign policy bloc, bankrolled by weapons companies, that likes to beat the drums of war, especially when there’s much to gain financially.

Boycott Movement Grows; Dangerous US Foreign Policy Hurdles Ahead

To push for peace in the region many Americans such as the Presbyterian Church, are not waiting for their leaders to act, and are answering the Palestinian call for Boycott and Divestment(BDS) to put pressure on Israel to grant equal rights to Palestinians and end the apartheid-like occupation. Some activist leaders are calling for a one-state solution as the only way forward to a just and lasting peace. This idea is gaining traction now as reports just emerged that “Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has no intention of pursuing a two-state solution.”

Even American foreign policy ‘realists’ are coming to the realization that a one state solution is the only path forward. Whatever solution we do find, lets find one quick. With the Islamist insurgent group, ISIS, building a state across Syria and Iraq, circumstances may draw American forces back into military action in the region, which most likely will fan the flames of war and further destabilize an already tense Middle East. As studies show that US support for Israel and an aggressive foreign policy since 9-11 have helped al-Qaeda linked groups gain strength in the region, only a calculated de-escalation of hostilities, such as curbing US drone strikes and pushing for genuine peace and equality in Israel-Palestine will stem the rising tide of Islamist groups in the the Muslim world.

CounterTrac is a forthcoming American news and analysis website focused on civil liberties and the National Security State. Twitter: @countertrac