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We all should be outraged at the blitzkrieg of illegal, unconstitutional, dictatorial and simply stupid actions of the Trump administration. This article is about two of their outrageous actions that are blatantly immoral as well. 

One is the continuing, shameful support for genocide and ethnic cleansing in Gaza. 
The other is the shameful abandoning of the Afghan refugees who were our friends and allies in our country’s longest war. 

Mike Huckabee. Trump’s Ambassador to Israel, says he is “outraged.” But he is not outraged that the United States is facilitating and condoning Israel’s killing of children and innocent civilians in Gaza and the West Bank. He is “outraged” that Britain, France and Canada are objecting to Israel’s war crimes.

Recently, Britain, France and Canada issued a joint statement condemning Israel’s resumption of bombing as “wholly disproportionate” and the trickle of food aid coming into Gaza as “wholly inadequate.” 

In response, Ambassador Huckabee, blamed Hamas for the genocide being perpetrated by Israel. He said, “ The prolonged suffering for everybody is on Hamas, and I’m outraged that the U.K., Canada, France, they’re blaming the wrong perpetrator.”

Ambassador Huckabee is apparently not aware of the history of Israel’s efforts to drive Palestinians out of Palestine. The “prolonged suffering” did not begin with the 2023 Hamas attack. It began in 1948 and recent events are only the latest episode in the conflict. 

Apparently Huckabee does not understand (or does not care about) the applicable international laws. Huckabee has no background in diplomacy. He is a former fundamentalist Christian preacher turned political activist who supports Israel without reservation.

Since Oct. 7, 2023, Israel has been vio-lating three rules of war. Nations have a right to respond to being attacked. But that response must be reasonable and “proportional.” 

Clearly Israel killing more than 62,000 people in response to the Hamas attack that killed 1,100 is excessive and disproportional. Nations are also prohibited under international law from deliberately targeting civilians and from using group punishment in response to an attack. Clearly Israel has been doing both by bombing schools, hospitals, homes and refugee camps. 

Occupying military forces also have an obligation to protect the population of an occupied territory. Israel’s restricting humanitarian aid violates this principle.

In Gaza, after a brief ceasefire, the post Oct. 7 genocide has resumed. On March 18, Israel resumed attacking Gaza and killing innocent people. But this time, the military emphasis has changed from trying to exterminate Hamas to seizing territory in Gaza. 

According the Times of Israel, the new objective will be to capture 75% of Gaza and “hold it for the foreseeable future.” Palestinians will be forced into three small areas in the already small area of Gaza. 
Now Israeli officials are speaking openly about expelling Palestinians. They talk about “voluntary” emigration, but Israel is also deliberately creating intolerable conditions to force the Palestinians to leave Gaza.

On March 2 Israel began a complete blockade of humanitarian aid including food, fuel and medical supplies. Israel says this blockade is necessary to keep Hamas from using or selling the aid supplies. But U.N. and NGO relief agencies say the humanitarian aid is not being stolen by Hamas.

Now Israel is replacing the existing aid agencies in Gaza with a new system under Israeli control. The new aid distribution points will be operated by a newly created, U.S.-based “foundation” with private “security“ contractors and the Israeli military providing security. There will only be four distribution sites rather then the prior 400. 

Clearly the new system is not intended to supply the needed aid. It is political cover for using starvation as a weapon to ethnically cleanse Palestine.

Mike Huckabee is an obviously biased and unqualified ambassador for a very sensitive position. Trump claims Huckabee will “bring peace to the Middle East.” But there will be no peace without justice for the Palestinians.

The second outrage is the Trump administration’s decision to deport the Afghan refugees who put their lives in danger supporting the U.S. military during the U.S occupation of their country. News reports say the protected immigration status for thousands of Afghans will be revoked leaving them open to deportation.

An estimated 195,000 Afghans have immigrated to the U.S in the last two decades. Years of war and political instability drove this immigration. 

Under Biden 76,000 came in with “humanitarian parole” status after the U.S withdrawal in 2021. To put these numbers in perspective, in 2022 this represented 0.4% or the U.S. immigrant population.

The U.N. estimates that 40 years of war in Afghanistan resulted in 6.4 million refugees, most of whom went to Iran or Pakistan. The U.S., which is largely responsible for much of the four decades of conflict, accepted a tiny portion of the refugees. 

Now we are abandoning tens of thousands of these refugees, many of whom supported the U.S. military operations the last 20 years.

Common Defense, a grassroots veterans organization, is condemning the Trump’s deportation of these Afghan refugees. They say, “Common Defense... denounces the Trump administration’s suspension of the refugee program that is critical to protecting Afghan allies who risked their lives in service of U.S. troops. This decision is a betrayal of our military values and the promises made to those who stood shoulder-to-shoulder with us in combat.” 

A core principle in military training is that you never leave anyone behind. This is an essential component of military unit cohesiveness and military effectiveness. It is a key “military value.” 
It is also a moral issue for the nation. You don’t abandon people in danger without doing everything possible to bring them to safety. Deporting Afghan refugees will likely result in their death or incarceration.

Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem says, “Afghanistan has had an improved security situation, and its stabilizing economy no longer prevent[s] them from returning to their home country.” But the U.N Refugee Agency and other knowledgeable sources refute this claim.

Once again Trump is ignoring the facts. Deporting Afghan refuges will not enhance domestic or national security. It will hurt respect for the U.S., destroy our credibility and weaken future efforts for international cooperation.

Marvin Weinbaum of the Middle East Institute says, “Whatever the motives behind the decision to remove heretofore protected Afghan refugees, their expulsion is a tragedy for a people who have suffered so much over the last 40 years...The United States will once again have broken faith with the Afghan people.“