Trump Cares Nothing for Human Life: Ex-US Government Adviser

“He cares nothing for human rights or even human life, so any sacrifice of them in Palestine or anywhere, including the US itself, is acceptable in exchange for US world dominance and other items on Trump's agenda,” Paul Larudee from San Francisco said in an interview with the Tasnim News Agency.

Larudee is an Iranian-born American political activist and human rights volunteer, who works with the International Solidarity Movement. He is a former contracted US government adviser to Saudi Arabia and a founder of the Free Gaza and Free Palestine Movements.

Following is the full text of the interview:

Tansim: As you know, nearly 130 countries recently voted in favor of a United Nations General Assembly resolution condemning the US decision to recognize Jerusalem (al-Quds) as the capital of the Israeli regime. What message does the vote signal to world public opinion?

Larudee: This is more a message from world public opinion than to it.  In fact, we may conclude that public opinion is more unanimous than the vote would indicate, because citizens are more courageous than their governments, and fewer of them will “abstain”.  They are also less intimidated by threats.  It is reasonable to assume that most of the abstentions are due to the US threats rather than any doubt that the citizens of those countries are more or less unanimously opposed to recognition of Jerusalem (al-Quds) as the capital of “Israel”.

Tansim: Prior to the UN vote on Quds, US President Donald Trump had threatened to cut off financial aid to countries that voted in favor of the resolution. It seems that his warning has been ineffective. What do you think?

Larudee: The message of the vote is clear, but the warning was not entirely ineffective.  A significant number of countries abstained rather than vote against the resolution, and it is reasonable to assume that this is partially due to the US threat.  Of course, such threats do not endear the bullies who issue them to their victims.  On the contrary, the victims will remember this form of arm-twisting and will avail themselves of the opportunity to return the gesture when possible.  This is not the basis of international peace and respect, nor the essence of diplomacy, an art which the US seems less and less inclined to practice.

Tansim: In a speech at the White House on December 6, Trump said his administration would also begin a years-long process of moving the American embassy in Tel Aviv to the holy city of Quds. Do you see any chance that Trump would press ahead with his plan to relocate the embassy given the widespread international opposition?

Larudee: Trump will surely support "Israel" with whatever it wants, in return for the help of Zionist allies in the US with other items on Trump's agenda.  He cares nothing for human rights or even human life, so any sacrifice of them in Palestine or anywhere (including the US itself) is acceptable in exchange for US world dominance and other items on Trump's agenda.