On Monday, the United Nations Security Council was finally able to pass a resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza after the US abstained from the vote. It is notable that several US officials said that the resolution is “non-binding” even though the resolution is considered to be legally binding in international law. White House National Security spokesperson John Kirby also said, “Our vote does not – and I repeat that, does not – represent a shift in our policy.” In spite of that, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu accused the US for “abandoning its policy in the UN” and cancelled Israeli delegation’s visit to the US – the delegation was supposed to talk about the planned Israeli ground offensive in Rafah, Southern Gaza. (1)
While the bellicose and arrogant behavior of Prime Minister Netanyahu and other Israeli far-right Zionists has become familiar during the war between Israel and Hamas, it has been quite surprising to see how biased, arrogant and shameless some American public figures can be. Here are just some examples. At the end of January, Democratic congresswoman and former House speaker Nancy Pelosi suggested that some pro-Palestinian protesters, who supported a ceasefire in Gaza, might be connected to Russia and President Putin. Pelosi said, “For them (i.e. the protesters) to call for a ceasefire is Mr. Putin’s message. Make no mistake, this is directly connected to what he would like to see. Same thing with Ukraine. It’s about Putin’s message. I think some of these protesters are spontaneous and organic and sincere. Some, I think, are connected to Russia.” When asked whether she believed that the protesters were “Russian plants”, Pelosi replied, “Seeds or plants. I think some financing should be investigated. And I want to ask the FBI to investigate that.” (2)
At the end of February, President Biden caused an outrage when he talked about his hopes for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza while eating casually ice cream. Gregg Carlstrom, The Economist’s Middle East correspondent, said on X, “Nothing says ‘we’re taking this seriously’ like talking about a war that has killed ~30,000 people with an ice-cream cone halfway to your mouth.” Many commentators also pointed out that the timing of President Biden’s comment was particularly interesting. Biden talked about the possibility of an immediate ceasefire just before the crucial Democratic primary election in Michigan, where Biden was in big trouble with Muslim voters who have been very critical of his unconditional support of Israel during the Israel-Hamas war. Israel and Hamas didn’t believe that there was a chance for an immediate ceasefire, then. (3)
Also in February, Thomas Friedman, veteran journalist of The New York Times who has reported decades about the American-Israeli alliance, reached a new low with his dehumanising article “Understanding the Middle East Through the Animal Kingdom” where he reduced Middle East nations to insects. He wrote that Iran is like a “parasitoid wasp” which “injects its eggs into live caterpillars” – according to Friedman those “caterpillars” are Lebanon, Yemen, Syria and Iraq and the “eggs” are Houthis, Hezbollah, Hamas and Kataib Hezbollah. In other part of his article, Friedman also wrote that Hamas is like a “trap-door spider” that “leaps out at great speed, seizes its prey and hauls it back into the burrow to be devoured, all in a fraction of a second.” While describing the Middle East as a “jungle”, Friedman wrote, “We have no counterstrategy that safely and efficiently kills the wasp without setting fire to the whole jungle.” Journalist Belén Fernández pointed out that burning down that particular “jungle” has been modus operandi of the American-Israeli alliance for decades and Friedman seemed to endorse that strategy. (4)
Far-right Zionists have been highly critical of President Biden’s talks about two-state solution and humanitarian assistance to Palestinians, so the far-right Zionists have put their faith on former president Trump and other Republicans. Israeli far-right minister Itamar Ben Gvir accused Biden for giving Palestinians humanitarian aid and fuel, which according to Ben Gvir went to Hamas. Ben Gvir continued, “If Trump was in power, the U.S. conduct would be completely different.” (5) David Friedman, former U.S. Ambassador to Israel under President Donald Trump, said during an interview that he would like to present to Trump his idea of a one-state solution where there is only one state, the State of Israel where Palestinians would have “a permanent residency” and that status would give them “self-governance on civil matters, but not voting rights in national elections, only local ones”. When asked if he would want to serve another term under a potential future Trump administration, Friedman replied, “Of course. I mean, you know, he’s a dear friend. He’s been a leader like Israel has never had in the Oval Office.” (6) Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law and former senior adviser, said during an interview that Gaza could be a valuable “waterfront property” and that Israel should move Palestinians from Gaza to Negev desert and after that to Egypt before “cleaning up” Gaza (7). Trump himself said during an interview that was published on Monday that Israel made “a very big mistake” by bombing Gaza so massively because that has ruined Israel’s public image. He urged Israel to “finish up” the war and to be very careful because Israel is “losing a lot of support” internationally. (8)
Speaking of bombing Gaza, at the beginning of this month it was reported that, by using a legal loophole, the Biden administration has made more than 100 weapons sales to Israel, including thousands of bombs, since the start of the war in Gaza, but the deliveries “have escaped congressional oversight because each transaction was under the dollar amount requiring approval” (9). This week it was reported that the Biden administration has not determined that Israel has violated international humanitarian law and therefore there are no grounds to halt arms exports to Israel. On Monday, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said to reporters, “We have not found them (i.e. Israel) to be in violation of international humanitarian law, either when it comes to the conduct of the war or when it comes to the provision of humanitarian assistance.” (10) In January, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that Arab countries don’t want to rebuild Gaza if the Palestinian question is not resolved and if Gaza is “leveled again” in the future (11). A couple of weeks ago it was reported that according to the UN already 35% of buildings in Gaza have been destroyed or damaged (12).
According to latest Gallup poll, 55% of Americans now disapprove Israel’s war against Hamas. However, it is notable that there is a great divide between the two major parties: 64% of Republicans support the Israeli military action in Gaza but only 18% of Democrats support it. (13)
Some Democrats and progressive public figures have become increasingly critical about Israel’s actions during the Israel-Hamas war. A couple a weeks ago, Democratic senator and Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer caused a big surprise when he criticized Prime Minister Netanyahu harshly, gave a stark warning that Israel is in danger of becoming a “pariah” and called for new elections in Israel (14). In February, Jon Stewart, talk-show host of The Daily Show, said something quite essential when he commented Israel’s relentless bombing campaign in Gaza. Stewart said to Israel, “Palestinian liberation is an idea. Unless you have a bomb that kills ideas. Do you have a bomb that kills ideas? I mean, how long would it even take to bomb this shit out of an idea?” (15, 16) As long as the occupying power, i.e. Israel, continues its oppression against the Palestinians, there will quite certainly be some sort of resistance movement against Israel.
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, one of the leading progressive Democratic politicians, said on Saturday that the Israeli military campaign in Gaza is an “unfolding genocide” and demanded that the Biden administration should suspend aid to Israel’s armed forces (17). Renowned American professor Jeffrey Sachs said couple of weeks ago, “Of course, what the government of Israel doing, is unconscionable. World opinion is united against Israel. The problem is the United States remains complicit in these war crimes because it’s traditional in U.S. politics that politicians show no space between the United States and Israel. It is, I think quite likely, that the International Court of Justice is going to find that Israel is in violation of the genocide convention. And does the United States want to be complicit in genocide? This is a pretty straightforward question.” (18)
References:
(1) “Will the UN ceasefire resolution stop Israel’s war on Gaza?” Al Jazeera 26.3.2024
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/3/26/will-the-un-ceasefire-resolution-stop-israels-war-on-gaza
(2) “Pelosi condemned for suggesting pro-Palestinian activists have ties to Russia” The Guardian 30.1.2024
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/jan/29/pelosi-condemned-pro-palestinian-russia-ties
(3) “Biden Expresses ‘Hope’ for Gaza Ceasefire While Eating Ice Cream With Seth Meyers” TIME 27.2.2024
https://time.com/6835515/biden-gaza-ceasefire-ice-cream/
(4) “Thomas Friedman: Dehumanisation par excellence amid a genocide” Al Jazeera 17.2.2024
(5) “Attacking Biden, Ben Gvir says Trump would have been more supportive of Israel” The Times of Israel 4.2.2024
(6) “Top Trump advisor Amb. David Friedman suggests a ‘one-state solution’ to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict” All Israel News 1.3.2024
(7) “Jared Kushner: Gaza could be a valuable ‘waterfront property'” Middle East Eye 19.3.2024
https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/jared-kushner-gaza-could-be-valuable-waterfront-property
(8) “Trump warns Israel that it’s ‘losing a lot of support’” Politico 25.3.2024
https://www.politico.com/news/2024/03/25/trump-says-israel-should-finish-up-gaza-war-00148910
(9) “US uses loophole to keep 100 arms sales to Israel under the radar amid Gaza war – report” The Guardian 7.3.2024
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/mar/06/israel-weapons-sales-loophole
(10) “US overlooks Israeli abuses in Gaza to justify arms transfers: Advocates” Al Jazeera 27.3.2024
(11) “Arab countries do not want to rebuild Gaza if it is ‘leveled again’: Blinken” Anadolu Agency 17.1.2024
(12) “Satellite images show 35% of Gaza’s buildings destroyed, UN says” Middle East Monitor 13.3.2024
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20240313-ramadan-arrives-as-families-face-famine-in-gaza
(13) “Majority of Americans disapprove of Israel’s war against Hamas: Poll” The Hill 27.3.2024
https://thehill.com/policy/defense/4559102-majority-americans-israel-hamas-gaza
(14) “A speech that sent shockwaves from Washington to Jerusalem” CNN 15.3.2024
https://edition.cnn.com/2024/03/15/politics/schumer-israel-speech-analysis/index.html
(15) “Jon Stewart On Israel – Palestine” The Daily Show 27.2.2024
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K2zbN3AuHG8
(16) “Jon Stewart On Israel – Palestine on The Daily Show” – Happy Scribe 27.2.2024
(17) “Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez calls Israeli Gaza campaign an ‘unfolding genocide’” The Guardian 23.3.2024
(18) “Columbia University Professor Jeffrey Sachs: U.S. Is ‘Complicit’ in Israeli ‘Genocide’ in Gaza” National Review 17.3.2024
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