The strike on the World Central Kitchen comes on the same day that Israel wrapped up its operations in Al-Shifa Hospital, that has left the ground littered with decaying body parts, and nor is it by any means the first strike on humanitarian aid workers. In February, Israel murdered U.S. citizen Mousa Shawwa, logistics coordinator for the charity Anera. In November, it murdered three doctors from Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders. And in December, it murdered Reem Abu Lebdeh, who was a board member of MSF UK. And, of course, in February, after having given direct permission for an ambulance to retrieve 6-year-old Hind Rajab from a car, where she sat with the bodies of her dead parents, Israel struck that ambulance, killing the medics who were on their way to save her.
So this is a continuing pattern. And in that context the U.S. authorized the transfer of over 2,000 more bombs to Israel. This week, I anticipate it will authorize the transfer of a thousand more. It has been doing this on a weekly basis since the conflict began, just an open tap of arms. And these are the arms that Israel is using to kill not only thousands of civilians but hundreds of aid workers, as well.
There are a variety of laws that should, in theory, apply here, ranging from the requirement that U.S.-provided arms be used in accordance with international law to more specific laws, that, for example, U.S. assistance cannot be provided to a country that is restricting the delivery of U.S.-funded humanitarian assistance. We have seen many examples of Israel restricting, if not striking, the delivery of humanitarian assistance.
So, I think these laws all need to be questioned – called into question, you know, and the important thing here is that that’s not what is happening. In fact, the Biden administration has on purpose not – in seeking legal opinions on whether the arms we are providing to Israel are being used in accordance with the law, it has also not been seeking assessments from the intelligence community of Israel’s actions using U.S. weapons. It is essentially sticking its fingers in its ears and, you know, covering its eyes and saying, you know, “We don’t know what’s going on.” It is making a purposeful decision to not know what is going on. And I have never seen anything like it in my time in government.
– Josh Paul
Excerpted from “State Department Whistleblower:
Biden Is Skirting U.S. Law by Rushing
More Bombs and Warplanes to Israel”
Democracy Now
April 2, 2024
Excerpted from “State Department Whistleblower:
Biden Is Skirting U.S. Law by Rushing
More Bombs and Warplanes to Israel”
Democracy Now
April 2, 2024
“A Genocide Has Been Normalized”
Related Off-site Links:
“Obscene”: Biden Quietly OKs More 2,000-Pound Bombs, Warplanes for Israel – Brett Wilkins (Common Dreams, March 29, 2024).
“Indictments Now,” Says U.N. Expert After Israel Massacres World Central Kitchen Workers – Jake Johnson (Common Dreams, April 2, 2024).
Beyond Any Reasonable Circumstances – Abby Zimet (Common Dreams, April 2, 2024).
The New York Times Finds U.S. Complicity in Genocide Unremarkable – Norman Solomon (Common Dreams, April 2, 2024).
Israel’s Dictionary of Deception – Dubravka Žarkov (Common Dreams, April 2, 2024).
War on Gaza: “Reasonable Grounds” to Believe Israel Committing Genocide, Says U.N. Expert – Middle East Rye (March 26, 2024).
U.N. Expert Says She Faces Threats After Israel-Gaza Genocide Report – Rising (March 27, 2024).
U.N. Rapporteur Francesca Albanese Urges Arms Embargo and Sanctions on Israel over War Crimes in Gaza – Democracy Now! (March 12, 2024).
Biden Administration Quietly Approves 100+ Arms Sales to Israel While Claiming Concern for Civilians in Gaza – Democracy Now! (March 7, 2024).
U.N. Expert: “Apartheid Is in Front of Your Eyes Everywhere You Go” – Meron Rapoport (+972mag, February 6, 2024).
“The Worst of What Humanity Is Capable Of”: Pediatrician Dr. Tanya Haj-Hassan on What She Saw in Gaza – Democracy Now! (March 28, 2024).
See also the previous Wild Reed posts:
• Voices of Reason and Compassion on the Crisis in Israel and Gaza
• More Voices of Reason and Compassion on the Crisis in Israel and Gaza
• Phyllis Bennis: Quote of the Day – March 28, 2024
• Michael Fakhri: Quote of the Day – February 27, 2024
• Sabrina Salvati: Quote of the Day – January 2, 2024
• Christmas 2023 – Reflections, Activism, Art, and Celebrations
• Jehad Abusalim: Quote of the Day – December 8, 2023
• Ta-Nehisi Coates: Quote of the Day – November 2, 2023
• In the Midst of the “Great Unraveling,” a Visit to the Prayer Tree
• Prayer of the Week – October 16, 2023
• Something to Think About – October 12, 2023
• Eric Levitz: Quote of the Day – October 11, 2023
• Phyllis Bennis: “If We Are Serious About Ending This Spiraling Violence, We Need to Look at Root Causes”
• “Nothing About Today is ‘Unprovoked’”
• “The Mistreatment and Discrimination Against Palestinians Is Not Unprecedented. It’s Baked Into the Foundation of the Political System in Israel”
• Progressive Perspectives on the Ongoing Israeli-Palestinian “Nightmare” (2021)
• Something to Think About – July 29, 2018
• Noura Erakat: Quote of the Day – May 15, 2018
• For Some Jews, Israel’s Treatment of Palestinians is Yet Another Jewish Tragedy
• Remembering the Six-Day War and Its Ongoing Aftermath
• David Norris: Quote of the Day – August 12, 2014
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