Israel and U.S. Criminal policies in the Middle East 11/13/2024

                                           Israel and U.S. Criminal policies in the Middle East

The recent escalation of violence in Gaza and Lebanon underscores the urgent need for accountability and humanitarian intervention. According to the Palestinian Health Ministry, Israeli airstrikes in Gaza have killed at least 47 people in the past 24 hours, including a child in a makeshift camp in al-Mawasi—designated by Israel as a “safe humanitarian zone.” The UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, has repeatedly warned of impending famine in northern Gaza. UN humanitarian chief Joyce Msuya condemned Israel’s blockade of aid, describing Gaza as “a wasteland of rubble,” where civilian structures have been decimated, cutting off essential resources like electricity and food. She decried these actions as some of “the gravest international crimes.”
Despite a U.S.-mandated 30-day deadline for Israel to allow more aid into Gaza, the Biden administration has refused to enforce U.S. laws that prohibit arming nations engaged in human rights abuses. Aid groups report that humanitarian support reaching Gaza is at its lowest level since December. A coalition of former Biden administration officials recently urged the U.S. to uphold its own laws and halt arms to Israel, citing violations of the Leahy Law, the Foreign Assistance Act, and the Arms Export Control Act.
Meanwhile, Israeli strikes in Beirut and the Mount Lebanon Governorate continue to inflict devastating casualties, force evacuations, and target civilian infrastructure. Notably, Al Jazeera’s Gaza bureau chief, Wael al-Dahdouh, recently received the National Press Club’s Press Freedom Award for his courageous reporting amid the loss of family members and personal injuries from Israeli strikes.
In a controversial move, former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, who has denied the existence of Palestinians and supported Israel’s annexation of occupied territories, was appointed as U.S. ambassador to Israel by Donald Trump. Such appointments and policy stances only deepen the crisis in the region and undermine any prospect for peace.
It is time for the U.S. government to prioritize human rights, enforce its own laws, and work toward de-escalating violence rather than exacerbating it through uncritical support of aggressive policies. This marks a shameful final chapter in Biden’s morally compromised Middle East policy, highlighting his unwillingness to stand up to Netanyahu's far-right criminal agenda.