Al Ahram Weekly
Azza Sedky, Tuesday 26 Nov 2024The relationship between the United States and Israel is a bond that defies the rest of the world, as has been shown during Israel’s war on Gaza, writes Azza Sedky
A question on the minds of the wise captures the essence of the relationship between the US and Israel: what happens between comrades when one of them, embodying evil spiritedness, errs big time? Does the relationship end as a sense of justice prevails?
Does the presumedly virtuous one terminate the mutual collaboration or at least ask the evil-spirited one to renege on any actions taken? Does turning a blind eye to the other’s actions mean complicity in them?
The relationship between the United States and Israel is a bond that defies the world. It has been shown over the past 14 months that according to the US Israel is infallible. No matter how horrendous Israel’s actions are, the US stands by Israel. Indeed, nothing Israel does deserves reprimand, according to the US, and the US remains a steadfast supporter of Israel.
Although the US remains oblivious to Israel’s genocidal acts in Gaza, the world has finally realised what is happening and is acting on it. All over the world countries have voiced their indignation with Israel, and let’s not forget the millions of ordinary citizens who have joined pro-ceasefire protests as international organisations, student organisations, and charities worldwide have all called for a ceasefire to the Israeli war on Gaza.
Many countries have severed diplomatic ties with Israel, including Belize, Bolivia, Colombia, Honduras, and Nicaragua. Others have recalled their ambassadors, such as Jordan, Bahrain, Turkey, and South Africa. Ireland, Norway, and Spain have recognised a Palestinian state.
Others have gone further still. South Africa filed an ongoing case before the International Court of Justice (ICJ), the UN’s top court, in December 2023. According to the evidence submitted by South Africa, Israel’s acts in Gaza are genocidal.
Malaysia has unequivocally condemned Israel’s aggression and the atrocities being carried out by its Zionist regime across Gaza, the West Bank, and Lebanon. It has sought to expel Israel from the UN, as Israel refuses to supply Gaza with humanitarian aid and is banning the UN Palestinian refugee agency UNRWA from continuing its relief efforts for the Palestinians.
Many countries have continued to voice their concerns and have called for a ceasefire in the war. Since the attack on Gaza began last October, Ireland’s relations with Israel have become strained, making it the most pro-Palestine member of the European Union. Irish Prime Minister Simon Harris said “there cannot be peace in the Middle East if there is no recognition” of Palestine.
Spain has been vocal in its defence of the Palestinians and has cancelled a multimillion ammunition deal with Israel. China has backed UNRWA and has also called for the establishment and recognition of an independent Palestinian state.
But on the very day that the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued warrants for the arrest of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes in Gaza, US President-elect Donald Trump said he would lift all military restrictions on Israel on his first day in office in January next year. The world sees matters one way, and Israel and the US see them in another.
Despite the world’s perspective on the war, the US remains steadfast in its support for Israel politically, financially, and militarily. It has a long history of using its veto in the UN Security Council to support Israel. The US has voted against every draft resolution coming before the Council that criticises Israel, sometimes alone against all other Security Council members. It has used its veto power 42 times against Draft UN Security Council Resolutions condemning Israel.
The US provides more financial aid to Israel than any other country. The American Jewish Committee Global Voice commented on one package of US aid for Israel in September that “Israel announced an $8.7 billion aid package from the US, including $3.5 billion for wartime procurement and $5.2 billion for air-defence systems like Iron Dome and David's Sling.” Similar packages are delivered speedily and repeatedly.
Israel is literally starving the population of Gaza to death. Even US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has said that “according to the most respected measures of things, 100 per cent of the population in Gaza is at severe levels of acute food security. That’s the first time an entire population has been so classified. We also see again, according to, in this case, the United Nations, 100 per cent – the totality of the population – is in need of humanitarian assistance.”
Blinken’s words have not been followed up with action. The US earlier threatened that it would withhold military aid to Israel if the latter continued to prohibit the passage of humanitarian aid to Gaza, but it then deployed troops and an anti-missile system to Israel. After the month that the US gave Israel to comply with its demand that Israel allow in humanitarian aid, the US backed off despite humanitarian aid groups verifying that Israel had failed to meet the US goals of allowing humanitarian aid into Gaza.
At the same that the Biden Administration has stood with Israel, it has enabled Israel to kill over 40,000 Palestinians and leave thousands of others with severe burns and amputations. Thousands more unidentified victims are lying under the rubble. The same thing is being carried out as Israel annihilates Lebanese villages and bombs the capital Beirut.
What does all this mean? It means that the US will always put Israel’s interests first, that nothing that Israel does can change the US’s dedication and commitment to Israel.
However, this ironclad and unwavering support of Israel affects the US’s image and damages its global standing. The Cato Institute, a US think tank, has said that “Israel is a strategic liability for the United States. The special relationship does not benefit Washington and is endangering US interests across the globe.”
The US says it aims to implement basics notions of human rights and international law, but it does not apply them to Israel.
Will the US ever waver in its ironclad support for Israel? I doubt it, since Israel has the power to dictate US foreign policy.
* A version of this article appears in print in the 28 November, 2024 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly
Short link:
Azza Sedky has it right again. Her lead, "... what happens between comrades when one of them, embodying evil spiritedness, errs big time? Does the relationship end as a sense of justice prevails?" sums up the question the whole world outside of the USA has been asking since the war began.
My Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Canada's Liberal minority government has waffled on this issue for months, to our eternal shame. It is unclear that an election in Canada would change things.
Posted by: Leslie Savage | 12/04/2024 at 06:17 AM