Iran Press/ Middle East: US Senator Lindsey Graham confirmed that Israel will make the request a day after meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem al Quds.
“There is going to be a request made by the Israelis to the Pentagon on Thursday for $1 billion in aid to replenish Iron Dome batteries,” Graham told Fox and Friends on Tuesday.
The fact that the Iron Dome needs replenishing could be the reason why Netanyahu agreed to the ceasefire with Hamas after 12 days. Israel rejected an earlier ceasefire proposal from Hamas that was offered only two days after the bombing started in Gaza. The initial truce offer received very little coverage in Western media.
Throughout the 12-day slaughter, the US refused to condemn the Israeli killing of Palestinian children and gave the Israelis political cover by blocking UN Security Council statements calling for a ceasefire. In a pathetic attempt to pretend that the Biden administration cares about the suffering Israel is causing, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced additional aid for the Palestinians after the truce was reached. The assistance includes about $5.5 million to rebuild Gaza, a pittance compared to what the US is poised to give Israel.
In an interview with Israel’s Channel 12, Blinken somehow claimed that Israel took “significant steps” to avoid killing civilians in Gaza. This ignores the deliberate targeting of civilian homes. In one Israeli air raid, bombs hit a residential building in the al-Shati refugee camp in Gaza, killing 10 people; two women and eight children.
Besides killing over 250 Palestinians, the bombing campaign wounded 2,000, about 600 of which were children, and destroyed critical civilian infrastructure. The violence was not limited to Gaza. In the West Bank and eastern Jerusalem al Quds, at least 29 Palestinians were gunned down by Israeli security forces.
Like usual, throughout the slaughter, US officials made sure to repeatedly say that they support Israel’s “right to defend itself.” Israel’s bombing campaign started after rockets were fired out of Gaza in response to violence against Palestinians in eastern Jerusalem al Quds, particularly Israeli forces storming al-Aqsa mosque and wounding hundreds with tear gas and rubber bullets.
Because rocket fire from Gaza came before Israeli airstrikes, it’s easy for Western media to frame Israel’s response as “defensive.” But this ignores that the status quo — the Israeli blockade of Gaza and the military occupation of the West Bank and eastern Jerusalem al Quds — is an act of war against the Palestinians. While it doesn’t justify indiscriminate rocket fire, under international law, Palestinians have the right to defend themselves against their occupier.
But these details are lost — or purposely ignored — in Washington, and unfortunately, they are also lost with the majority of the American people. Although the tide does seem to be turning, as poll after poll shows more young Americans are becoming more critical of Israel — even young evangelical Christians.
Lindsey Graham said Tuesday that the additional $1 billion for Israel would be a “good investment for the American people.” But US support for Israel has only hurt the American people, creating enemies who would never have a beef with Washington if it wasn’t for US funding of the displacement, occupation, and slaughter of the Palestinians. With continued US military aid, it’s only a matter of time before another Israeli bombing campaign begins.
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