Jennifer Rubin: Israel is at a crisis point: The world has had enough

[Celerity]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2024/04/04/israel-aid-workers-war-gaza-deaths/

https://archive.is/oVWbA



Israel’s strikes killing seven World Central Kitchen personnel, who were working for José Andrés’s nonprofit to feed the hungry in Gaza, were, by Israel’s account, a mistake. Saying that, however, does not absolve the country of responsibility for the latest tragedy in a war that has killed nearly 200 aid workers. Plainly, Israel has failed to construct or observe adequate rules of deconfliction to protect humanitarian aid workers. Moreover, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s statement that, in essence, mistakes happen in war is utterly insufficient — and revealing of his utter tone-deafness. Innocents do get killed — which is precisely why you want to avoid wars, carve out safe passage for innocents including humanitarian relief workers and make every effort to bring conflicts to a negotiated end.

“Several humanitarian groups said Tuesday that they would suspend their operations in Gaza after seven World Central Kitchen workers were killed in an Israeli strike, threatening already precarious deliveries to the aid-starved enclave,” The Post reported. “The strike sent shock waves through the international aid community. WCK and at least two other groups said they would pause their operations in Gaza.” Israel has vowed to abide by the laws of war, but that requires its military action not “cause incidental loss of civilian life, injury to civilians, damage to civilian objects, or a combination thereof, which would be excessive in relation to the concrete and direct military advantage anticipated.” When massive civilian casualties including aid workers continue, there is reason to question compliance with international law.

A war launched for self-defense can lose legitimacy if the means of fighting violate international norms. Andrés’s plea for Israel to “stop restricting humanitarian aid, stop killing civilians and aid workers, and stop using food as a weapon” will resonate with many Americans. Accordingly, Israel cannot continue to fight for diminishing returns if it is not willing or able to protect innocents. Israel seems to be wearing out the patience of even the Biden administration, arguably the most pro-Zionist in history. (Matters have gotten so bad that, before the latest strike, even Netanyahu’s BFF, former president Donald Trump, was telling Israel to wrap up the war.) The Times of Israel quotes an anonymous U.S. official furious that adequate measures to coordinate with aid workers are “only being put in place now.” Indeed, even in Israel there is recognition that not enough has been done. An Israeli official told the Times of Israel, “Soldiers are operating under immense pressure in very difficult conditions in which Hamas embeds itself within the civilian population, but the rules of engagement are designed to help deal with such conditions, and they’re too often being ignored.”

White House spokesman John Kirby was remarkably blunt. “We were outraged to learn of an IDF strike that killed a number of civilian humanitarian workers yesterday from the World Central Kitchen, which has been relentlessly working to get food to those who are hungry in Gaza,” he said on Tuesday. Expressing “hope” that the investigation’s results would be made public, Kirby declared, “This incident is emblematic of the larger problem and evidence of why distribution of aid in Gaza has been so challenging. But beyond the strike, what is clear is that the IDF must do much more to improve deconfliction processes so that civilians and humanitarian aid workers are protected.” Later in the day, President Biden issued his own blistering statement, emphasizing that “this is not a stand-alone incident.” In some of his harshest language yet, he declared, “Israel has not done enough to protect aid workers trying to deliver desperately needed help to civilians. Incidents like yesterday’s simply should not happen.” He reminded Israel, “The United States has repeatedly urged Israel to deconflict their military operations against Hamas with humanitarian operations, in order to avoid civilian casualties.” Promising to do all the United States can to deliver aid to Gaza, Biden stressed: “I will continue to press Israel to do more to facilitate that aid. And we are pushing hard for an immediate cease-fire as part of a hostage deal.” Rarely have we seen Biden criticize Israel in such emotional terms.

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[hlthe2b]

1. Indeed...

I don't want the Israeli people to suffer, but between Netanyahu and me, I seem to be the only one of the two of us who feels that way.

He appears to feel that Israelis are expendable--much as Trump does his own supporters (and certainly his non-supporters). Merely a means to an end--and that end does not include ceasing the war, calling for elections, nor anything that would allow for the courts to serve justice against his past corruption. And any non-Hamas innocent civilians in Gaza are even more expendable.

I think back to a former colleague I worked with a couple of decades ago--who had gone to high school with him in a suburb of Philadelphia. Not surprisingly, she had no incisive anecdotes from that time (or at least that I remember this many years since we last spoke), but I do remember her commenting on his intelligence with a "ruthless streak"... I wish, now, I'd asked what that meant. But, it is certainly apparent today.

[dutch777]

2. Me too! Cut off all arms shipments now. Bibi and RW enablers just ignore the words.

Firing a couple of officers and saying "Ooops"! is not enough. Redirect the weaponry to Ukraine where it will be better used.

[Hassin Bin Sober]

3. People have had enough of the ethnic cleansing.

People that encouraged this have blood on their hands.

[erronis]

5. But if Gaza is cleared, Jared Kushner can build his resort for the wealthy on that land.

The Saudis are funding his new ventures - the Serbian coast and now Palestine.

Of course no Palestinians will be allowed to live on the properties and probably not even work there.

[lonely bird]

6. Fuck the Israeli government

And fuck Hamas, Hez’bollah and Iran and the Arab governments who didn’t help the Palestinians in 1948 and the idiot Western governments that fucked around in the Middleeast after WW1.

There is plenty of blame to go around for this disgusting mess.