The hypocrisy is astounding. Three days after the United States approved a $20 billion weapons package for Israel, Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Israel, supposedly to push forward the ceasefire process and bring it to a political conclusion. Of course, we must remember that this statement by Antony Blinken reflects the perspective of both the United States and the Israeli side of the conflict.
For political commentators across the world, it has become apparent that the negotiation process is merely a political cover for Israel to carry out its actions, while the United States obfuscates the matter by sending condemnations one way or another. This is evident in the fact that while a ceasefire deal had been reached before the invasion of the Rafah neighbourhood in Gaza, it was Israel that denied it, later claiming that Palestinians were delaying the negotiations. It’s further demonstrated by the assassination of Hamas’s political leader, who was leading the negotiations for a ceasefire and hostage return; yet the United States did not condemn Israel, nor did it view this as problematic to the peace process, continuing to provide weapons, political support, and military backing.
The hypocrisy is also evident in the fact that despite testimonies and video evidence of Israel torturing and raping prisoners in its concentration camp, the United States has not uttered a single word of condemnation. Moreover, while Israel has launched fresh pogroms in the West Bank—where Hamas is not present, killing people and burning homes—the United States has remained silent. Even when the United States charged one Israeli brigade for crimes against humanity during the Al-Ahli hospital massacre, this was later walked back under pressure from the Israeli government.
It is also telling that the United States House of Representatives rose in thunderous applause for Benjamin Netanyahu dozens of times while a genocide was being perpetrated. So, despite what Antony Blinken says, the world now recognises that the ceasefire process is merely political cover for ongoing atrocities.