The wall of silence built by the West around Israeli crimes in Gaza is falling down. Built with the aim of concealing the gruesome ethnic cleansing and genocide that Israelis inflict on Palestinians, with the blessing and complicity of the West, this wall has not stopped free voices of politicians, strategic experts, academicians, or others from denouncing the atrocious crimes. All this while, on the official level, the US and its European allies continue to live by the motto: “See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil.”
I feel comforted whenever I come across free voices that break the decades-long ban on condemning Israel. In a way, I expected such a shift in opinion vis-à-vis the Israeli Palestinian conflict once demonstrations erupted in the US and Europe, lambasting Israeli crimes and calling for Palestinians rights.
Today, I carry on presenting opinions expressed by those who I call free voices from the US, the biggest ally of Israel and the bastion of turning a blind eye to its crimes. The US believes it can deceive the world with its lame dissatisfaction with Israeli atrocities in Gaza, seemingly scolding: “Shame on you, Israel.. I’m upset with you!”
I publish today excerpts from an opinion by Bernie Sanders, senior US senator from Vermont, which he posted on his YouTube channel. At 82, Senator Sanders is the longest-serving independent in US congressional history.
“I want to take a few minutes to discuss something that is not being discussed adequately in the corporate media nor in Congress.. We are witnessing one of the worst humanitarian disasters in modern history.. I’m sorry to tell you that we in the United States of America are deeply complicit in what is happening. What we do in Congress right now could well determine whether tens of thousands of people live or die.
“Let’s briefly review what has happened in the last four months [five months today]. On October 7th, Hamas launched a horrific terrorist attack that killed 1200 innocent Israelis and took more than 230 hostages. More than 100 of those hostages are still being kept in captivity.. As I’ve said many times, Israel has the right to defend itself against Hamas terrorism, but it absolutely does not have the right to go to war against the entire Palestinian people, and that tragically is what we are seeing. As of today, Israel’s military campaign has killed more than 27,000 Palestinians and injured some 68,000, two thirds of whom are women and children. Unbelievably, 1.7 million people have been driven from their homes; nearly 80 per cent of the population.. These people have no understanding as to where they will be tomorrow or whether they will ever return back into their communities. The devastation caused by Israeli bombardments is unprecedented in modern history. Some 70 per cent of the housing units have been damaged or destroyed. The Israeli bombing attacks have destroyed most of the infrastructure in Gaza. There is no electricity and very little water. There are virtually no places to buy bread and basic necessities. Raw sewage is now running into the streets, and communications are extremely difficult because there is little or no cell phone service available.. There are no fully functional hospitals in Gaza.. Amid repeated attacks on healthcare facilities, doctors and nurses are still bravely working to save lives even without regular electricity or basic medical supplies.
“Israeli bombing and the onerous restrictions placed on aid entering Gaza means that only a tiny fraction of the food, water, medicine and fuel that is needed can get into Gaza. And even when supplies do get across the border, very little of that can reach beyond the immediate area around the Rafah Crossing near Egypt.. And, horrifyingly, hundreds of thousands of children in Gaza face starvation.. The UN says that one in 10 children under the age of five in Gaza is already acutely malnourished.. Every physician knows that malnutrition in small children causes permanent physical and cognitive damage.. Right now, 1.4 million people are squeezed into the area around Rafah right up against the Egyptian border. Rafah was a town of just 250,000 people before the war.. These people are packed into crowded UN shelters sleeping out in tents. It’s a daily struggle for them to find food or water.
“And in the midst of all of this horror and suffering, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu has announced that Israel will soon launch a major ground offensive against Rafah where 1.4 million people are located.. These families, already exhausted, traumatised and hungry, will once again be displaced with no plan.. I struggle to find words to describe this cruelty.
“Let me say that much of what is happening in Gaza now is funded by US taxpayers. These are our bombs and our military equipment that is being used, we are complicit. This is not only an Israeli war, this is an American war. Prime Minister Netanyahu says that Israel will only accept a total victory in this war.. When asked he said that is like ‘smashing glass into small pieces’.. The question we must ask ourselves is how many more children and innocent people will be smashed in the process. And why is the United States helping to fund this humanitarian disaster?
“It is quite clear then, that beyond total destruction of Gaza, Netanyahu has no plan. This week, President Biden acknowledged the severity of this crisis. He said that ‘Israel’s response has been over the top’ and added that ‘there are a lot of innocent people who are starving and there are a lot of innocent people who are in trouble and dying, and it’s got to stop’.. Then why in God’s name are we now contemplating legislation that provides USD10 billion more to the Israeli war machine to continue funding Netanyahu’s war?” Senator Sanders explained at length how Netanyahu is resisting any deal to negotiate the exchange of hostages and ceasefire.. “In my view,” Senator Sanders says, “he is trying to prolong the war to cling to power. Most Israelis rightly blame him for creating the crisis, and they want him out.
“What’s even harder to understand, is that in the midst of this horrendous humanitarian crisis, the legislation before us actually contains a prohibition on helping UNRWA, the largest UN agency operating in Gaza and the backbone of the humanitarian aid operation.. You don’t starve 2 million people.. We cannot be complicit in this atrocity as long as this bill contains money to fund Netanyahu’s war machine.”
It is worth noting that about a week ago, Australia, Canada, Sweden and the EU resumed their funding for UNRWA, the refugee relief organisation, in order to enable it to continue offering humanitarian relief to the Gaza Strip despite the US sanctions.
Watani International
22 March 2024