ProPublica: Blinken Is Sitting on Staff Recommendations to Sanction Israeli Military Units Linked to Killings or Rapes

[demmiblue]

A special State Department panel told Secretary of State Antony Blinken that the U.S. should restrict arms sales to Israeli military units that have been credibly accused of human rights abuses. He has not taken any action.

A special State Department panel recommended months ago that Secretary of State Antony Blinken disqualify multiple Israeli military and police units from receiving U.S. aid after reviewing allegations that they committed serious human rights abuses.

But Blinken has failed to act on the proposal in the face of growing international criticism of the Israeli military’s conduct in Gaza, according to current and former State Department officials.

The incidents under review mostly took place in the West Bank and occurred before Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel. They include reports of extrajudicial killings by the Israeli Border Police; an incident in which a battalion gagged, handcuffed and left an elderly Palestinian American man for dead; and an allegation that interrogators tortured and raped a teenager who had been accused of throwing rocks and Molotov cocktails.

Recommendations for action against Israeli units were sent to Blinken in December, according to one person familiar with the memo. “They’ve been sitting in his briefcase since then,” another official said.

https://www.propublica.org/article/israel-gaza-blinken-leahy-sanctions-human-rights-violations

[Basic LA]

1. Police units there receive US aid?

Is there any part of Israeli society that is NOT on the US dole? And why is Uncle Sam forking out our tax dollars to such a wealthy nation, a nation with better medical coverage, for example, than US citizens get?

Can't we use that money to help someone who really needs it, like say, Palestine?

[Katcat]

4. Well

I think the US is paying for THEIR health care. Or at least that’s what I’ve read 🤷🏼?♀️

[Basic LA]

5. That's what I heard, too.

All gratis from their Uncle Sam sugar daddy. Why? AIPAC pressure?

[obamanut2012]

7. Yup, they have a quite good NHS

Wirh dental care. They can do that, because qe give Israel so much money. Mindboggling.

[Basic LA]

9. And there's little pushback or discussion.

There's Bernie and Van Hollen and who else? Those on the Squad are immediately labeled pro-Hamas & vilified.
And even these Israel-war-crime critics aren't saying much about the inordinate aid Israel Hoovers up from the US every year since forever.
This free lunch has got to stop or at least be contested. Gaza looks like Dresden at the end of WWII. And on OUR dime!
(Whew, I'm ranting.)

[onecaliberal]

2. Why the fuck are we paying for everything there?

Americans need that money.

[Autumn]

3. I think that some of we people are waking up to the fact of just how important we are to

"our" elected politicians.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

6. Man you gotta be doing some bad shit for a State Department panel to say it's bad.

[David__77]

8. Things move quickly when they want them to, that's for sure.

[Passages]

10. Stands out.

“If we had been applying Leahy effectively in Israel like we do in other countries, maybe you wouldn’t have the IDF filming TikToks of their war crimes now because we have contributed to a culture of impunity,” said Josh Paul, a former director in the State Department’s Bureau of Political-Military Affairs and a member of the vetting forum. Paul resigned in protest shortly after Israel began its bombing campaign of Gaza in October.

[shrike3]

11. Not a good look.

Also another example of how deeply entrenched this all is. (I'm talking about the region.) Neither side has covered itself with glory, and I think it may go on as it always has, badly. With apologies to Orwell.