During a campaign rally on Thursday, August 29th, in Georgia, Democratic nominee Kamala Harris mentioned that she and President Joe Biden are working hard to secure a hostage deal and ceasefire in Gaza. Reports also revealed that the US is fast-tracking arms shipments to Israel.
Since becoming the Democratic presidential nominee, Kamala Harris has tried to support both the Palestinian cause and Israel, two conflicting ideas that cannot exist together.
Harris and the Democratic party have demonstrated their true support through their actions, revealing which stance they prioritise over mere words. The report indicates that the US has been sending more weapons to Israel since July, with August being the second busiest month for such shipments since October.
According to the report, the weapons are said to be for aiding Israel in defending against attacks from Hezbollah in Lebanon and a possible threat from Iran. However, as highlighted by antiwar.com and reported by Russian media Sputnik, these weapons are also being used to harm Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank.
As President, Biden has the authority to stop weapon deliveries to Israel on his own using the Leahy Law, which prohibits sending weapons that could be used to violate human rights.
Recent reports from The New York Times suggest that Joe Biden has been privately criticising Netanyahu to his staff, but this does not necessarily indicate any significant action or change.
James Carey, host of the "Left is Dead" podcast, shared his thoughts on Russian media Sputnik's The Critical Hour, comparing Biden's private criticisms of Netanyahu to empty talk of ceasefire, and suggesting they may not have any real impact.One key factor that could contribute to these conflicts is the support provided by a major world power that sends weapons to Israel. The F-16s and F-15s flying over the West Bank and Lebanon are aircraft supplied with bombs from that same world power.
We can expect to hear more strong words and calls for ceasefire, but it seems that the Democratic Party is avoiding the obvious truth that if the US stopped supplying weapons to Israel, achieving a ceasefire would be much simpler because Israel would be forced to comply.
As Biden and Harris purportedly strive for a ceasefire, the Israelis have escalated their actions in the West Bank, destroying streets and monuments in the name of counter-terrorism operations.
In the Jenin refugee camp, at least 12 Palestinians lost their lives, including an 83-year-old man, who was fatally shot by an Israeli sniper while leaving his house to buy groceries, as reported by his family.
It seems that the right-wing of Israel is attempting to expand their violent tactics to both regions.Israeli ministers are now discussing the need to relocate villagers from the West Bank, as mentioned by Carey.In that situation, the likelihood of being able to return or come back is very slim, with the chances being that it may never happen.
Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz stated that Israel would employ similar tactics in the West Bank as it does in Gaza.We need to address the threat in the same way we handle the terrorist infrastructure in Gaza, which may involve temporary evacuation of Palestinian residents and any necessary measures.
Israel disconnected water, internet, and electricity services to Jenin on Saturday, 31st August. Carey described the Israeli strategy as similar to Gaza: to demolish everything, leaving nothing for the residents to return to.
(The author of this article is a Defence, Aerospace & Political Analyst based in Bengaluru. He is also Director of ADD Engineering Components, India, Pvt. Ltd, a subsidiary of ADD Engineering GmbH, Germany. You can reach him at: girishlinganna@gmai.com)
(Disclaimer: The views expressed above are the author's own and do not reflect those of DNA)
