After the State Department tries to sweep journalist Shireen Abu Akleh’s killing under the rug ahead of Biden’s visit to Israel by saying it can tell nothing from the bullet, her family dismisses the statement as “CSI-style forensics” designed to reach the “political” conclusion that an Israeli soldier did not intentionally target her, but was going after terrorists. Meanwhile the Israelis refuse to release evidence and demand a complete whitewash.
Israel has shown contempt for the idea of accountability in the killing of Palestinian American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, refusing to share its information with the many press investigations that have found that an Israeli soldier killed Abu Akleh. And yet the U.S. State Department goes along with this farce, saying Israel is capable of a “transparent” and “thorough” inquiry that culminates in accountability. At least one reporter mocks the idea.
Abby Martin Questions Blinken U.S. lawmakers continue to call for an independent investigation into the…
Two congressional letters to the Biden administration on the ethnic cleansing in Masafer Yatta show the differences within the Democratic Party when it comes to Palestine.
The American government continues to express faith in Israel’s ability to investigate the killing of Palestinian-American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, but the good news is there is widespread contempt for such credulity. On MSNBC, Mehdi Hasan interviewed Shireen’s niece, Lina Abu Akleh, who said of State Department statements: “How many Americans have to be killed for the Biden administration to act?” While NBC’s Raf Sanchez documented that Israel buried any investigation of its killing of journalist Yaser Murtaja in 2018.
The Biden administration has dropped any sense of urgency when it comes to demanding an investigation for the killing of Shireen Abu Akleh, even if they won’t admit it.
The Biden administration says it is shocked by Shireen Abu Akleh’s death, and wants an investigation. But they’re not going to launch their own, and they will presumably be skeptical of any outside human rights group that does. They have confidence in Israel to investigate itself, but it will take them months, possibly years, to develop a position on its findings. A special relationship indeed.
“Doing and saying nothing just enables more killings”: Rep. Rashida Tlaib calls for action after killing of Palestinian journalist Shireen Abu Akleh
The new Israeli government this week moved forward on plans to build 3000 more settlement units in the West Bank; and yesterday the State Department issued its strongest opposition to the plans since Joe Biden took office, calling the plans “unacceptable.” The State Department spokesperson said yesterday the U.S. “strongly” opposes the expansion of settlements.
As the death toll rises in Gaza, the Biden administration is blocking the release of a United Nations Security Council statement calling for a ceasefire.