Progressives are upset with Secretary of State Antony Blinken over a tweet in which Blinken proclaimed a “strong commitment to Israel” in light of the International Criminal Court’s announcement of an investigation into the events that took place between the Jewish state and the Palestinians .
The ICC released details of the investigation on Wednesday, saying it was examining acts committed by both sides of what it called “Situation in Palestine” as of June 13, 2014 – the day after Israeli teenagers Naftali Frenkel, Eyal Yifrah and Gilad Sha’er was kidnapped in the West Bank before he was killed.
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“The United States is firmly opposed to a @IntlCrimCourt investigation into the Palestinian situation, “Blinken said on Wednesday.” We will continue to maintain our strong commitment to Israel and its security, including opposing actions that target Israel unjustly. “
Blinken’s statement was met with criticism from the left.
Bernie Sanders’ former campaign advisor, Winnie Wong, questioned Blinken’s use of the phrase “Palestinian situation”, despite being similar to the ICC’s terminology.
The Wisconsin Green Party said Blinken’s formulation was “The Biden administration speaks in favor of apartheid, illegal military occupation and brutal war crimes financed by billions of US taxpayers’ dollars sent to Israel by Democrats and Republicans as millions of American children don’t have enough food. “
Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., An open critic of Israel, attacked the content of Blinken’s statement, saying that the ICC “has the authority and duty to investigate independently and impartially and do justice to victims of human rights violations.” human rights and war crimes in Palestine and Israel “and that” the US government “must not interfere in its ability to do so.”
Left-wing writer and analyst Peter Beinart took a more sarcastic approach to his response.
“Now that we have resolved this, I would like to return to my previously programmed comments on the emphasis that the Biden government places on human rights,” he tweeted.
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The ICC’s report on its preliminary findings alleged that Israel may have committed war crimes through “disproportionate attacks on at least three incidents” and alleged “transfer of Israeli civilians to the West Bank”. It also references alleged crimes related to clashes with protesters on Israel’s Gaza border in 2018.
The ICC report points to possible war crimes committed by Hamas and “Palestinian armed groups” based on allegations that include “intentionally targeted attacks on civilians and civilian objects”, “using protected people as shields”, “intentional murder” and ” torture or inhuman treatment. “
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu criticized the ICC’s decision to investigate as “undiluted anti-Semitism and the height of hypocrisy”.
“Without any jurisdiction, he decided that our brave soldiers, who take every precaution to prevent civilian deaths from the world’s worst terrorists who deliberately target civilians, are our soldiers who are war criminals,” Netanyahu said in a statement.
The office of the president of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, said it “welcomed the decision”, according to Israel’s Ynet News.