Blinken ignoring department proposal to cut aid to 'Israel' : Report
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The special committee of the State Department, known as the Israel Leahy Vetting Forum, suggests Blinken exclude Israeli military and police from receiving American assistance and aid.
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US Secretary of State Antony Blinken attends a meeting on the sidelines of the G7 Foreign Ministers meeting on Capri Island, Italy, Friday, April 19, 2024. (AP)
The New York-based ProPublica news site cited current and former American officials, reporting that US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has failed to act on a proposal put forward by a special panel at his department to cut aid to "Israel" for human rights violations against Palestinians.
Back in December, the special committee of the State Department, known as the Israel Leahy Vetting Forum, suggested Blinken exclude Israeli military and police from receiving American assistance.
“They’ve been sitting in his [Blinken’s] briefcase since then”, the report said.
The proposal was written after the special committee, made up of Middle East and human rights experts, reviewed multiple cases of human rights violations and killings at the hands of "Israel" against Palestinians in Gaza and the occupied West Bank, even before October 7th.
The Biden administration has imposed sanctions on two illegal Israeli outposts and three settlers for undermining stability in the occupied West Bank as it urged "Israel" to act more to prevent settler violence, which the US claims is an obstacle to peace in the region.
With these moves, sanctioning countries almost always play the card of drawing an allegedly distinct line between Israeli settlers and "extremist settlers".
Read next: UN: 'Unlawful killings' of Palestinians in West Bank, al-Quds must end
US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller claimed that the US would continue to take action against those engaging in extremist violence and threatening peace and security in the occupied West Bank.
Another plea
Earlier this month, a joint letter was penned by 40 members of the US Congress, among them former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and directed to US President Joe Biden and Blinken as a plea to stop the transfer of weapons to "Israel" following the strike on the World Central Kitchen convoy that killed 7 workers.
It stated, "We write to express our shared concern and outrage regarding the recent Israeli airstrike which killed seven World Central Kitchen aid workers, including an American citizen. In light of this incident, we strongly urge you to reconsider your recent decision to authorize the transfer of a new arms package to Israel, and to withhold this and any future offensive arms transfers until a full investigation into the airstrike is completed".
It called for future military deliveries to "Israel", including already authorized transfers, to be "subject to conditions to ensure it is used in compliance with U.S. and international law."
Blinken has warned of a shift in US policy regarding the Israeli genocide in Gaza, if "Israel" continues carrying out its military operation while neglecting civilian safety and protection.
"With regard to our policy in Gaza, if we don't see the changes that we need to see, there'll be changes in our policy".
Meanwhile, White House spokesperson John Kirby echoed Blinken's warning, claiming that there will be consequences from the American side. However, when asked if US military aid to "Israel" would be halted as part of those consequences, Kirby refrained from responding.
