The United States announced on Monday that five units of the Israel Defense Forces have been involved in “individual incidents of gross human rights violations.” However, it is unclear whether funding to U.S. allies for such human rights abuses will be cut under the so-called “Leahy Act,” the State Department announced Monday. The law is still unbalanced.
Vedant Patel, the State Department’s principal deputy spokesperson, told reporters that all of the human rights violations occurred before the Oct. 7 attack on southern Israel by Hamas militants, and none had occurred in Gaza. He said four of his units have been “effectively rehabilitated” and the US continues to “consult and engage with the Israeli government” on the remaining units.
“They have submitted additional information related to that unit, and we continue our dialogue in line with the Memorandum of Understanding with the Israeli government signed in 2021,” he said. “If a conclusion is drawn based on actions that fall under the jurisdiction of the Foreign Assistance Act, we will need to consult with Israeli government officials, and that is currently underway. We are moving forward with the process with them. We’re going to make some conclusions.”A final decision on that unit will be made when that process is complete.” ”
He also said that “remediation standards are consistent and the same in all countries.”
Asked by reporters, Patel acknowledged that the 5th Corps was still eligible to receive American weapons at this stage.
“When we’re talking about the Leahy Act, we’re talking about unit or component limits, and even if they’re found to be in violation, that means we’re not a state, It has nothing to do with the broader security relationship that you might have with a country in particular, like with Israel, where there is a long-standing security relationship and significant aid has been provided for many years. “There are,” Patel added.
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A senior State Department official told Fox News that Secretary of State Antony Blinken raised the issue with Israeli Defense Minister Job Gallant.
The State Department says on its website, “The term “Leahy Act” refers to the use of funds by the U.S. government to assist foreign security forces when there is credible information indicating that the forces are engaged in serious violations. “This refers to two legal provisions that prohibit doing so.” human rights. ”
Former Vermont Sen. Patrick Leahy said the U.S. does not have the means to block U.S. military aid and training to foreign security forces guilty of extrajudicial killings, rape, torture, and other flagrant human rights violations. He said it was necessary and supported enactment of what became the Leahy Act in the 1990s.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken (right) meets with Israeli Defense Minister Job Gallant in Tel Aviv, Israel, on January 9. (Elad Malka (IMoD)/Anadolu, via Getty Images)
The law requires the State Department to automatically cut off aid to military units if it finds credible evidence of serious human rights violations. The second Leahy Act says the same thing about the Department of Defense’s training of foreign troops.
According to the Associated Press, rights groups have long warned that U.S. administrations, including the Biden administration, have been trying to prevent Israeli military killings of Palestinians to avoid invoking laws aimed at making military aid conditional on the lawful conduct of foreign forces. They have accused the country of evading rigorous investigations into other allegations of abuse.
Israel is concerned that ICC may issue arrest warrant for Netanyahu, senior officials say: report
Israeli tanks move near the Gaza Strip border in southern Israel on Thursday, April 11. (AP/Tsafril Abayov)
Meanwhile, Israel says its security forces are investigating the abuses and courts are holding perpetrators accountable.
The report said the development has raised concerns among Israeli officials that the International Criminal Court could soon issue arrest warrants for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other government officials on charges related to the Gaza war. It happened while I was there.
Israeli soldiers move on top of tanks near the Israel-Gaza border, seen from southern Israel on Thursday, April 25. (AP/Leo Correa)
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The court sought an overly harsh military response to Hamas’ October 7 attack on Israel, the New York Times reported, citing Israeli and foreign officials. It is reported that government officials may be accused of obstructing the provision of services.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
