JERUSALEM, ISRAEL — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken made the shocking accusation that Israel is “dehumanizing” at a press conference in the Israeli capital late Wednesday night.[ing]Palestinians are in Gaza because of the humanitarian damage caused by the war there.
“On October 7, Israelis were dehumanized in the most horrifying way,” Blinken said. “Since then, the hostages have been demonized every day. But that does not give us permission to dehumanize others.” He said Israel was “dehumanizing” the Palestinians. Although it offered no evidence, it seemed to suggest that the suffering of Palestinian civilians “has nothing to do with the October 7 attacks” is a form of dehumanization. “We cannot and must not lose sight of our common humanity,” Blinken declared.
The accusations, which echo those of Israel’s critics and enemies, including the International Court of Justice in The Hague, were part of a document prepared by Blinken. It wasn’t a gaffe or an off-the-cuff remark made on the spur of the moment.
Blinken spoke Wednesday about Hamas’ reaction to a U.S.-backed proposal to release the remaining Israeli hostages in exchange for a pause in the war. Hamas reportedly called for a permanent ceasefire and the release of thousands of Palestinian terrorists.
He also spoke in response to a public statement issued by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Hebrew and then English, which not only rejected Hamas’ subsequent demands but also announced that Biden would allow Hamas to continue. This appears to be a reaction against the administration’s obvious stance.
The Secretary of State appears to have framed his response as a direct response to Prime Minister Netanyahu. The Secretary of State was more than an hour late for his own press conference, keeping reporters waiting until after 10pm local time.
Blinken said there were clear “non-participants” to Hamas’s counterproposal, but he was hopeful that negotiations would move toward an agreement. He also said the United States still shares the goal of “never letting October 7 happen again,” but that barely masks the subtle shift from the goal of destroying Hamas’ military power and governance capabilities. He said the move suggests the Biden administration believes Hamas will never happen again. They are allowed to survive and can be convinced through diplomacy not to attack.
Blinken stressed the need for Israel to increase humanitarian assistance to Gaza and reduce the number of deaths there. “We urge Israel to do more to help civilians, knowing full well that it faces an enemy who will never uphold its standards.” He did not address the issue that it is believed that around 50% to 60% of humanitarian aid supplies to Iraq are confiscated by Hamas for its own use.
Blinken’s previous trips have included Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Qatar, including a visit to the West Bank on Thursday.
Asked about Netanyahu’s refusal to establish a Palestinian state as a result of the war, Blinken denied that the White House’s vision for the region was crumbling.
He argued that while a Palestinian state was a precondition for peace between Israel and Saudi Arabia before the war, and a Palestinian state was a precondition for peace after the war, peace is still possible.
However, before the war, there were reports that a Palestinian state was a White House demand, not a Saudi one.
Reacting in real time to Blinken’s remarks, conservative radio host Mark Levin called him a “traitor” to the United States.
Mr. Levin said Mr. Blinken was “attacking the only country” standing up to America’s enemy Iran in the Middle East.
Joel B. Pollack is a senior editor at Breitbart News. Breitbart News Sunday Sunday nights from 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM ET (4:00 PM to 7:00 PM PT) on Sirius XM Patriot. He is the author of the recent book, The Zionist Conspiracy (And How to Participate in It), now available on Audible. He is also the author of an e-book. Neither Free nor Fair: The 2020 US Presidential Election. He is the recipient of the 2018 Robert Novak Journalism Alumni Fellowship. Follow him on Twitter @joelpolak.
