Ceasefire 'Phase One': The One Where Israel Still Gets Billions?
Mainstream outlets tout a 'first phase' Gaza ceasefire, implying progress without detailing the full cost. Meanwhile, the U.S. House just greenlit another $14.3 billion in aid to Israel (H.R. 7217, Nov 2, 2023), barely a blip in their narrative of diplomacy. Senator Chuck Schumer, who recently lectured Netanyahu, received a career total of $1,059,516 from pro-Israel groups, according to
OpenSecrets.org data, including $105,450 from AIPAC in 2022 alone. One might wonder if 'ceasefire' means anything when the arms pipeline remains wide open. This 'first phase' talk is a well-worn script, designed to create an illusion of peace while maintaining the status quo of military supremacy—a playbook refined since the Oslo Accords. When politicians talk about 'both sides,' they rarely
mention that one side is perpetually equipped with U.S. taxpayer dollars. How many 'phases' of negotiation are needed before human lives are valued over military contracts?