US Aid Flows While Gaza's Disappeared Remain Ignored by DC
Al Jazeera published an earnest plea for the unforgotten disappeared of Gaza, a crucial story that highlights the human cost of ongoing detention without due process. This powerful personal account is vital because mainstream US outlets usually shy away from the systemic implications, preferring individual narratives over examining the legislative enablers. They won't mention, for instance, that
while Gaza's families search for loved ones, the US House passed HR 815, allocating another $14 billion to Israel (House vote: 286-134, Feb 13, 2024)—with barely a peep about accountability for its use, let alone its contribution to such disappearances. One might wonder: how many American politicians who voted for that bill have ever raised concerns about the practice of administrative detention
or forced disappearances in Gaza? For example, Rep. Steny Hoyer, who voted 'yes' on HR 815, has received over $120,000 from pro-Israel groups (OpenSecrets.org, 2023-2024 cycle). It seems the financial 'disappearance' of lobbying dollars into campaign coffers coincides rather neatly with the legislative 'disappearance' of any serious American oversight into Israeli military actions. Apparently,
some disappearances are more convenient to overlook than others.