US 'Failed' to Condemn Israeli Killing? More Like 'Facilitated'
The story focuses on former US colonel Steve Gabavics suggesting the US 'failed' by effectively encouraging Israeli impunity after the killing of Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh in May 2022. He argues that by not definitively pinning blame or seeking accountability for the Israeli bullet that ended her life, the US signaled a green light for similar actions. (One might wonder how many
green lights are needed). This 'failure' narrative neatly sidesteps the active role US policy and financial aid play in sustaining this impunity. The US provided Israel with over $3.3 billion in military aid in 2022 alone, according to the Congressional Research Service. This isn't a failure to act; it's a consistent, deliberate policy choice to fund and defend an occupying power, even when its
forces kill a prominent American citizen journalist. The State Department's 'review' of Abu Akleh's death, which concluded Israeli forces likely fired the fatal shot but found no intent, was itself a masterclass in diplomatic hand-washing. How many more 'unintended' bullets until the US government finds 'intent' in its own financing?