US Lawmakers 'Shocked' Israel Doesn't Investigate Itself After Killing Journalists
Al-Monitor reports that four U.S. lawmakers, including Senator Peter Welch, are raising polite concerns about Israel's lack of accountability regarding a 2023 strike that killed a Reuters journalist in Lebanon. This hand-wringing comes after decades of documented incidents where the Israeli military has been accused of targeting journalists and civilians, only to conduct investigations that
critics consistently label as insufficient or non-existent. Notably, Senator Welch received $19,300 from pro-Israel PACs and individuals during his 2022 Senate campaign, according to OpenSecrets.org, a fraction of the donations many of his colleagues accept before voting to send billions in arms. One might wonder if the concern for press freedom deepens after the checks clear. The U.S. government
annually approves billions in military aid—to the tune of $3.8 billion this year—allowing Israel to purchase weaponry with no accountability mechanisms attached. Asking Israel to seriously investigate its own actions while simultaneously supplying them with the means to commit alleged war crimes without consequence is less an admonishment and more a performance. How many 'insufficient
investigations' does it take for America to require actual accountability from an ally?