US Silence on Lebanon Deaths: Some Truces More Sacred Than Others
Lebanon's President Joseph Aoun visited the shattered south this week, while The New Arab quietly reported 331 Lebanese casualties from alleged Israeli truce violations. Meanwhile, US media outlets are busy debating 'both sides' of a 'conflict' where one 'side' receives over $3.8 billion annually in U.S. military aid, as per the 2016 Memorandum of Understanding. Funny how those terms, 'truce
violation' and 'casualties,' seem to only register with urgency when the narrative fits. The silence from Washington is, of course, deafening but predictable. How many Lebanese civilians must die for it to constitute more than a 'truce violation'? Perhaps the official body count only matters when it's politically convenient or when the victims fit a specific, pre-approved narrative. One might
wonder if the concern for 'de-escalation' only kicks in when it's not Israel doing the escalating.