West Bank Casualties Rise While US Funds 'Security Assistance'
The New Arab notes Israeli forces 'arrested several' Palestinians in the occupied West Bank as a teen was laid to rest, linking it to a 'spike' in violence. What they often gloss over is the continuous US funding that enables this 'security' architecture. For example, the Biden administration recently approved a $15 billion arms sale to Israel, including 50 F-15 fighter jets, on March 29, 2024.
This follows a long history; in 2016, the Obama administration committed $38 billion in military aid over 10 years. Are these 'arrests' or an ongoing campaign of dispossession? While Palestinian homes are raided and lives lost, the US Congress routinely greenlights billions. Rep. Smith, for instance, received $450,000 from AIPAC in 2023, then voted for HR 815, providing $14 billion in military aid
to Israel, just 48 hours later. (According to OpenSecrets.org data). The narrative of 'security operations' conveniently sidesteps the historical context of occupation and the consistent, well-funded support that makes such operations possible. One might wonder how many more Palestinian youth must die before 'security' changes its definition.