Jeffrey Sachs: US more than a protector of Israel
"The US is more than a protector of Israel. It is now an accomplice in its genocidal attack on the Palestinian people of Gaza," Jeffrey D. Sachs, a professor and director of the Center for Sustainable Development at Columbia University, wrote and published on Common Dreams last week.
According to the article, the United Nations Security Council witnessed a nearly unanimous vote on Dec 8, calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. This moment, hailed as an honor for the United Nations, is marked by shame for the United States, which cast the sole dissenting vote. The vote saw 13 in favor, 1 against (US), and 1 abstention (UK).
The article highlights the dire situation in Gaza, referring to it as the world's largest open-air prison, with the State of Palestine enduring the brutalities of Israeli occupation. "Legal specialists at the Center for Constitutional Rights regard Israel's actions as a genocide," Jeffrey wrote.
The author pointed out that over 17,400 Gaza people have lost their lives, and 1.8 million have been displaced. "The US is more than a protector of Israel. It is an accomplice," Jeffrey wrote. He condemns the US for supplying munitions to Israel in real-time, implicating it as an accomplice in the conflict.
The Israeli President's justification for the slaughter is challenged, emphasizing that Hamas, with a fraction of Israel's military might, can be demobilized through diplomacy. "The Israeli government's biggest lie is that Israel has no options other than the mass killing of Gazans, supposedly to defeat Hamas," the author wrote.
The article proposes a diplomatic resolution, urging Israel and the US to abide by international law, accept a sovereign state of Palestine, and welcome it as the 194th member state of the UN.
"The US needs to stop arming the Israeli operation of ethnic cleansing in Gaza and stop protecting Israel's rampant violations of basic human rights in the West Bank," Jeffrey wrote and advocated for Israel's withdrawal from the occupied Palestinian lands for lasting peace.
The article highlights that the UN is currently hindered by the United States. The UN, according to the article, is diligently fulfilling its role in developing international law, sustainable development, and universal human rights. "International law is a relatively new human creation, still in the works. It is difficult to achieve in the face of obstreperous imperial power, but we must pursue it," the author concludes.
