12th October, 2023
By Kazeem Ugbodaga
US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken says the United States will always support Israel at all times no matter the situation.
Blinken met with Israel Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday following Hamas’ attack on Israel which has so far claimed the lives of thousands of people in Israel.
The resultant declaration of war and bombing of Gaza by Israel has claimed the lives of over 1,300 Palestinians.
Blinken condemned Hamas attack on Israel, saying “This was just one of Hamas’s countless acts of terror – in a litany of brutality and inhumanity that, yes, brings to mind the worst of ISIS. Babies slaughtered. Bodies desecrated. Young people burned alive. Women raped. Parents executed in front of their children, children in front of their parents. How are we even to understand this, to digest this?
“And yet, at the same time – at the same time that we’ve been shocked by the depravity of Hamas, we’ve also been inspired by the bravery of Israel’s citizens: the grandfather, who drove over an hour to a kibbutz under siege, armed only with a pistol, and rescued his kids and grandkids; the mother who died shielding her teenage son with her body, giving her life to save his, giving him life for a second time; the volunteer security teams on the kibbutzes, who swiftly rallied to defend their friends and neighbors, despite being heavily outnumbered.”
Blinken added: “The message that I bring to Israel is this: You may be strong enough on your own to defend yourself – but as long as America exists, you will never, ever have to. We will always be there, by your side.
“That’s the message that President Biden delivered to the prime minister from the moment this crisis began. It’s the message that I and my other colleagues in the government have delivered to our Israeli counterparts on a daily – even an hourly – basis.
“It’s the message that I bring with me to our discussions today, and it’s what I’ll affirm when I meet with the members of Israel’s newly formed national emergency government. We welcome the government’s creation and the unity and resolve that it reflects across Israel’s society.”
The Secretary of State said the US had delivered on its promise by supplying ammunition, interceptors to replenish Israel’s Iron Dome, alongside other defense material.
“The first shipments of U.S. military support have already arrived in Israel, and more is on the way. As Israel’s defense needs evolve, we will work with Congress to make sure that they’re met. And I can tell you there is overwhelming – overwhelming – bipartisan support in our Congress for Israel’s security.
“Here in Israel, and everywhere, we will reaffirm the crystal-clear warning that President Biden issued yesterday to any adversary – state or non-state – thinking of taking advantage of the current crisis to attack Israel: Don’t. The United States has Israel’s back.
“We’ve deployed the world’s largest aircraft carrier to the Eastern Mediterranean. We’ve bolstered the presence of U.S. fighter aircraft in the region. We’re providing other support as well. We continue working closely with Israel to secure the release of the men, women, children, elderly people taken hostage by Hamas,” he added.
Blinken stated that the US is pursuing intensive diplomacy throughout the region to prevent the conflict from spreading, saying he would be doing that over the course his trip in the coming days.
“Too often in the past, leaders have equivocated in the face of terrorist attacks against Israel and its people. That’s why we’ve been adamant with all countries in the wake of these attacks: There is no excuse, there is no justification for these atrocities.
“You heard the prime minister say it. This is – this must be – a moment for moral clarity. The failure to unambiguously condemn terrorism puts at risk not only people in Israel, but people everywhere. Look at what just happened. Individuals from 36 countries killed or missing in the aftermath of Hamas’s attacks. Europe, Asia, Africa, the Americas – no region has escaped Hamas’s bloody reach.
“Anyone who wants peace and justice must condemn Hamas’s reign of terror. We know Hamas doesn’t represent the Palestinian people or their legitimate aspirations to live with equal measures of security, freedom, justice, opportunity, and dignity.
“We know Hamas – instead of promoting the well-being of its citizens – rules repressively and dedicates the resources it has to terror tunnels and rockets. We know Hamas didn’t commit its heinous acts with the interests of the Palestinian people in mind. We know Hamas does not stand for the future that Palestinians want for themselves and for their children. Hamas has only one agenda: to destroy Israel and to murder Jews,” he said.
No country can or would tolerate the slaughter of its citizens – or simply return to the conditions that allowed it to take place. Israel has the right – indeed, the obligation – to defend itself and to ensure that this never happens again.
Blinken, however, said Israel must ensure that in its war against Hamas, “it’s so important to take every possible precaution to avoid harming civilians. And that’s why we mourn the loss of every innocent life, civilians of every faith, every nationality, who have been killed.
“Tragically, the number of innocent lives claimed by Hamas’s heinous attacks continues to rise. Among those, we now know that at least 25 American citizens were killed. We join families in Israel, in the United States, around the world in mourning their immeasurable loss.”
Israeli Prime Minister, Netanyahu thanked the US for its support since the crisis started.
“Mr. Secretary, your visit is another tangible example of America’s unequivocal support for Israel. Hamas has shown itself to be an enemy of civilization.
“The massacring of young people in an outdoor music festival; the butchering of entire families; the murder of parents in front of their children and the murder of children in front of their parents; the burning of people alive; the beheadings; the kidnappings – of a young boy – not only kidnapped, molested, hurt, attacked; and the sickening display of celebrating these horrors, the celebration and glorification of evil.
“President Biden was absolutely correct in calling this “sheer evil.” Hamas is ISIS, and just as ISIS was crushed, so too will Hamas be crushed. And Hamas should be treated exactly the way ISIS was treated. They should be spit out from the community of nations. No leader should meet them. No country should harbor them. And those that do should be sanctioned.”
According to Netanyahu, “There will be many difficult days ahead, but I have no doubt that the forces of civilization will win. And the reason that’s true is because we understand what is the first prerequisite of victory. It’s what you just said in our meeting: moral clarity. This is a time – a particular time, a special time – that we must stand tall, proud, and united against evil.”