US Muslim group urges Blinken to resign over refusal to sanction Israeli army unit
The Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR) says the US secretary of state has “knowingly violated US law by backtracking” on plans to sanction the Netzah Yehuda battalion over rights abuse allegations.
The Israeli military unit “has clearly committed gross human rights violations using US weapons”, CAIR Deputy Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell said in a statement.
“Secretary Blinken’s cowardly, morally reprehensible and blatantly illegal decision confirms what numerous State Department whistleblowers have said: he is disregarding the conclusions of career diplomats, as well as experts on federal and international law,” Mitchell said.
“Secretary Blinken is now as much of a war criminal as the war criminal he will continue to arm, Israeli defense minister Gallant, and he should resign his office in disgrace.”
As we reported earlier, the State Department said today that Netzah Yehuda could continue to receive US security assistance after Washington determined – based on information provided by Israel – that alleged violations carried out by the unit had been “effectively remediated”.
‘Everything is legitimate’: Israeli leaders defend soldiers accused of rape
Video verified by Al Jazeera has emerged of a gang rape of a Palestinian prisoner by Israeli guards at the Sde Teiman detention facility in Israel’s southern Negev desert. The video has shocked many within Israeli society, while rights groups and the UN have voiced concerns about Israel’s treatment of Palestinian prisoners. However, for some, including Israel’s far-right finance minister, the outrage has centred on the “crime” of recording the video, rather than the alleged rape itself.
Protesters wave Israeli flags in support of soldiers being questioned for detainee abuse outside of the Sde Teiman military base, July 29
