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SvennoJ on 11 August 2024
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‘Arms embargo now’, says Uncommitted Movement after Harris speech

The Uncommitted Movement in the US that has been refusing to vote to show displeasure with Washington’s handling of the war on Gaza believes an arms embargo is the only way to show support for Palestinian civilians.

“Being pro-ceasefire must mean committing to not send another bomb dropped on Palestinians in Gaza,” the movement said in a post on X.

This comes after Kamala Harris told pro-Palestinian demonstrators in a rally speech that “now is the time” to achieve a ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement amid the latest US push, as the administration prepares to send more funds to Israel to purchase weapons.

Israel will never ‘negotiate in good faith’

The Palestine mission to the UN wrote in a letter to the Security Council that the Israeli military has committed “another massacre of displaced civilians” following the attack on a school in Gaza.

“The Security Council cannot remain paralysed waiting for Israel to suddenly decide to respect international law when it is loudly telling and showing the world that it does not respect the Charter,” reads the letter.

Ambassador Riyad Mansour wrote that by now it should be clear that “Israel does not want a ceasefire and will never negotiate in good faith”.

“Stop this Israeli genocide on the Palestinian people. Stop this illegal, immoral, criminal occupation and its savage attempts to exterminate our people.”

Israel’s finance minister hits back at White House criticism

Bezalel Smotrich has responded to the White House’s criticism of his opposition to a ceasefire deal.

In a post on X, the far-right minister wrote: “I respect the US position and thank them for their support of Israel against regional threats, but I expect them to respect Israeli democracy.

“Just as the US would reject international pressure to reach a surrender agreement with al-Qaeda and Osama bin Laden, Israel will not yield to external pressure that compromises its security. A surrender agreement with Sinwar that abandons most hostages to death, releases mass murderers, allows the return of terrorists to the north of the Gaza Strip, abandons the border and allows Hamas to smuggle weapons and restore its strength in order to return and attack Israel, is bad for Israel and endangers its security. And we will oppose it with all our strength. No amount of criticism or attacks will distract me from this goal.”

The statement came after the White House issued a rare rebuke of Smotrich on Friday for levelling “ridiculous charges” against a US-led ceasefire proposal and calling his arguments against the deal “dead wrong”.