Trump must force Israel to end ‘campaign of mass killing’: Rights group
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) says Israel’s continued bombardment of Gaza – despite Trump’s call to stop the bombings – means Netanyahu “wants to prolong the genocide and thwart a permanent ceasefire agreement”.
“President Trump must move beyond rhetoric and immediately use every diplomatic, political, and economic tool available – including conditioning US military aid – to end this campaign of mass killing and finalize the permanent ceasefire deal on the table,” CAIR said in a statement.
“Our government cannot continue to fund and defend a rogue regime engaged in what the world recognizes as a genocide. President Trump should hold Israel accountable now – before more innocent lives are needlessly taken.”
The US has provided billions of dollars in military assistance to Israel since the country began its war on Gaza in October 2023.
Like his predecessor Joe Biden, Trump has rejected calls to suspend that funding in light of atrocities committed by Israeli forces against Palestinians, including war crimes.
Key question is whether Trump will remain engaged on Gaza
Matt Duss, executive vice president at the Center for International Policy think tank, says Trump has “staked some of his credibility” on getting a Gaza ceasefire, securing the release of the Israeli captives and funnelling aid into the Strip.
He noted that the US is the only country in the world that can apply enough pressure on Israel to make any of that happen.
“Benjamin Netanyahu in particular has shown a great ability to withstand pressure from his own domestic politics, withstand pressure from European partners, but he understands that he must stay in the good graces of President Donald Trump,” Duss told Al Jazeera.
“And now, Trump has made clear that he wants this ceasefire to happen, for the war to end. So, that’s what Netanyahu has to contend with right now.”
But Duss said a major question is whether Trump will remain engaged on Gaza. “Will he be distracted by some other issue, either in foreign affairs or domestic affairs? Obviously, [there is] a lot going on around the world and in the United States,” he said.
“But a very key question right now is will Trump remain engaged here, press the parties to move forward and particularly, will he continue to put pressure on Netanyahu … to make his commitment to end the war a real thing instead of just words?”
