Crimes in Gaza: “This Israeli government is not our ally”

Pressure is growing on the radical nationalist-militant government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu – both within Israel itself and among its closest allies in the United States. The Israeli newspaper Haaretz wrote in a sensational editorial on Friday: "On Tuesday, the Israeli Air Force killed nine children between the ages of three and 14. The Israeli military said the target was a 'Hamas command and control center' and that 'measures were taken to reduce the risk of harming innocent civilians.'"

The newspaper analyzes: "We can continue to ignore the number of Palestinians killed in the Gaza Strip—more than 52,000, including some 18,000 children; we can question the credibility of the figures and use all the mechanisms of repression, denial, apathy, distancing, normalization, and justification. None of this will change the bitter fact: Israel killed them. Our hands did it. We must not look away. We must wake up and cry out loudly: Stop the war!"

Thomas Friedman, a New York Times columnist widely read in Washington government circles and author of numerous important books on Israel, picked up on Haaretz's editorial and drafted a letter addressed directly to the American president. Friedman wrote to Donald Trump under the headline "This Israeli government is not our ally," arguing that the "ultranationalist, messianic Israeli government" is "the first government in Israel's history whose priority is not peace with other Arab neighbors and the benefits of greater security and coexistence." Its priority, he said, is "the annexation of the West Bank, the expulsion of Palestinians from Gaza, and the restoration of Israeli settlements."

Now things could "get even worse": "Netanyahu is preparing another invasion of Gaza to squeeze the Palestinian population there into a tiny corner—with the Mediterranean Sea on one side and the Egyptian border on the other—while simultaneously pushing ahead with the de facto annexation of the West Bank ever faster and more comprehensively. In doing so, he risks further war crimes accusations against Israel." Netanyahu expects Trump to protect him from prosecution.

Military expert Amos Harel explains in Haaretz what the consequences are if Netanyahu's plans persist: "As the army will try to minimize casualties, analysts expect a particularly aggressive deployment that will cause massive damage to Gaza's remaining civilian infrastructure. The displacement of the population to humanitarian camps, along with the ongoing shortage of food and medicine, could lead to further mass civilian deaths. More Israeli leaders and officers could face personal trials."

Trump must rein in Netanyahu. Friedman: "Otherwise, you have to prepare for this looming reality: Your Jewish grandchildren will be the first generation of Jewish children to grow up in a world where the Jewish state is a pariah state."

Trump also seems to be no longer comfortable with the brutality of the Israeli government: He ordered that the Israelis not block American aid shipments to the starving population in Gaza. On his trip to the Middle East, Trump is giving Israel a wide berth. According to Israeli media, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth canceled his inaugural visit to Netanyahu.

There appears to be a new sense of reflection in Berlin as well: "Germany's new Chancellor recognizes the reality of Netanyahu's deadly plan for Gaza and the hostages," writes Haaretz. Israeli President Yitzhak Herzog is expected in Berlin on Sunday. He will return to Israel on Tuesday with Federal President Steinmeier. Monday marks the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Germany and Israel. Left Party leader Jan van Aken demanded that Steinmeier clearly distance himself from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu: "A mere friendly visit to an internationally wanted war criminal like Netanyahu must not be allowed," van Aken said in an interview, according to AFP.