U.S. Will Not Leverage Arms Transfers to Israel to Bring About Cease-Fire
Image by Getty Images
The Obama administration will not leverage arms transfers to Israel to bring about a cease-fire, the top Pentagon spokesman said.
The arms and ammunition provided to Israel is “through a longstanding foreign military sales program,” Rear Adm. John Kirby, the Pentagon press secretary, told reporters on Saturday. “Israel is a staunch ally in that part of the world. And that program has existed for many years, and we’re supplying that material through that program.”
Kirby stressed that the United States has made it clear that it would like to see a cease-fire and an end to violence in Gaza. He added, “We respect the right for Israel to have to defend itself. And as I said before, I think the Israelis would tell you that the — and I won’t speak for them, but I think it’s safe to say that, you know, that they would like to see a return to peace, as well.
“It is made more difficult when Hamas hides behind civilian targets, deliberately puts civilians in harm’s way and indiscriminately fires rockets into Israel.”
Asked what the Department of Defense would like Israel to do to minimize civilian casualties in Gaza, Kirby responded, “I’m not going to litigate from the podium what the Israeli Defense Forces need to do operationally. We’ve made our concerns about civilian casualties known to them, concerns that Minister [Moshe] Yaalon shared himself.”
Kirby reiterated that the U.S. government has put pressure on Israel to reduce civilian casualties.
I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning journalism this Passover.
In this age of misinformation, our work is needed like never before. We report on the news that matters most to American Jews, driven by truth, not ideology.
At a time when newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall. That means for the first time in our 126-year history, Forward journalism is free to everyone, everywhere. With an ongoing war, rising antisemitism, and a flood of disinformation that may affect the upcoming election, we believe that free and open access to Jewish journalism is imperative.
Readers like you make it all possible. Right now, we’re in the middle of our Passover Pledge Drive and we still need 300 people to step up and make a gift to sustain our trustworthy, independent journalism.
Make a gift of any size and become a Forward member today. You’ll support our mission to tell the American Jewish story fully and fairly.
— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO
Join our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
Only 300 more gifts needed by April 30
