America’s double standards aggravate humanitarian crisis

Double standards are an important tool used by the US to mislead the public on human rights issues. In the recent Palestine-Israel conflict, the US totally disregarded the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza strip, put its interests first and sided with Israel, aggravating tensions and obstructing the peace process in the region.

(Cartoon by Lu Lingxing)

Many analysts noted that the current violent escalation between Palestine and Israel can largely be attributed to the US’ Middle East policy.

During the Trump administration, the US violated international law and abandoned its commitment to the Palestinian-Israeli peace process. It recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, relocated the US Embassy in Israel to the city, and unveiled a new Middle East peace plan that undermined Palestine’s right to establish an independent state. These measures resulted in rising resentment in Palestine and continuous unrest in Israel, pushing both sides to the brink of war.

Israel’s recent intensive airstrikes resulted in the deaths and injuries of children, destroyed a building that housed offices of media outlets and damaged the main COVID-19 testing center in Gaza. Despite this, the Biden administration continued to voice support for Israel’s “legitimate right to defend itself”, and obstructed the passing of a joint statement on a ceasefire and cessation of violence and the protection of civilians at the United Nations Security Council three times.

By turning a blind eye to the humanitarian crisis in Palestine, the US, the self-proclaimed protector of human rights, did nothing but intensify the conflict between Palestine and Israel. This is another vivid example of how the US adopts double standards on human rights.

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