President Joe Biden has called the over 20,000 Palestinian deaths from 75 days of Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip “tragic,” while Secretary of State Antony Blinken says Israel’s military will be expected to shift to a “lower-intensity phase” of its assault on the territory. Phyllis Bennis, author and fellow at the Institute for Policy Studies, says Biden must move from protecting and funding Israel’s war crimes to holding Israel accountable. “There’s no way that Israel feels compelled to respond to that until the requests become requirements, and the requirements come with conditions that make a difference,” says Bennis. At the United Nations Security Council, the U.S. continues to delay and threaten to veto measures calling for a ceasefire after days of negotiations. “Not only is the U.S. isolated at the United Nations, but the Biden administration, on this issue, is massively isolated within the United States itself,” says Bennis.
This content originally appeared on Democracy Now! and was authored by Democracy Now!.