Bloody fingerprints

Blood is on our hands. We send bombs. We send jets. We send tanks and guns and body armor. We send money for whatever military supplies they want. We give our blessing, and they use it to carry out a genocide.

“History has taught us when terrorists don’t pay a price for their terror… they cause more chaos and death and more destruction,” our President told us. And though he was speaking of Hamas, he could have been speaking of Israel. A terrorist is “a person who uses unlawful violence and intimidation, especially against civilians, in the pursuit of political aims,” and how else can we describe Israel’s actions? And what do they call countries who fund terrorism? State sponsors? What else can we label the United States except the largest state sponsor of terrorism in history?

Blood is on our hands. Who can push back against this claim? The United States can, but only because we write the international rules. We veto every UN resolution that alludes to Israeli responsibility for their horrendous acts. We did not support the push for a sustained ceasefire nor a condemnation of attacks on Palestinian and Israeli citizens.

There are many humanitarian crises around the world, and they all deserve our attention. Congo. Sudan. Yemen. Venezuela. Our fingerprints are on many of these.

But our clearest responsibility is found in Palestine. If Israel holds the murder weapon, we have acted as weapon supplier, lookout, and defense attorney. They are culpable for their choices. And we share in that culpability.

Blood is on our hands.