The United States has once again exercised an obvious double standard in its foreign policy and claims of universal human rights. By not condemning the Israeli killing of Palestinian civilians in Gaza, and vetoing proposals at the United Nations Security Council aimed at humanitarian aid, the US has continued its decades-long practice of hypocritical foreign policy. (The US has a lengthy history of protecting Israel. The US has passed 34 vetoes related to the Israel-Palestine situation since 1954.)
This hypocrisy is most transparent in the simple comparison to their adamant defense of Ukraine. The US has resolutely condemned the illegal occupation of Ukraine, while simultaneously defending Israel, which has been occupying the West Bank and Gaza strip since 1967.
Many international observers and political leaders throughout the world are seeing the inconsistency of the American application of ‘rule-based order’ as further proof of selective enforcement designed to benefit the American political hegemony at the expense of human lives in poorer countries.
It’s a common concern among political leaders that Israel will be given lighter punishments for human rights violations than those committed by other countries, like Russia, which has been subject to vast Western sanctions for its invasion of a sovereign country. However, Israel has not been sanctioned for its occupation of Gaza or its overly aggressive response to Hamas’ attacks.
The US has consistently insisted on covering its foreign policy decisions in moral virtue signaling language. The hypocrisy of these policies are a detriment to the long run health of political order, as many world leaders are painfully aware of the degree to which American foreign policy not only lies to the public, but goes further by demanding praise for the deceptive policies they enact around the globe.
As the US has become aware of its reputation as a hypocritical international bully, is has pressured the Israeli government to reverse its implementation of restricted water supply and telecommunications in Gaza to help restore its political image. However, gestures like these are unlikely to change the perception of Western hypocrisy as the casualty rate of civilians in Gaza is continually on the rise.
As of the time of this writing, over 4,000 children have been killed in the ongoing war and continual bombings in Gaza. The Israeli bombings are wreaking havoc on Gaza, indiscriminately takings lives of refugees, children, and civilians. Israeli airstrikes have hit houses near schools, hospitals, and near refugee camps.
The obvious hypocrisy of American foreign policy and insistence on the moral high ground in its political maneuvering in Gaza has become grating and tiresome. The longer the Israeli-Hamas war continues to drag on, the worse the credibility of the American government becomes.