“More than eight months into Israel’s execution of genocide, ethnic cleansing and collective punishment against the Palestinian people in Gaza, we continue to see American political and military leaders, active and retired, as well as American media, continue to ignore, apologize for or celebrate Israeli war crimes. This past weekend’s raid by Israel that freed four hostages, while reportedly killing three others, was carried out with mass bombings and shellings of civilian homes and a market that killed more than 250 Palestinians and wounded approximately 700. Clear violations of the Geneva Convention by Israel’s attack, to which both Israel and the US are signatories, include disregarding proportionality and distinction by deliberately targeting civilians and the use of perfidy to disguise its forces as non-combatants.

More than not, it seems calls highlighting these war crimes are disregarded or derided in US political, military and media commentary. Most prominently, the White House national security spokesperson Admiral John Kirby smugly asserts “we did the same thing” when asked about Israeli war crimes. 

It must be reminded that those who set in place the modern international laws that define war crimes were the men who defeated Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan. 

Those ignoring and mocking those who are denouncing Israel for its war crimes need to remember who set these laws in the first place and why they did so. These were leaders and generals who ended occupations and won wars, rather than carried out occupations and lost wars, something that can’t be said for American political and military leaders in near living memory. 

Comparing these generations of American leaders explains a great deal as to the US’ current global decline, increasing isolation, and reckless decision making.