United States of America & Palestine
Written by: Vidur Srikrishna
Summary:
As of March 10th, a US military ship is setting off for the Middle East, specifically towards Gaza. This comes after the UN warned that food shortages are inevitable in Gaza and children are starving. Aid has been difficult and dangerous to give to Gaza, whether it be through land or air. Despite this, Jordan and the US have recently parachuted over 11,000 meals. According to the US Central Command on X (formerly known as Twitter), the ship left less than 36 hours after it was announced by President Biden. The reason for this ship going to Gaza is to create a port or pier to deliver aid by sea. According to the Pentagon, it will take up to 60 days to build it with the help of 1,000 troops. These troops would also not go onto the land. Charities say that 60 days is too long for the people in Gaza. According to the BBC, a ship carrying 200 tons of food for Gaza will be leaving from a port in Cyprus sometime soon. It is unclear how this aid will be delivered before the US pier is built. However, Oscar Camps (founder of Open Arms, to which the ship belongs) announced that a team from the World Central Kitchen (the team that provided the food to be sent to Gaza from Cyprus) had already been creating a pier.
Analysis:
This new pier has brought up many questions. According to Aljazeera, questions such as, “If Israel invades Rafah and the border crossing closes, will this port become an exit point for Palestinians?” and “Who will manage this large relief operation?” have come up. The creation of this (US) pier comes after President Biden seemed to be getting more frustrated with Prime Minister Netanyahu (February 12). He believes that the campaign in Gaza has gone too far and “over the top.” Also, according to NBC News, Biden stated that Netanyahu was impossible to deal with. This clashing between the two leaders is likely a major reason why the US is sending this ship to create the pier. Also, Biden stating that the operation has gone too far is another reason why the two are clashing. Some sources say that, in private, Biden spoke about Netanyahu in an irritated tone. Additionally, as the elections for the US are coming up soon, the president may be attempting to gain popularity, as many Americans support Palestine.
Call to Action:
Many innocent civilians have been caught in this tragic war. You can help by pressing on the donation links below. If you would like to donate, press the links and follow the steps on how to donate.
Palestine:
Islamic Relief USA – There are a few options for different areas to donate to.
Pick which area you would like to donate to (There is a short description on what supporting each does)
Select either a one-time or monthly payment
Select the amount that you would like to donate and press “Add to cart”
Input your personal information and press “Complete My Donation”
Israel:
JDC – There are two options of where to donate to: Jewish lives in Ukraine, and Israelis in the line of fire.
Select where you would like to donate. (Under the donation button, it has a link where you can see how JDC responds to emergency needs in Israel)
Put in your information and the amount you would like to donate.
Press “Donate” and put in the information that it asks for.
Select the payment method and put in your payment details.
This is a one-time donation.
