Kerry then issued a statement that is one-sided. Hamas is to blame for everything. It brought the missiles down on schools. Excerpt:
"After the horrific loss of life in this attack [on the Israeli soldiers] and its aftermath, it would be a tragedy if this outrageous attack leads to more suffering and loss of life on both sides of this conflict. I have been in close touch with Prime Minister Netanyahu, with UN Special Coordinator Robert Serry and with other regional partners. The international community must now redouble its efforts to end the tunnel and rocket attacks by Hamas terrorists on Israel and the suffering and loss of civilian life."
Yousef Munayyer points out that the U.S. has the ability to rein in Israel and it is doing nothing but talking about heartbreaking images of civilian slaughter:
"This week, as the United States was condemning the Israeli shelling of a UN school where 17 Palestinian civilians were killed, President Obama simultaneously announced the United States would open its arms caches to Israel and provide artillery that would help Israeli tanks reload and fire again on civilians. President Obama says he is heartbroken over the scenes in Gaza. If that is true, it is disappointing because that means the President is well aware of the horrors in Gaza, which he personally can do something to stop, and yet he still fails to do so." (Source: Institute for Middle East Understanding)
The only good thing about all this is the American exposure. The world is amazed at our insensitivity to atrocities. Latin America is up in arms. And the U.S. is hogtied. We need a two-state solution (as Terry Weber says) -- Israel and the U.S. becoming separate countries.
Update: To grasp the cynicism of the Obama administration on this question (and surely the cynicism of every American administration) consider this report from Barbara Starr of CNN two days ago.
Chemi Shalev @ChemiShalevFollow
CNN's Barbara Starr: "growing horror and criticism' in administration at Israel and civilian casualties in Gaza
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