Beyond the Headlines

Can the US draw a firm red line for Israel’s military conduct?


Listen Later

Over the past year of war in Gaza, several diplomatic and humanitarian organisations, including the UN, have repeatedly accused Israel of breaching rules of military conduct. These breaches have provoked regular condemnation by governments and high-ranking officials worldwide. But amid all the words, what has been missing is concrete action against Israel.

If any authority has the power to influence Israel's actions, it is the US – its strongest ally and main source of military aid.

The death toll in Gaza has passed 42,400, with thousands more bodies thought to be buried under rubble and tens of thousands dying from indirect causes. In Lebanon, where densely populated neighbourhoods are being hit by air strikes, at least 2,300 have been killed and 1.2 million displaced.

Earlier this year, the International Court of Justice determined that it was plausible that Israel may be committing genocide. Investigators and human rights groups, including Amnesty International, have warned the US that it may be complicit in war crimes because of Israel’s unlawful use of American weapons.

In a rare development this week, a leaked document revealed US officials warning the Israeli government that future weapons shipments could be affected if the humanitarian crisis in Gaza is not addressed within 30 days. But with little having changed in the past year, and as Israel appears to defy any limits imposed on it, the question remains: will the US truly enforce any red lines?

On this episode of Beyond the Headlines, host Nada AlTaher speaks to Hala Rharrit, a former US diplomat who resigned in protest against Washington’s handling of the war. She also speaks to Mark Schwartz, a defence researcher at the RAND Corporation, to examine the White House's support for Israel. And we hear from Alex Vatanka, the founding director of the Iran programme at the Middle East Institute, on the prospects of an Israeli retaliation against Tehran.

...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

Beyond the HeadlinesBy The National News

  • 4.6
  • 4.6
  • 4.6
  • 4.6
  • 4.6

4.6

9 ratings


More shows like Beyond the Headlines

View all
Amanpour by CNN Podcasts

Amanpour

1,027 Listeners

The Documentary Podcast by BBC World Service

The Documentary Podcast

1,798 Listeners

The Interview by BBC World Service

The Interview

357 Listeners

Foreign Policy Live by Foreign Policy

Foreign Policy Live

609 Listeners

Mark Leonard's World in 30 Minutes by ECFR

Mark Leonard's World in 30 Minutes

103 Listeners

The Inquiry by BBC World Service

The Inquiry

746 Listeners

Business Extra by The National News

Business Extra

6 Listeners

The President’s Inbox by Council on Foreign Relations

The President’s Inbox

717 Listeners

Middle East Focus by Middle East Institute

Middle East Focus

65 Listeners

The Trade Guys by CSIS  |  Center for Strategic and International Studies

The Trade Guys

147 Listeners

The Take by Al Jazeera

The Take

552 Listeners

The Intelligence from The Economist by The Economist

The Intelligence from The Economist

2,552 Listeners

Books of My Life by The National News

Books of My Life

4 Listeners

Pocketful of Dirhams by The National News

Pocketful of Dirhams

1 Listeners

Recorded by The National News

Recorded

0 Listeners

Seera by The National

Seera

3 Listeners

Trending Middle East by The National News

Trending Middle East

4 Listeners

The Rachman Review by Financial Times

The Rachman Review

140 Listeners

My 2020 by The National News

My 2020

2 Listeners

The Inside Story Podcast by Al Jazeera

The Inside Story Podcast

144 Listeners

The Foreign Affairs Interview by Foreign Affairs Magazine

The Foreign Affairs Interview

445 Listeners

Year of Elections by The National News

Year of Elections

0 Listeners

Culture Bites by The National News

Culture Bites

4 Listeners

PCR : Post Covid-19 Recovery by The National News

PCR : Post Covid-19 Recovery

0 Listeners

Iraq: 20 Years On by The National News

Iraq: 20 Years On

7 Listeners

Abtal by The National News

Abtal

6 Listeners