Netanyahu Tells Blinken: ‘This Is Also Your War’

The Israeli leader says the ICJ can't stop his campaign in Gaza

On Saturday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he told Secretary of State Antony Blinken that the brutal campaign in Gaza that has killed nearly 24,000 Palestinians is not only an Israeli war but also an American one.

“This is not just our war – it is also your war. This is the war of the sons of light against the sons of darkness,” Netanyahu said he told Blinken when he visited Israel last week, according to a statement released by his office. “This is a war against the axis of evil led by Iran and its three proxies: Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Houthis.”

From the perspective of the Palestinians and many Arabs across the region, the slaughter in Gaza is an American war as well as an Israeli one due to the unconditional military support and political cover the US has provided. The US has also intervened directly on Israel’s behalf to bomb the Houthis in Yemen over their attacks on Israel-linked shipping in the Red Sea.

The Biden administration has expressed “concerns” about some of Israel’s tactics in Gaza but is not considering cutting off Israel or even leveraging military aid. Some US officials fear that Biden’s unconditional support is emboldening Netanyahu and could lead to a major war in Lebanon.

In his comments on Saturday, Netanyahu also took aim at South Africa’s genocide case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ). “No one will stop us, not The Hague, not the axis of evil, and not anyone else,” he said. The comments came a day after Israel presented its defense of South Africa’s charge at the ICJ.

The ruling on whether or not Israel is committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza could take years, but South Africa is asking the ICJ to order an immediate halt of Israel’s military operations, and a decision could be made in the coming weeks. Netanyahu has vowed that no matter what, the onslaught will continue.

“We are on the path to victory and we will not stop until we achieve victory,” he said. “We will not compromise and we will not stop.” Polling in Israel shows the majority of Israelis want Netanyahu to step down after the war, giving him the incentive to continue the slaughter for as long as possible.

Author: Dave DeCamp

Dave DeCamp is the news editor of Antiwar.com, follow him on Twitter @decampdave.