The State Department has carved out loopholes for Israel that give the close American ally a pass on U.S. law that restricts aid to foreign militaries over human rights abuses, a lawsuit from a group of Palestinians in Gaza and American relatives asserts Tuesday.
WASHINGTON —
Secretary of State Antony Blinken has denied that the department has given Israel a pass. “Do we have a double standard? The answer is no," he said in April. The department didn’t immediately comment Tuesday. Charles Blaha, a former State Department official who helped oversee reviews under the Leahy law, argued that enforcing the law for Israel would have prevented much of the harm that civilians in Gaza are suffering.
Two former Senate staffers, Tim Reiser and Stephen Rickard, were instrumental in crafting the law named for former Democratic Sen. Patrick Leahy and said the rising death toll in Gaza warranted the court case. It accuses State Department officials under President Joe Biden of creating a series of high barriers when vetting Israel's military for Leahy law violations. Former State officials, including Blaha, have accused the U.S. of effectively exempting Israel from enforcement, and the lawsuit offers some details for the first time.
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