Journalists rip into Blinken over Gaza war policy at final press conference

Several journalists have loudly lambasted US Secretary of State Antony Blinken over support for Israel's genocide in Gaza, repeatedly interrupting his final press conference. (Photo/AA)

Several journalists have loudly lambasted US Secretary of State Antony Blinken over support for Israel's genocide in Gaza, repeatedly interrupting his final press conference as he sought to defend his handling of the 15-month-old war.

Israel's genocide in Gaza is likely to define the foreign policy legacy of the outgoing Biden administration, despite a deal reached with Palestinian resistance group Hamas on Wednesday on a ceasefire in exchange for the release of prisoners.

"Criminal! Why aren't you in The Hague," shouted Sam Husseini, an independent journalist in the Thursday press conference at the State Department briefing room. The Hague is where the International Criminal Court is located.

The unusually confrontational scene in the State Department only ended when security personnel forcibly picked up Husseini and carried him out of the room as he continued to heckle Blinken.

Blinken has faced criticism for providing Israel with weapons and diplomatic to Tel Aviv which resulted in genocide of the Palestinians.

Israel's military invasion of Gaza has reportedly killed over 46,000 Palestinians, while also drawing accusations of genocide in a World Court case brought by South Africa and of war crimes and crimes against humanity at the International Criminal Court, which has issued arrest warrants for Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu and others.

Studies show the death toll documented by Palestinians is a conservative estimate and far behind the actual death toll, which could be around 200,000.

According to the medical journal The Lancet, some 186,000 may have died since Israel's invasion of Gaza began in October 2023. The Lancet also estimates that the death toll caused by direct Israeli military action in Gaza up to June 2024, was 64,260, 41 percent higher than recorded by Palestinian health officials.

The war has displaced nearly Gaza's entire 2.3 million population and drawn the concern of the world's main hunger monitor.

Blinken, who leaves office on Monday when the administration of President-elect Donald Trump takes over, calmly asked for quiet while he delivered his remarks, and later took questions from reporters.

'How does it feel to have your legacy be genocide?'

"Your father-in-law was an Israel lobbyist. Your grandfather was an Israel lobbyist. Are you compromised by Israel? Why did you allow the Holocaust of our time to happen?" Max Blumenthal, editor of the blog Grayzone, asked Blinken.

"How does it feel to have your legacy be genocide?"

"Why did you keep the bombs flowing when we had a deal in May? We all knew we had a deal. Everyone in this room knows we had a deal, Tony, and you kept the bombs flowing," Blumenthal said.

He questioned both Blinken and State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller on Israel’s war in Gaza which he said harmed "300 reporters" while he was being escorted out by security.

He has been frequently heckled at appearances in Washington since Israel's war in Gaza began. Demonstrators camped outside his Virginia home for months and repeatedly threw red paint — resembling blood — on cars carrying Blinken and his family.

Asked during the press conference if he would change anything about his dealings with Israel, Blinken said the Israeli government had carried out policies that "were basically supported by an overwhelming majority of Israelis after the trauma of October 7" and said that had to be factored into the US response.

The Biden administration had been unable to reach final determinations on individual incidents that could constitute violations of international law because Hamas embedded itself within the civilian population, he said.

"I'd also point out that in Israel itself, there are hundreds of cases that are being investigated," Blinken said.

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Source: TRT