Gaza killings leave US and Israel isolated

Washington’s allies call on Israel to restrain its forces after dozens of Palestinian protesters are killed in Gaza.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife Sara at the opening ceremony of the new US embassy in Jerusalem. Picture: AP

Washington’s allies in Europe and the Middle East criticised the US yesterday for opening an embassy in Jerusalem and called on Israel to restrain its forces after dozens of Palestinian protesters were killed in clashes.

The episode marked the latest point of discord to emerge ­between the US and many of its major partners after Washington withdrew from the nuclear deal with Iran last week.

The Trump administration defended and celebrated its decision to move the embassy and refused to criticise Israel’s use of force, ­instead blaming the Palestinian group Hamas for the bloodshed.

The political and militant group helped organise the protests, which started several weeks ago, to call for the right of refugees to return to what is now Israel.

Israeli officials said they were defending their borders from Hamas, saying the group was using the protests as a pretext to stage an attack into Israel. Many protesters attempted to breach the fence, using explosive devices, firebombs and flaming kites, the ­Israeli military said.

The strongest criticism came from Britain and France. Both condemned the violence and ­expressed their opposition to the embassy opening.

“There has got to be restraint in the use of live rounds,” British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said. “The UK position is that we don’t agree with the US decision to move the embassy and we continue to believe that is playing the wrong card at the wrong time.”

France’s Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Jean Yves Le Drian, urged Israel to respect the Palestinian right to demonstrate peacefully.

“France disapproves of the American decision to transfer the United States embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem,” he said, adding it “contravenes international law”.

The discord over the violence in Gaza was the latest sign of a widening rift between Washington and its partners in Europe, who have been frustrated by ­recent US moves to withdraw from the joint deal with Iran and introduce trade tariffs that could hurt key European exports.

Most European officials refused to appear at the US embassy opening ceremony yesterday, ­attended by President Donald Trump’s daughter Ivanka and her husband, Jared Kushner, a senior administration adviser.

Arab states widely criticised the US embassy move and condemned Israel for the violence in the Gaza Strip. The UN Security Council was expected to hold an emergency meeting on the situation overnight after it was requested by Kuwait, a major US partner in the Middle East.

Kuwait circulated a Security Council statement expressing “grave concern” over the violence and “outrage” at the killing of innocent Palestinian civilians and called for an independent investigation, but the US blocked the statement, diplomats said. For the council to issue a statement all 15 members must unanimously agree on the text.

Most of the UN’s member states in the General Assembly ­opposed the US decision to relocate its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, given the city’s status as a joint capital until a peace settlement between Israel and Palestine is reached.

The UN Security Council emergency meeting could allow for debate, but is unlikely to lead to action, as the US holds veto power and could block any resolution condemning Israel or calling for an investigation.

The US ambassador to the UN, Nikki Haley, tweeted a picture of herself with Israel’s ambassador Danny Danon celebrating the ­embassy move.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he was “profoundly alarmed” by the escalation of violence and called for Israeli forces to “exercise ­maximum restraint in the use of live fire”.

The White House defended ­Israel.

“The responsibility for these tragic deaths rests squarely with Hamas,” said White House deputy press secretary Raj Shah.

“Israel has the right to defend itself.”

The Wall Street Journal