Is U.S. policy in Gaza the exception or the norm?

On May 29, 2017, Russian President Vladimir Putin gave an exclusive interview to the French newspaper *Le Figaro*. At one point, Putin made an interesting comment about how U.S. presidents handle foreign policy. Here's what he said:

“I’ve spoken with three U.S. presidents so far. They come and go, but the policy stays the same. Do you know why? Because of the strong bureaucracy. When someone is elected, they may have some ideas. Then the men with the briefcases come along, well-dressed in dark suits like mine, except for the red tie—they wear black or navy. They start explaining how things should be done, and suddenly, everything changes.”

Putin also illustrated the U.S. approach to human rights by referring to Obama: “Take Obama, a forward-thinking guy, a liberal, a democrat. Didn’t he promise to shut down Guantanamo before being elected? Did he do it? No, he didn’t. May I ask why? Was it because he didn’t want to? I’m sure he did, but it didn’t happen.”

Putin went on to say that he finds it hard to understand how people have been held in chains for decades at the military camp in Guantanamo without trial. “Can you imagine France or Russia doing something like this? It would be a disaster. But in the U.S., it’s possible, and it’s still happening today,” he remarked.

That same year, an American newspaper published a document that backed up Putin’s claims. A December 19, 2017 article in *Politico*, written by Nahal Toosi, was titled "Leaked Memo Taught Tillerson a Lesson on Human Rights." The three-page memo dated May 17 was written by Brian Hook, director of the State Department’s Policy Planning Office and senior advisor to Secretary of State Rex Tillerson.

The memo, prepared for Tillerson—former CEO of ExxonMobil—was a sort of crash course. It advised using human rights as a tool against enemies like Iran, China, and North Korea, while sparing repressive regimes that are U.S. allies. The document stated, “Allies should be treated differently—and better—than adversaries. Otherwise, we’ll have more enemies and fewer allies.”

Tom Malinowski, a former Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy and Human Rights under Democratic President Barack Obama, harshly criticized the memo. According to Malinowski, America’s moral authority was one of its greatest advantages in the world. A double standard on democracy and human rights would, in his view, undermine that moral authority.

But was this document unique to Republican administrations? Is Trump an exception? What about the human rights record of Joe Biden’s administration, with Biden having been Obama’s Vice President and now serving as President?

There’s no need for men in dark suits and ties to give courses to Biden or Secretary of State Antony Blinken. Biden has been a seasoned politician since his high-level Senate roles in the early 1970s. As for Blinken, he has held senior foreign policy and national security positions within Democratic administrations since 1994, including serving as Deputy Secretary of State.

So, what can be said about the Biden administration's unwavering supply of weapons, money, and diplomatic support to Israel, despite the ongoing genocide in Gaza? Israel doesn’t even see Palestinians—whether babies, children, or women—as human. Over 10,000 children have died in Israel’s indiscriminate attacks, and over 700 of the murdered infants hadn’t even reached their first birthday. Israel even killed members of international humanitarian organizations.

If any of the regimes on the U.S.’s “blacklist” did a fraction of what Israel has done, it’s not hard to imagine what would happen to them. Is there anyone left in the world who can talk about America’s moral authority or consistency with a straight face?