Sea Corridor Update

“World Central Kitchen offered few details about its distribution plan, even as it was loading a second supply ship in Cyprus.  The Israeli military said in a statement that it had deployed naval and ground forces to secure the area where the supplies were unloaded, though it remained unclear who would handle the distribution”.  (The New York Times, March 16, 2024)

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk stated, “the situation of hunger, starvation and famine [in Gaza] is a result of Israel’s extensive restrictions on the entry and distribution of humanitarian aid and commercial goods”. (The New York Times, March 19, 2024)

Dateline Washington, D.C., the future, say, April 1, 2024

Amid growing allegations that Israel is intentionally foot-dragging in supplying humanitarian aid to Gaza, United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced today that he had “strongly suggested” to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that Israel, having accepted President Biden’s idea of the implementation of a “floating pier” to reach into Gaza directly with supplies that include millions of meals per day, further agree to contract America’s most trusted source for supply and delivery,  Amazon.com, to insure that food and medicine find their way quickly and safely into the hands of those who need it most.

According to congressional sources, Blinken’s proposal would find strong support on both sides of the aisle.  Progressive Democrats would be able to bypass additional funding for the IDF.  House Republicans would favor the “America first” aspect of the deal.

Somewhat surprisingly, Netanyahu enthusiastically agreed with Blinken’s suggestion as “the next logical step to Biden’s ‘sea corridor’ proposal.”  The Israeli prime minister even offered to send a team of military experts to Amazon headquarters in Arlington, VA to brief Amazon corporate and union officials on the following areas of expertise that might affect delivery drivers:  Ambushes from tunnels, rooftops and apartments by Hamas fighters in civilian garb; Attacks by missiles, mortars, rocket propelled grenades and snipers; Booby traps in building entrances and items such as childrens’ toys; IED’s along roadways and intersections.

The prime minister also offered intelligence officers to review with Amazon supervisory and planning personnel: Who in Gaza is an “ordinary civilian”? How to recognize UNRWA personnel that are not fronting for Hamas? What hospitals are Hamas military installations?  When is a school just a school and a mosque just a mosque?

It remains unclear whether Blinken had checked with the US giant or its labor union before making the proposal.   Chris Smalls, president of the Amazon Labor Union (ALU) when asked to comment said, “you’ve got to be kidding” and declined further statement.  However, sources close to Amazon’s Board indicated, on condition of anonymity, that unnamed Israeli sources close to the prime minister had put Board members in touch with Trump son-in-law and adviser Jared Kushner.  Kushner, who has a $1.5 billion deal with a Saudi investment group, could pave the way for Amazon to sub-contract the Blinken proposal to an Israeli military contractor.

Echad B’April !