Israeli Soldier's Comments Raise Concerns about War Crimes against Palestinian Civilians

During the interview, there was no apparent pushback from Phillip or the network in response to his remarks.

Phillip asked Taljah about his preparations as a soldier in a situation that could escalate into a prolonged war with Hamas, to which he responded, "the war is not just with Hamas, the war (is) with all the civilians." He expressed anger towards civilians who, in his view, see Israelis as inhuman and wish harm upon them.

It is important to note that targeting civilians in Gaza is considered a war crime under international law. The conflict has already claimed the lives of hundreds of Palestinian children through Israeli airstrikes.

According to ElectronicIntifada, efforts to seek clarification or response from Abby Phillip remained unanswered, and the CNN transcript link was inaccessible for several days.

Two days later, Wolf Blitzer interviewed Betzalel Taljah without addressing his earlier comments advocating for war against Palestinian civilians. Blitzer's focus was primarily on Taljah's desire to fight in Gaza in his mother's memory. This approach neglects the journalistic responsibility to question a soldier regarding his stated commitment to carry out potential war crimes, contributing to a climate that encourages such actions.

While the soldier's personal loss is tragic, it does not justify promoting war crimes against a marginalized and besieged population living under an Israeli government accused of implementing apartheid policies.

Taljah resides on a private ranch in the South Hebron Hills, which was founded by his late father, a South African who converted to Judaism. Notably, the land is owned by Palestinians in the South Hebron Hills. The views expressed by Taljah align with his father's support for apartheid and his belief in targeting Palestinian civilians in the current conflict.

Taljah's public support for an anti-Palestinian figure, Limor Son Har-Melech, and her former spokesperson, Elisha Yered, has raised concerns. Har-Melech has made inflammatory statements about Gaza, advocating for the strangulation of its infrastructure, which constitutes a war crime. Yered has called for the destruction of the Palestinian town of Huwwara in the West Bank.

Efforts to bring these controversial statements to the attention of CNN have thus far gone unreported, particularly as the region faces the possibility of a ground war.

An additional alarming discussion occurred on CNN between Wolf Blitzer and Robert Baer, a former CIA operative, where they discussed the notion of driving Palestinians into Egypt, reflecting a policy of ethnic cleansing. This viewpoint, expressed on a major news network, has raised concerns and sparked discussions about the Israeli stance on this issue.

It is crucial to address these concerns, as CNN's coverage has been criticized for geographical bias and the network's failure to acknowledge restrictions on its journalists' access to Gaza. The urgency of this situation demands a comprehensive examination of the complexities and implications of the conflict.