The US again vetoed a ceasefire resolution for Gaza, after nearly 30,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israel in Gaza and as Israel faces increasing international condemnation and flagging support among the US public.
The latest move marked the third ceasefire resolution vetoed by the United States and comes after Israel bombed the last remaining refuge in Gaza, the city of Rafah, where 1.4 million Gazans are currently sheltering.
The United States was the only UN Security Council member to vote against any of the three ceasefire resolutions, though the United Kingdom partially joined the US by abstaining from the votes.
The US support of Israel has not improved US security, with the US State Department issuing a “worldwide caution” warning for all American citizens traveling abroad as a result of the conflict. It also has not improved Israel’s security, which is now facing increasingly hostile and unified neighbors.
But American support has been good for business, especially within the defense industry. For just one example, Lockheed Martin and its subsidiaries have been awarded at least $28.8 million in taxpayer money through the modification of contracts by the US Department of Defense to support weapon systems previously provided to Israel. The company’s stock price also jumped nearly 9% the day after the October 7 attack, the company’s largest single-day jump of 2023.
When and if the US foreign aid package that is being debated in Congress passes, which includes $14 billion for Israel, there are sure to be more contracts in the pipeline for Lockheed Martin and its competitors. But a ceasefire would lessen the urgency in Washington to fund military aid. Peace, unfortunately, has a pesky habit of getting in the way of war profiteering.
