This Tragedy of Self-Immolation Tests the Conscience of US Politicians

‘There is no more visceral symbol of the growing displeasure with America’s Israel policy than an active-duty airman’s self-immolation outside the Israeli Embassy in D.C.’ After the 25-year-old [Aaron] Bushnell, a member of the U.S. military, set himself on fire and died, the Politico website pointed out that this was an escalation of anger from within the U.S. government.

According to related reports, Bushnell was a member of the U.S. Air Force and belonged to an intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance wing. On Feb. 25, he walked to the front of the U.S. Israeli Embassy, poured a flammable substance on himself and shouted, “Free Palestine!” multiple times during the incident. Bushnell unfortunately died of his severe burns. In a prerecorded video, this young serviceman said, “I will no longer be complicit in genocide.”

What is the story behind Bushnell protesting in such a harrowing way? According to a friend of Bushnell’s who spoke to the media the day before the incident, Bushnell had shared military intelligence with him, saying that “The U.S. military was involved in the genocides going on in Palestine.” According to some U.S. media reports, the U.S. deployed special forces in Israel as early as October last year. Bushnell was disgusted with the U.S. military’s “reckless use of force” and had considered early retirement.

On social media, many Americans showed sympathy and understanding for Bushnell, calling him “the conscience of America” and criticizing the U.S. government for feeling ashamed of its own policies on Israel. Some questioned: Why has the Western mainstream media, which claims “press freedom,” responded slowly to this matter? Why did American police officers stand by with guns pointed at Bushnell while he was on fire and not undertake any rescue action? Why did the U.S. Department of Defense show no signs of reflection apart from expressing “regret”?

This was not the first such extreme event in the United States. Last December, a woman set herself on fire with gasoline in front of the Israeli consulate in Atlanta and was severely burned. According to Politico, before the incident involving Bushnell, U.S. officials had also expressed disappointment with U.S. policy on Gaza. In January, a senior government official wrote in his resignation letter, “I cannot stay silent as this administration turns a blind eye to the atrocities.”*

Since last October, a new round of conflict between Israel and Hamas has resulted in the deaths of nearly 30,000 civilians and displaced almost 2 million people. This bloody conflict highlights an urgent need to fundamentally resolve the issue of Israel and the Palestinians, as well as the consequences of U.S. policies biased toward Israel and the hypocrisy and double standards of “American-style human rights.”

“Israeli lives matter; Palestinian lives do not.” The U.S. government has long been “pulling the strings” in the conflict, which is clear to the international community. After the outbreak of a new round of hostilities, the international community has become increasingly concerned about Israel’s ongoing escalation of the fighting and is calling for a cease-fire. As a country with significant influence in the Middle East, what has the United States done?

From sending additional military forces to the Middle East to providing substantial military aid to Israel to repeatedly obstructing the U.N. Security Council from passing resolutions on a cease-fire in Gaza, the actions of the United States have added fuel to the fire, leading to the continued deterioration of the humanitarian situation in Gaza and making the situation in the region an even more dangerous one.

On a deeper level, the United States is responsible for the unresolved issues between Israel and the Palestinians in the Middle East. Many Middle East scholars have pointed out that because of domestic politics and a desire to maintain its dominance, the United States favors and indulges Israel and creates turmoil in the Middle East. The current U.S. administration claims to support the “two-state solution” to resolve the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians but has never implemented it, which has ultimately triggered the outbreak of a new round of conflict between Israel and the Palestinians.

The Middle East has been in constant turmoil in recent years, and the United States cannot evade its involvement. How many human rights and war debts does it owe? But, to U.S. politicians, the families destroyed by war are not important, overwhelming international condemnation is not important and the protests of its own people are not important. The only things of paramount importance are the interests and hegemony of the United States.

Of course, doing so comes at a cost; U.S. politicians not only lose support at home but lose their moral integrity internationally. Ahmed Aboul Gheit, secretary-general of the Arab League, has criticized U.S. decisions for clearly reflecting its political and moral responsibility for Israel’s ongoing actions in Gaza. Some analysts also point out that growing dissatisfaction among Americans may impact this year’s elections.

“You’re trying to shock the consciousness,” U.S. scholar David Cortright said about Bushnell’s act of self-immolation. The young serviceman protesting with his life is a wake-up call for U.S. politicians. Stop trampling on others under the pretext of “human rights” and stop making the “two-state solution” unattainable. It is time for American politicians to show some conscience.

*Editor’s note: Although accurately translated, this quoted passage could not be independently verified.