Blinken: No double standard on Israel and human rights

The US does not have a double standard with applying international law to Israel, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Monday afternoon during a news conference addressing the release of the State Department's 2023 Human Rights Practices report. 

"As this report makes clear, as we're looking at human rights and the condition of human rights around the world, we apply the same standard to everyone," Blinken said. "And that doesn't change whether the country in question is an adversary, a competitor, a friend or an ally."

Blinken said the Department will have "more to say" about Israel's adherence to the Leahy law in the coming days. 

"We are watching this very, very carfeully"

According to reporting from the Post, it was anticipated that Blinken was going to announce sanctions against the Netzah Yehuda battalion which operates in the West Bank. 

Blinken said the US takes reports of incidents directly to the Israeli government and asks for an explanation and information about what did or didn't happen. It's an ongoing process, he said. 

"It's very important to make sure that countries know that we are watching this very, very carefully," Blinken said. "But on the Leahy piece on this, more to come in the coming days."