US does not have 'double standards' about Israel's reported rights violations: Blinken

By Iclal Turan​​​​​​​

WASHINGTON (AA) - Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Monday that the US does not have double standards when it comes to Israel and human rights violations, and it applies the "same standard" to other nations.

When asked if the US has double standard regarding its approach to Israeli military’s reported human rights violation, during his press briefing on the release of 2023 Country Reports on Human Rights, Blinken said, "The answer is no".

"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, and that doesn’t change whether the country in question is an adversary, competitor, a friend or an ally," said Blinken.

The American diplomat also confirmed that "ongoing efforts" are being made by the US to investigate allegations of human rights violations by Israel.

Regarding the reports that Israel violated the Leahy laws, Blinken said it is a "good example of a process that is very deliberate, that seeks to get the facts to get all the information that has to be done carefully.

"I think you'll see in the days ahead that we will have more to say, so please stay tuned on that," he added.