The death of seven volunteers from the humanitarian organization World Central Kitchen (WCK) in Gaza, targets of Israeli strikes, has caused shock waves in Washington. Over the past six months, nearly 32,000 Palestinians have died, mostly civilians; dozens of schools were destroyed, hospitals reduced to ashes, around two hundred employees of humanitarian missions killed. However, it took this tragedy to mobilize the American media and highlight the inextricable position of the Biden administration, which stands alongside Israel despite the massive war crimes attributed to its ally.
The multiple nationalities represented among the victims are only one explanation. The identity of the founder of WCK, José Andrès, weighs more. The Spanish chef, naturalized American, occupies a special place in the media landscape. With his humanitarian organization, he has transformed over the years into a good and elusive Samaritan with gravelly English, traveling the world to the aid of populations in distress. An earthquake, a tornado, a flood? An epidemic, a war, a migration crisis? WCK is being deployed at spectacular speed, without bureaucratic burden, relaying its operations on social networks.
While his restaurants in Washington are essential meeting places, José Andrès also participates in the political debate. In March 2022, a few weeks after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine began, Joe Biden visited Warsaw. The American president meets the leader and his teams there. The two men maintain close contact. Tuesday evening, Joe Biden called José Andrès about the deaths of his volunteers in Gaza. At the same time, the White House issued a harsher statement than usual to Israel. Saying “outraged and heartbroken” by the death of the seven volunteers, the American president affirmed that he “this was not an isolated incident”in reference to the other humanitarians killed, and that Israel “did not do enough” to protect them and Palestinian civilians.
Behind these personal words of solidarity to José Andrès, the administration does not change its strategy. John Kirby, spokesperson for the National Security Council, is the zealous translator. On Tuesday and Wednesday, facing journalists, he maintained a cautious position, awaiting the conclusions of the investigations promised by the Israeli authorities. He argued that the Israeli army had admitted responsibility and that the deaths of the volunteers “was obviously not the expected result” of the operation, despite the multiple proven strikes which targeted their vehicles. A way of reducing this Israeli responsibility and echoing the words of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu: “It happens, in a war. »
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