The Aid Workers’ Deaths are Tragic but Chef’s Reaction is Over the Top

War is hell. Bad things happen. That is why war is a last resort. The Israel-Hamas war is a war of necessity.

Seven humanitarian aid workers were killed in Gaza on Monday by an Israeli air strike. Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu apologized and pledged that there would be an investigation. 

When I wrote about it yesterday, I noted several reactions worldwide. The people killed were of several nationalities – a Palestinian, an Australian, a Pole, three British citizens, and a dual U.S.-Canadian citizen. They were staff members of the foreign-aid organization World Central Kitchen (WCK). WCK goes around the world delivering food to people in need due to natural catastrophes, war, and famines. It also works domestically in the United States after devastating storms and other disasters. 

This is not a slam against the WCK. They do good work. Its workers seem to be sincere humanitarians. 

The organization is run by its founder, Chef Jose Andres, who has risen to celebrity status. He has a huge platform and because of that, he should take care in his messaging. Normally, Andres is pretty even-keeled and humble in interviews. He’s enjoying his fame and why not? 

Andres is grieving the loss of seven staffers who were delivering tons of food to Gaza. His sorrow is understandable. His anger is, too. However, I have seen some dialect from the chef that is over the top, in my opinion. 

Chef Andres calls for an investigation into the tragedy. That’s fine, Netanyahu pledged that there would be one. However, Andres is calling on an independent international investigation. He accuses Israel of deliberately targeting his food trucks in their airstrike. He said the airstrike was a “military attack that involved multiple strikes and targeted three WCK vehicles.”

“All three vehicles were carrying civilians; they were marked as WCK vehicles; and their movements were in full compliance with Israeli authorities, who were aware of their itinerary, route, and humanitarian mission,” the non-governmental organization said Thursday.

WCK said it had asked the U.S., Australian, Canadian, and Polish governments to “join us in demanding an independent, third-party investigation into these attacks, including whether they were carried out intentionally or otherwise violated international law.”

Accusing Israel of deliberately targeting his trucks is beyond the pale. We can agree that WCK is doing good work and that the civilian deaths are tragic. Both things can be true. Even in grief, the leader of a worldwide organization has to be responsible in his remarks. This kind of accusation helps no one but Hamas. Is that the side Chef Andres wants to be on? 

WCK worked with Israel before entering Gaza. The group’s movements were worked out. Andres said his team and its trucks were clearly identifiable. It sounds like everyone, both WCK and Israeli officials, did what they could to produce a successful mission. However, Andres had to have known the risks of going into a war zone. His group has worked in others, like Ukraine. 

Blaming the IDF is straight out of the Hamas playbook. Let’s remember it was Hamas who started the war on October 7, 2023, not Israel. The people living in Gaza are without food and necessities because of Hamas, not Israel. Hamas doesn’t care if Gazans die. It hijacks supply trucks and the distribution of essentials does not properly happen. 

Andres should lash out at Hamas, not Israel. Mistakes are made in war. It happens in all wars. 

A senior adviser for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said claims that the Israeli strike was intentional were “absurd.”

“The last thing we would want in the world is to endanger civilian lives,” Ophir Falk, the adviser, told ABC News on Wednesday.

Spare me the righteous indignation heard from the Biden administration. They are a deeply unserious administration, more concerned with election-year politics than supporting Israel and the Jews who live there. The now-apparent antisemitism is stunning. Under a weak president, people like Andres have been emboldened to spew forth such absurd statements. 

Biden called for an immediate ceasefire today in a phone call with Netanyahu. The only way that can happen is if it is very limited and all of the hostages are released and accounted for. Otherwise, it is too deadly for Israel to agree to a ceasefire. Hamas will take the time to regroup and rearm itself. The war stops when Hamas is destroyed and the hostages are released.

Fortunately, Netanyahu has a strong spine and doesn’t allow Biden to tell him how to run a war.