By Ivan Kesic
On one side, critically wounded children from Gaza — victims of the Israeli-American genocidal war — were denied US visas for life-saving medical treatment.
On the other hand, a senior Israeli cyberwarfare official charged with attempting to sexually exploit an American child was allowed to return to the occupied Palestinian territories without facing justice in the US.
Together, these back-to-back events reveal a striking contradiction in American foreign and domestic policy, one that places geopolitical interests above humanitarian obligation and accountability.
In a move that shocked international observers, the US State Department last week abruptly ended a decades-long program that provided medical visas to children from Gaza.
The decision followed the pressure by far-right Zionist Laura Loomer, who launched a social media campaign portraying injured Palestinian children as terrorists, mischaracterizing their cries of relief as “jihadi chants.”
Human rights groups working on the ground warned the policy shift would result in “unimaginable suffering or death” for children who already bear the scars of war.
Meanwhile, Tom Artiom Alexandrovich, a high-ranking official in Israel’s cyber directorate, was arrested in Las Vegas during a police sting operation after luring a 15-year-old girl into sexual abuse.
Despite the seriousness of the charges the crime carries under US law, he was released and allowed to return to the occupied territories, evading US prosecution.
The US State Department maintained that he did not claim diplomatic immunity, but critics point to the broader systemic imbalance: geopolitical and political connections often influence the consequences one faces.
“The Department of State is aware that Tom Artiom Alexandrovich, an Israeli citizen, was arrested in Las Vegas and given a court date for charges related to soliciting sex electronically from a minor,” the US State Department posted on X.
“He did not claim diplomatic immunity and was released by a state judge pending a court date. Any claims that the US government intervened are false.”
The juxtaposition is stark. While the US government blocked life-saving medical care for Palestinian children, it allowed a Zionist regime official accused of preying on an American child to slip away unharmed.
Observers see this as part of a wider pattern in which political allegiance and strategic relationships — in this case between the US and the Israeli regime — can overshadow legal and moral responsibilities.
Many see it as another example of “Israel First” in the US foreign policy, where Israeli interests overshadow American interests.
The power of influence
The decision to suspend medical visas did not result from an independent security or policy assessment, but emerged from advocacy by a controversial Zionist influencer with direct access to officials.
Loomer, who has a history of bans from social media platforms for hate speech, portrayed vulnerable and ailing Palestinian children as dangerous invaders, amplifying misinformation to achieve her goal.
“I felt like this is something that needs attention,” she was quoted as saying in an interview. “Under the Trump administration, they are actively importing Gazans into the US. Clearly, this is not what we voted for.”
Loomer also took on social media, sharing a video from August 6 by HEAL Palestine, which showed Palestinian children arriving at the San Francisco airport for medical treatment.
The US State Department responded quickly, halting all visitor visas from Gaza pending a review. The Palestine Children’s Relief Fund, which has facilitated medical evacuations for more than 30 years, described the move as “dangerous and inhumane,” severing a vital lifeline for children in urgent need.
“All visitor visas for individuals from Gaza are being stopped while we conduct a full and thorough review,” the department said in a statement on X on Saturday.
Republican Congressman Randy Fine publicly credited Loomer for the ban on Palestinian visas, highlighting the growing influence of online Zionist provocateurs on America’s domestic and foreign policy.
Disparities in justice
Alexandrovich’s case, on the other hand, underscores the contrast. He engaged in explicit communications with an undercover officer posing as a minor, intending to commit a felony.
Soliciting a minor is a serious crime, carrying potential prison sentences of up to a decade in the US, yet he was processed and released on bond. Within days, he was back in the occupied territories, circumventing the US justice system with the overt and covert help of Trump administration officials.
The US State Department’s stance — that he did not claim diplomatic immunity — belies the broader power dynamic, according to US activists and lawmakers.
Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, in a statement, slammed the State Department for allowing the sex predator to flee the country.
“Two recent decisions made by the State Department both involve children,” the Republican lawmaker said in a post on X.
“Would it be antisemitic to drag Netanyahu’s Cyber Executive Director back and prosecute this pos (piece of s—) to the full extent of the law and at the same time let Palestinian kids who had their limbs and bodies blown apart receive surgeries in America?”
These events are not isolated but reveal a pattern in which the machinery of government can act with alacrity to appease political pressures while demonstrating inertia in matters of justice.
Palestinian children, even those severely injured in war, are treated as expendable in Western capitals. Israeli regime officials, even when accused of serious criminal offenses, enjoy leniency and impunity.
Analysts note that the US-Israel “special relationship” encompasses more than weapons and intelligence — it extends to a culture of impunity.
