Washington – U.S. State Department spokesman Matthew Miller evaded a question about whether the Palestinians have the right to defend themselves against Israeli aggression. "The situation cannot be compared to what is happening in Ukraine," he told Al-Quds' correspondent. 

The question came after Miller noted that 500 days had passed since the Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, and that the Ukrainians faced this invasion and occupation "with courage." 

Saeed Erekat, Al-Quds' correspondent in Washington, told Miller that 20,475 days have passed since Israel's "very brutal occupation" of Palestinian territory began.  

Erekat continued: "Unlike the Ukrainians, the Palestinians are not given the right to self-defense...They are confronted with Apache helicopters, weapons supplied by the United States...Do you think the Palestinian people in Jenin have the right to defend themselves?"

Miller immediately dismissed the comparison to Ukraine and refused to answer the self-defense question directly.

"The United States does not believe that these two cases are similar," Miller said in his response. 

However, he was willing to assert that Israel's right to defend itself: "We support Israel's security and right to defend itself against Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad and other terrorist groups. At the same time, it is necessary to take all possible steps to protect civilians from harm and facilitate humanitarian supplies and reconstruction for the residents of Jenin, such as restoring water and electricity services."