In conversation with Blinken, the father of the slain aid worker urges a tougher US stance on Israel in Gaza
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — When America’s top diplomat called to offer his condolences over the killing of his son during the Israeli airstrikes on a World Central Kitchen convoy delivering aid in Gaza, John Flickinger knew what he wanted to say.
The grieving father told Secretary of State Antony Blinken that Israel’s killings in Hamas-held territory must end, and that the United States must use its power and influence over its closest ally in the Middle East to make that happen.
Flickinger’s 33-year-old son, Jacob Flickinger, a dual U.S. and Canadian citizen, was one of seven humanitarian workers killed in the April 1 drone strikes.
“If the United States threatened to suspend aid to Israel, my son might still be alive today,” John Flickinger told The Associated Press in describing his 30-minute conversation with Blinken on Saturday.
Flickinger said Blinken has not pledged any new policy actions, but the Biden administration has sent a strong message to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that the relationship between the United States and Israel could change if the Israeli military does not show more concern for its fate. of the citizens of Gaza.
“I am hopeful that this is the final straw, that the United States will suspend aid and take meaningful action to change the way Israel is fighting this war,” said John Flickinger.
Flickinger said Blinken also spoke with his son’s partner, Sandy Leclerc, who remains behind to care for their 1-year-old son Jasper.
In addition to Jacob Flickinger, the attacks killed three British nationals, an Australian, a Polish national and a Palestinian.
John Flickinger described his son as “larger than life,” a “loving son, a devoted father and new dad and a very loving companion to his life partner.”
Jacob Flickinger was remembered as an outdoor enthusiast who organized survival training retreats and was involved in mountaineering, rock climbing and other adventure activities. He served in the Canadian Armed Forces for approximately eleven years, including eight months in Afghanistan.
The elder Flickinger said his son knew going to Gaza was risky, but he discussed it with family members and volunteered in hopes of helping Palestinians in Gaza who aid groups say are facing a looming famine.
“He died doing what he loved, which was serving and helping others,” said Flickinger, whose own nonprofit, Breakthrough Miami, introduces underrepresented students to academic opportunities and prepares them for college.
Representatives of the World Central Kitchen said they had informed the Israeli military of their movements and the presence of their convoy.
Israeli officials have called the drone strikes a mistake, and on Friday the army said it has fired two officers and reprimanded three others for their roles. The officers mishandled critical information and violated rules of engagement, the military said.
But John Flickinger said he believed the strike was “a deliberate attempt to intimidate aid workers and stem the flow of humanitarian aid.”
World Central Kitchen has since halted food deliveries to Gaza, Flickinger noted, saying it appears Israel is “using food as a weapon.”
The Canadian government has communicated with the family and is offering financial assistance to move Leclerc and Jasper from Costa Rica, where the family lives, back to the province of Quebec to be closer to their family, Flickinger said.
Flickinger said his son’s remains are in Cairo awaiting the issuance of a death certificate by Palestinian authorities. Once that happens, the family has arranged for them to be transported to Quebec.