A group of 20 Democratic lawmakers has urged President Joe Biden’s administration to halt the transfer of offensive weapons to Israel, emphasising that the Israeli government has not fulfilled US demands for increased humanitarian aid access into Gaza.
In a letter sent to Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday, the legislators highlighted the need for the US to enforce its laws, which restrict military aid to nations committing war crimes or obstructing US-supported humanitarian efforts.
“We believe continuing to transfer offensive weapons to the Israeli government prolongs the suffering of the Palestinian people and risks our national security by sending a message to the world that the US will apply its laws, policies, and international law selectively,” the letter stated.
The lawmakers warned that failing to act would exacerbate Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s military campaign in Gaza, “isolating Israel on the international stage and creating further instability in the region.”
The appeal, led by Representatives Summer Lee and Greg Casar—who is set to chair the Congressional Progressive Caucus next year—underscores ongoing progressive efforts to push the Biden administration for a shift in its Middle East policy.
While the letter is unlikely to change the administration’s stance, given its steadfast “ironclad” support for Israel, it highlights internal dissent and rising scrutiny of US foreign policy.
The letter also referenced an ultimatum issued by US officials to Israel in October, warning that the continuation of military aid depended on enabling the flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza.
However, despite Israel falling short of the stated conditions, including allowing a daily average of just 42 aid trucks into Gaza instead of the required 350, the Biden administration continued supplying arms to its ally.
“While Israel made nominal progress in some areas, it overwhelmingly failed to meet the minimum standards laid out in the Administration’s own letter,” the lawmakers wrote, pointing to actions that worsened conditions in Gaza, particularly in the north.
Humanitarian organizations such as Save the Children, Oxfam, and the Norwegian Refugee Council accused Israel of escalating the crisis. “Israel has failed to comply with its ally’s demands – at enormous human cost for Palestinian civilians in Gaza,” the groups said in a joint statement.
The war, compounded by a severe Israeli blockade, has devastated Gaza, with health officials reporting more than 45,000 fatalities.
United Nations experts and human rights organizations have accused Israel of committing genocide, citing efforts to destroy the Palestinian population.
The International Criminal Court recently issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, accusing them of war crimes, including the use of starvation as a weapon.
Despite this, US support for Israel has remained firm. A study by Brown University estimated that the Biden administration provided $17.9 billion in aid to Israel during the first year of the conflict.
On the same day the congressional letter was issued, Palestinians in Gaza, the West Bank, and the US filed a lawsuit aimed at forcing the Biden administration to end military support for Israeli forces involved in human rights violations.
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