For months, we’ve watched in horror as the Israeli military has used American weapons to carry out atrocities against Palestinians. Our bombs have killed tens of thousands of civilians, leveled schools, hospitals, and neighborhoods, and driven families into horrifying suffering.
No more. As Congress prepares to vote on a major new arms package to Israel, we must send a clear message that providing more weapons for this war is unacceptable.
Amid widespread outrage over Israel’s recent killing of seven international aid workers and the worsening crisis in Gaza, pressure to end military aid to Israel is mounting.
More U.S. weapons would send a dangerous message of impunity.
Over the past week, 56 members of Congress, including former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (CA-11), have called on President Biden to halt shipments of offensive weapons to Israel.
Those calls were echoed by six humanitarian organizations operating in Gaza. The groups demanded that the U.S. hold the Israeli government accountable for strikes on aid workers, withhold further shipments of weapons, and call for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in the region.
Meanwhile, the U.N.’s top human rights body called for an arms embargo on Israel, and leading civil society groups like Amnesty International, The Elders, and the Center for Civilians in Conflict issued new statements demanding an end to weapons transfers.
Congress must heed these calls. Providing more weapons for the war in Gaza would be both unconscionable and reckless. As the recent news of the opening of the Erez border crossing for aid shows, the U.S. can influence the Israeli government’s actions. Sending more weapons would send a signal that the Israeli government can continue to starve and kill Palestinians with impunity.
The consequences of that message are frightening. The Israeli government’s current course poses an unacceptable risk of ending in genocide in Gaza and a disastrous regional war across the Middle East.
The United States has both the power and the responsibility to push the Israeli government to change course. Amid continued inaction from the Biden administration, it is up to Congress to act. Working together, we can build the pressure needed to spur our lawmakers to do the right thing.
