April 9, 2026
Dear Senators,
We urge you to cosponsor and vote in favor of Joint Resolutions of Disapproval (JRDs) that Senator Sanders will bring to the floor this April to block the transfer of 1,000-pound bombs and Caterpillar D9 bulldozers to the Israeli government. We write as organizations with distinct missions, focused variously on peace, global stability, and the protection of civilians, united in our support for these resolutions. This is a critical opportunity for Congress to assert its oversight authority, enforce U.S. arms transfer law, protect civilians, and help ensure that the US-Israel ceasefire with Iran remains in place, rather than a regional war that costs civilian lives, destabilizing the global economy, and undermines U.S. national security interests.
A vote in favor of these resolutions will send a clear message that Senators oppose any continuation of the war with Iran, which President Trump recklessly initiated without congressional authorization, clear objectives, or a coherent plan. Iran posed no imminent threat to the United States, and there were clear alternatives to war. As a result of the war, the U.S. remains at risk of being drawn into a prolonged quagmire; oil prices have soared; and the global economy is reeling. With the tenuous, unclear nature of the two-week ceasefire, members should not vote to provide arms or funds that could reignite, or indicate any support for, this reckless war of choice. This is particularly important as within 24 hours of the ceasefire announcement, Israel launched its most devastating attacks on Lebanon, with strikes on over 100 locations within minutes resulting in hundreds of casualties.
The transfer of 1,000-pound bombs raises urgent legal and moral concerns. These weapons have been used in densely populated areas in Gaza, Lebanon, and Iran, with significant documented civilian casualties. Carrying out this sale would violate provisions of the Foreign Assistance Act designed to ensure U.S. assistance does not contribute to gross violations of human rights or obstruction of humanitarian aid. Providing these munitions could lead to the U.S. once again becoming entrenched in a devastating and unauthorized conflict in Iran while increasing the likelihood of additional civilian harm in Lebanon and throughout the region.
The transfer of Caterpillar D9 bulldozers is similarly concerning. While sometimes described as engineering equipment, these machines have been widely used in operations involving large-scale demolition of homes, civilian infrastructure, and entire neighborhoods in Gaza, the West Bank and Lebanon, contributing to forced displacement and de facto annexation. At a time when humanitarian conditions are catastrophic and reconstruction materials remain restricted in Gaza, and while Israel’s open campaign of displacement of Palestinian communities in the West Bank and accompanying settler violence are accelerating, sending equipment primarily used for destruction sends a dangerous and contradictory signal. The Israeli government has also begun demolitions in southern Lebanon, raising further concerns about how the Israeli military is using this type of machinery.
A vote against these resolutions is a vote to continue the war in Iran and enable widespread Israeli violations in Gaza, the West Bank, and Lebanon. If Congress is serious about deescalation, civilian protection, human rights, and upholding U.S. law, it must act consistently. We urge you to support these JRDs and reassert Congress’s constitutional role in matters of war and arms transfers.
Sincerely,
A New Policy
American Committee for Middle East Rights (ACMER)
Arab American Institute
Arms Control Association
Center for Civilians in Conflict
Center for International Policy Advocacy
Churches for Middle East Peace
Common Defense
Demand Progress
Democracy for the Arab World Now (DAWN)
Foreign Policy for America
Friends Committee on National Legislation
Indivisible
J Street
MoveOn
Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC)
New Jewish Narrative
National Iranian American Council Action
Oxfam America
Peace Action
Refugees International
The Tahrir Institute for Middle East Policy (TIMEP)
Win Without War