E-alert sent on 11/15/2024.
Urgent: Support Critical Legislation
to be voted on early next week
to Stop Transfers of US Offensive Weapons to Israel!
Dear friend,
Sen. Bernie Sanders has announced that he plans to invoke mandatory votes on Joint Resolutions of Disapproval (JRD) in the US Senate early next week that would block the sale of offensive U.S. weaponry to Israel. The JRD is the only mechanism available to Congress to prevent an arms sale from advancing. It requires a mandatory floor vote when invoked; there can be no filibuster. Click to view a detailed fact sheet about JRDs.
In August, the Biden Administration approved arms sales to Israel totaling more than $20 billion. The sales include several systems that are directly tied to tens of thousands of civilian deaths in Gaza and Lebanon. The export of these weapons would clearly violate the criteria laid out in the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 and the Arms Export Control Act (AECA).
In a press statement, Sen. Sanders said, “On October 7, 2023, Hamas waged a terrorist attack against Israel, killing 1,200 innocent people and taking over 240 hostages. Israel, of course, had the right to defend itself against Hamas.
Israel did not, however, have the right to wage an all-out war against the Palestinian people, which is what Prime Minister Netanyahu’s extremist government has done. The result: More than 41,000 Palestinians have been killed and nearly 195,000 injured – 60 percent of whom are women, children, or elderly people. Further, as a result of Israel’s blocking of humanitarian aid into Gaza, many thousands of children there face malnutrition and even starvation.”
As we reach this important opportunity to curtail massive harm to civilians in Gaza and Lebanon, I'm writing to urge you to take immediate action by clicking here or on the button below to email your Senators and Representative. It takes less than a minute--though you can take longer and modify the wording if you choose.
The carnage in Gaza, and now Lebanon, has been carried out with U.S.-provided military equipment. Providing more offensive weapons to continue this disastrous war would violate U.S. and international law. The sales would reward Netanyahu’s extremist government, even as it continues to cause massive destruction in Gaza; undermine the prospects of a ceasefire deal that would secure the release of the hostages; and advance its effort to illegally annex the West Bank.
Reliable human rights monitors have rigorously documented numerous incidents involving U.S. offensive weapons leading to horrifying civilian death and harm. The Administration’s own report concluded that these weapons “have been used by Israeli security forces since October 7, 2023 in instances inconsistent with its international humanitarian law obligations or with established best practices for mitigating civilian harm."
Blocking these sales would be in harmony with the international community and some of our closest allies. The United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, Spain, Canada, Belgium, and the Netherlands have all acted in recent months to stop or restrict offensive arms deliveries due to the high risk they could be used in violation of international law. The United Nations bodies and numerous humanitarian organizations have also called for an end to the arms shipments fueling the conflict.
P.S. You can amplify your advocacy by also calling your US Senators to support the JRD after you send your emails. They don't cross check emails with phone calls from constituents. So look up your US Senators' DC offices online to call each of them directly (most efficient); or call the Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121 and ask to speak to your Senators!
Sincerely,
The Rev. Robert Moore
Executive Director
Coalition for Peace Action &
Peace Action Education Fund
7 Vandeventer Ave.
Princeton, NJ 08542
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