(Washington, D.C., September 29, 2025) — The Center for American Progress (CAP) must explain its decision to appoint former Secretary of State Antony Blinken to its Board of Directors despite his documented role in aiding and abetting Israeli war crimes, DAWN said in a letter to CAP's Board last week. CAP has not responded to the letter to date.
The letter highlights how Blinken authorized billions in weapons transfers to Israel while knowing they were being used to commit war crimes and genocide in Gaza. DAWN has urged the International Criminal Court to prosecute Blinken for his role in facilitating these crimes.
"We believe that Mr. Blinken is not an appropriate choice to serve as a board member of an organization that aims to 'promote peace and shared global prosperity,'" the letter states.
DAWN is requesting CAP provide transparency regarding its vetting process, board selection criteria, and whether stakeholder concerns were considered during Blinken's appointment.
Excerpt from the letter:
In his capacity as Secretary of State for the Biden administration, Mr. Blinken provided Israel with essential military, political and public support to ensure it could continue its atrocities in Gaza. He personally authorized the transfer of military aid and direct commercial arms sales to Israel from October 2023 to January 2025, despite his knowledge that Israel was using these weapons to commit war crimes and crimes against humanity. Secretary Blinken also provided Israel with political support to ensure it could continue its crimes, instructing his ambassador to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, to veto multiple ceasefire resolutions and public support by issuing official statements justifying and legitimizing its crimes. As detailed in DAWN's communication to the ICC, we believe these actions make Secretary Blinken criminally liable, under Article 25(3)(c-d) of the Rome Statute, for aiding, abetting, and otherwise facilitating Israel's commission of crimes against humanity, war crimes, and genocide in the Gaza Strip since October 7, 2023.
Secretary Blinken's provision of military support for Israel also violated U.S. laws prohibiting security assistance to countries that restrict U.S. humanitarian aid or commit systematic violations of human rights. Reporting falsely to Congress in May 2024 that Israel was not restricting U.S. humanitarian aid to Gaza, Secretary Blinken contradicted findings from his staff at both the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration to ensure the continuation of billions in weapons sales and military aid to Israel.
To read the full letter, [click here].
