As Israel's offensive devastates Gaza, Senators should cosponsor and vote in favor of S.Res.504, Senator Bernie Sanders' resolution requiring a report on Israel's human rights practices and U.S. military aid to Israel, said 70 human rights groups, including Democracy for the Arab World Now (DAWN), in a joint letter today.
The letter said that, after months of devastation in Gaza, "including through Israel's siege, the United States continues to provide a steady stream of bombs, missiles, drones, artillery shells, and ammunition – all apparently without conditions. The Biden administration has even bypassed Congressional oversight through an emergency transfer authority. Despite investigations revealing potential war crimes committed by Israeli forces, the State Department has admitted that it has not been assessing Israel's compliance with international law throughout the conflict."
"It is long overdue for the Senate to hold a public vote and debate on U.S. complicity in Israeli human rights abuses against Palestinians living under occupation and bombardment, and to reassert Congressional oversight powers over U.S. arms transfer policy and foreign policy."
The resolution would require a report from the State Department on Israel's human rights practices within thirty days.
The full letter and list of signers follow below.
EMBARGOED UNTIL THURSDAY, JANUARY 11 at 2PM
January 11, 2024
Dear Senators,
We, the undersigned organizations, urge you to cosponsor and vote in favor of S.Res.504, Senator Bernie Sanders' resolution under Section 502B(c) of the Foreign Assistance Act (22 U.S.C. § 2304) requiring a report on Israel's human rights practices and U.S. military aid to Israel. After months of devastation in Gaza, there is urgent need for a meaningful debate on U.S. support for Israeli operations in Gaza and the West Bank, including the extent to which U.S. military aid may be supporting violations of international human rights and humanitarian law.
In response to the horrific October 7th attacks by Hamas, Israel has conducted a military campaign resulting in the deaths of more than 20,000 Palestinians in Gaza, approximately 70 percent of whom are women and children. Senator Sanders recently called the bombardment of Gaza "not just a humanitarian cataclysm, but a mass atrocity. And it is being done with bombs & equipment produced and provided by the United States and heavily subsidized by American taxpayers." President Biden has also stated that Israel is engaging in "indiscriminate bombing."
Human rights organizations, including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, have documented egregious violations of international humanitarian law by both Hamas and the Israeli military. Hamas' atrocities on October 7th — as well as its continued holding of hostages and rocket launches into Israel — do not relieve Israel of its responsibility to protect its people in a manner consistent with international humanitarian law. But as the Israeli offensive devastates Gaza, including through Israel's siege, the United States continues to provide a steady stream of bombs, missiles, drones, artillery shells, and ammunition – all apparently without conditions. The Biden administration has even bypassed Congressional oversight through an emergency transfer authority. Despite investigations revealing potential war crimes committed by Israeli forces, the State Department has admitted that it has not been assessing Israel's compliance with international law throughout the conflict.
S.Res.504 offers an opportunity to affirm Congress's important oversight role, mandating that the Biden administration document and report on any human rights violations committed by the Israeli government. Congress should ensure that arms transfers and military aid provided to Israel, or any country, are consistent with U.S. law and policy, international law, and civilian protection responsibilities. The resolution would be an important step toward these goals.
Upon Senate passage, this resolution would require a report from the State Department on Israel's human rights practices within thirty days. The resolution and debate it generates would open the door to potential follow-on Congressional action.
Congress stands at a pivotal moment. It is long overdue for the Senate to hold a public vote and debate on U.S. complicity in Israeli human rights abuses against Palestinians living under occupation and bombardment, and to reassert Congressional oversight powers over U.S. arms transfer policy and foreign policy. We, the undersigned organizations, endorse this resolution and urge all Senators to cosponsor and vote in favor of S.Res.504.
Sincerely,
- Action Corps
- Alliance of Baptists
- American Federation of Ramallah, Palestine
- American Friends Service Committee
- Americans for Peace Now
- Amnesty International USA
- Antiwar.com
- Armenian National Committee of America
- Arms Control Association
- Avaaz
- Campaign for Peace, Disarmament, and Common Security
- Carolina Peace Center
- Center for Civilians in Conflict
- Center for International Policy
- Center for Jewish Nonviolence
- Center for Victims of Torture
- Church of the Brethren, Office of Peacebuilding and Policy
- Church World Service
- Churches for Middle East Peace
- CODEPINK
- CommonDefense.us
- Community of Christ
- Community Peacemaker Teams
- Delawareans for Palestinian Human Rights
- Demand Progress Action
- Democracy for the Arab World Now
- Democratic Socialists of America
- Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
- Fellowship of Reconciliation
- Franciscan Action Network
- Freedom Forward
- Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL)
- Friends of Sabeel North America (FOSNA)
- Global Ministries of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and United Church of Christ
- IfNotNow Movement
- Indivisible
- Institute for Policy Studies New Internationalism Project
- International Civil Society Action Network (ICAN)
- Just Foreign Policy
- Legacies of War
- Libertarian Institute
- MADRE
- Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns
- Middle East Democracy Center (MEDC)
- Migrant Roots Media
- Minnesota Peace Project
- MPower Change Action Fund
- National Council of Churches
- National Iranian American Council Action
- Nonviolence International
- Nonviolent Peaceforce
- Oxfam America
- Pax Christi USA
- Peace Action
- Presbyterian Church (USA) Office of Public Witness
- Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft
- Quixote Center
- Rachel Corrie Foundation for Peace
- ReThinking Foreign Policy
- RootsAction.org
- Saferworld
- Sisters of Mercy of the Americas – Justice Team
- Sojourners
- The Episcopal Church
- The Riverside Church in the City of New York
- U.S. Campaign for Palestinian Rights
- U.S. Palestinian Council
- United for Peace and Justice
- United Methodist Church — General Board of Church and Society
- Washington Advocates for Palestinian Rights
- Win Without War
- Women for Weapons Trade Transparency
- Working Families Party
- Yemen Relief and Reconstruction Foundation
- Yemeni Alliance Committee
