Help promote human rights in the Middle East and North Africa

Donate Today
Facebook-f Twitter Instagram Linkedin Youtube Envelope
Search
Close
  • English
  • العربية
  • About
    • Our Mission
    • What We Do
    • Who We Are
    • FAQs
    • Support Dawn
    • Work With Us
    • For the Media
  • Founder Jamal Khashoggi
    • Who Was Jamal Khashoggi?
    • Chronology of a Murder
    • UN Recommendations
    • International Reaction
    • In His Own Words
    • DAWN and Jamal
  • Countries
    • Saudi Arabia
    • Egypt
    • UAE
    • Israel-Palestine
    • DAWN's Culprits Gallery
  • Democracy In Exile
    • About
    • Submission Guidelines for Democracy in Exile
  • Advocacy
    • DAWN's Advocacy
    • The Lobbyist Hall of Shame
    • DAWN's Culprits Gallery
    • Reforming Foreign Policy
      • Aid Conditionality
      • Human Rights Go to War
    • US Foreign Policy in MENA
    • Joint Advocacy
  • Experts
  • Latest
Menu
  • About
    • Our Mission
    • What We Do
    • Who We Are
    • FAQs
    • Support Dawn
    • Work With Us
    • For the Media
  • Founder Jamal Khashoggi
    • Who Was Jamal Khashoggi?
    • Chronology of a Murder
    • UN Recommendations
    • International Reaction
    • In His Own Words
    • DAWN and Jamal
  • Countries
    • Saudi Arabia
    • Egypt
    • UAE
    • Israel-Palestine
    • DAWN's Culprits Gallery
  • Democracy In Exile
    • About
    • Submission Guidelines for Democracy in Exile
  • Advocacy
    • DAWN's Advocacy
    • The Lobbyist Hall of Shame
    • DAWN's Culprits Gallery
    • Reforming Foreign Policy
      • Aid Conditionality
      • Human Rights Go to War
    • US Foreign Policy in MENA
    • Joint Advocacy
  • Experts
  • Latest
Donate

U.S.: Support Passage of Gaza Reporting Amendment to National Defense Authorization Act

November 16, 2021
in Advocacy, Dawn’s Advocacy, Feature, Palestine, Press Release Israel-Palestine, Press Releases
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

International Coalition of 72 Organizations Urges Support for Proposed NDAA Amendment

(Washington D.C., November 15, 2021): The U.S. Senate should approve an amendment to the 2022 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that would require a report on the humanitarian impact of Israeli restrictions on movement, access, and goods in and out of Gaza and potential solutions to the crisis there, including international monitoring of the border crossings, said Democracy for the Arab World Now (DAWN) and the Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL) in a letter to the Senate today.

Seventy two national and international organizations, including MoveOn, J Street, Churches for Middle East Peace, Arab American Institute, American Muslims for Palestine, Oxfam America, Norwegian Refugee Council, Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International USA, Win Without War, National Council of Churches, Demand Progress, Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, IfNotNow, Al Haq, and Eyewitness Palestine, jointly signed the letter, reflecting a groundswell of support for closer scrutiny of the role of U.S. military support in contributing to the crisis in Gaza.

"The proposed Gaza amendment is a milestone in overdue recognition that America's unconditional military and political support for Israel has helped enable the imprisonment and suffering of millions of Palestinians in Gaza during a 14-year Israeli blockade that stands as one of the longest-lasting acts of collective punishment in recent history," said Raed Jarrar, Advocacy Director for DAWN. "The Sanders amendment is an important step forward to taking responsibility and seeking solutions for this man-made crisis, including a long-overdue U.N. monitored border control mechanism."

Since 2006, Israel has imposed a near total blockade on Gaza and has waged four wars killing 5,948 Palestinian and 60 Israelis according to B'Tselem. At the 48th session of the UN Human Rights Council last Monday, the Global Institute for Water, Environment and Health and the Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor highlighted one aspect of the humanitarian disaster: water in Gaza is "undrinkable" and "slowly poisoning" people. "The long-term Israeli blockade has caused a serious deterioration of water security in Gaza, making 97% of the water contaminated," a joint statement said. "The residents of the besieged enclave are forced to witness the slow poisoning of their children and loved ones." 

Basic reconstruction efforts after the May 2021 Israeli bombardment of Gaza have barely started due to the failures of the so-called Gaza Reconstruction Mechanism (GRM) and the ongoing siege of the Gaza Strip. The GRM is a temporary agreement created by the United Nations and agreed to by the Palestinian Authority and Israel in September 2014. The mechanism is designed to address Israel's security concerns while allowing the entry of construction materials into the occupied Gaza Strip. 

The NDAA Gaza amendment, proposed by Senator Bernie Sanders, would require the U.S. Comptroller General to submit a report to Congress assessing the economic, humanitarian, political, and psychological impact that Israel's severe restrictions on movement and access are having on Palestinians in Gaza, as well as on recovery and reconstruction in Gaza following Israel's May 2021 airstrikes.

It also requires the Comptroller to determine whether lifting Israel's blockade, or other solutions, would help to address the humanitarian and political crisis in Gaza, and to assess replacing the current inspection mechanism at Israel's Gaza crossings with an international inspection mechanism supervised by the United Nations and modeled after the United Nations Verification and Inspection Mechanism for Yemen. The amendment also proposes for the first time reviewing implementation of a new U.N. backed agreement to secure freedom of movement for the Palestinian people in Gaza.

According to UN agencies and humanitarian aid groups that deliver aid in Gaza, the Gaza Reconstruction Mechanism has failed to ameliorate the impact of Israel's closure or ensure even a minimal baseline of civilian wellbeing and humanitarian access. 

"The 14-year Israeli siege of Gaza has created immense suffering for millions of Palestinians and fueled endless cycles of violence," said Hassan El-Tayyab, legislative director for Middle East policy at Friends Committee on National Legislation. "We urge the Senate to adopt this important amendment and support a new international agreement on movement and access for Gaza that lifts the siege, ends the humanitarian crisis, sustains a durable ceasefire, and helps bring about long-term peace between Israelis and Palestinians."

Under international law, the Gaza Strip remains occupied territory, and is an undivided part of the Occupied Palestinian Territories. Notwithstanding its withdrawal of its unlawful Israeli settlements in Gaza, Israel remains the occupying power Under the Fourth Geneva Convention and is still responsible for the health and welfare of the Palestinian civilian population in Gaza. According to Human Rights Watch, Israel's economic blockade of Gaza amounts to collective punishment against civilians. 

The full letter and list of signatories can be read below.

November 15, 2021 

Dear Senators, 

We, the undersigned organizations, urge that you support Sen. Sanders' amendment to the FY2022 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) to require a report on the humanitarian impact of severe restrictions on movement, access, and goods in and out of Gaza.  Should it be adopted, we hope you will work to preserve it through conference negotiations.  

This important provision would require the Comptroller General of the United States, in consultation with the President, the Secretary of State, the United Nations, and other key stakeholders, to submit a report to Congress assessing the restrictions on Gaza, including: 

  1. The economic, humanitarian, political, and psychological impact that severe restrictions on movement and access has on Palestinians in Gaza; 
  2. The economic and material impact of restrictions on movement and access on recovery and reconstruction efforts following the Israeli airstrikes in May 2021; 
  3. Whether the implementation of the Gaza Reconstruction Mechanism is adhering to international dual-use standards;  
  1. Possible solutions to address the humanitarian and political crisis in Gaza, including the lifting of Israel's sweeping restrictions on the movement of people and goods; 
  2. The feasibility of replacing the current inspection mechanism at Israel's crossings into Gaza with an international inspection mechanism for commercial and humanitarian goods entering and exiting Gaza, to be supervised by the United Nations and modeled after the United Nations Verification and Inspection Mechanism for Yemen; 
  3. The feasibility of implementing a new international agreement, facilitated by the United Nations in consultation with all key stakeholders, on movement and access for Gaza, in a transparent and accountable way that addresses humanitarian, economic, and legitimate security concerns.  

After roughly 14 years, the severe restrictions on Gaza have left nearly 2 million people with severely limited access to clean water, electricity, and food. These restrictions prevent critical supplies from reaching Gaza which are necessary for maintaining and rebuilding water treatment and sanitation infrastructure.Roughly 97 percent of Gaza's tap water is contaminated, depriving civilians of regular access to drinkable water. The restrictions have also left Gaza's electrical grid in ruins, forcing many Palestinians to live without electricity for nearly half the day. More than 80 percent of Gaza's population relies on humanitarian aid for subsistence 

 New solutions are needed to end Gaza's humanitarian crisis, decrease tensions and help end the endless cycles of violence that have endangered the lives of Israeli and Palestinian civilians caught in the crossfire. The Gaza Reconstruction Mechanism, according to the UN and humanitarian aid groups working to deliver aid in Gaza, has not been able to overcome the restrictions and ensure civilian wellbeing and humanitarian access. This report is a critical step for Congress and the American people to understand the full impact that current restrictions on movement and access have on Palestinians in Gaza and will facilitate the identification of structural reforms to address the crisis. This reporting requirement includes feasibility studies on new internationally-supervised inspection measures, assesses if the current Gaza Reconstruction Mechanism adheres to internationally-recognized standards for dealing with the issue of "dual-use" goods, and studies the efficacy of establishing specific benchmarks for the volume and timeframe of imports.  

We, the undersigned organizations, urge you to support Senator Sanders' amendment to the FY2022 NDAA, to create more transparency and accountability regarding the humanitarian impact of the restrictions on Gaza and to advance solutions to address the crisis, which will advance human security and safety for Israelis and Palestinians alike. Thank you for your consideration of this important matter. 

Sincerely,

  1. About Face Veterans Against War
  2. Action Corps
  3. Al-Haq
  4. American Baptist Churches (USA)
  5. American Muslims for Palestine
  6. Americans for Justice in Palestine Action 
  7. Amnesty International USA
  8. Arab American Institute 
  9. Campaign Against Arms Trade
  10. Christian Peacemaker Teams
  11. Church of the Brethren, Office of Peacebuilding and Policy
  12. Churches for Middle East Peace
  13. CODEPINK
  14. Demand Progress
  15. Democracy for the Arab World Now (DAWN)
  16. Disciples Palestine Israel Network
  17. Empowering Pacific Islander Communities (EPIC)
  18. Episcopal Peace Fellowship
  19. Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
  20. Eyewitness Palestine
  21. For All
  22. Freedom Forward
  23. Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL)
  24. Global Ministries of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and United Church of Christ
  25. Historians for Peace and Democracy
  26. Human Rights Watch
  27. ICNA Council for Social Justice
  28. IfNotNow
  29. J Street
  30. Just Foreign Policy
  31. MADRE
  32. Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns
  33. Mennonite Central Committee U.S.
  34. Methodist Federation for Social Action 
  35. Middle East Children's Alliance
  36. MoveOn
  37. National Council of Churches USA
  38. National Network for Immigrant and Refugee Rights
  39. National Writers Union
  40. Neighbors for Peace
  41. Nonviolent Peaceforce
  42. Norwegian Refugee Council
  43. On Earth Peace 
  44. Our Revolution
  45. Oxfam America
  46. Peace Action
  47. Presbyterian Church (USA)
  48. Progressive Democrats of America
  49. Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft
  50. Reformed Church in America 
  51. ReThinking Foreign Policy 
  52. RootsAction.org
  53. Showing Up for Racial Justice
  54. South Asian Americans Leading Together (SAALT)
  55. Sunrise Movement 
  56. The Episcopal Church 
  57. The United Methodist Church – General Board of Church and Society
  58. Tree of Life Educational Fund
  59. Tunisian United Network
  60. Unitarian Universalist Association
  61. United for Peace and Justice
  62. United Methodists for Kairos Response (UMKR)
  63. US Boats to Gaza
  64. US Council of Muslim Organizations
  65. US Palestinian Council
  66. Win Without War
  67. Women for Weapons Trade Transparency
  68. Women's Action for New Directions (WAND)
  69. World BEYOND War
  70. Yemen Freedom Council 
  71. Yemen Relief and Reconstruction Foundation 
  72. Yemeni Liberation Movement

Palestinian queue at stand-pipe to fill plastic containers with clean water in Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip 04 September 2007. Israeli Deputy Prime Minister Haim Ramon today threatened to cut electricity, water and fuel supplies into Gaza if militants in the Hamas-ruled territory continued to fire rockets into Israel. AFP PHOTO /MAHMUD HAMS (Photo credit should read MAHMUD HAMS/AFP via Getty Images)

Source: Getty IMages

Tags: Gazahuman rightsIsrael-PalestineLetterNDAA AmendmentPalestine
Previous Post

Lebanon's Overcrowded Prisons Are a 'Death Sentence'—Funded by the U.S.

Next Post

'We're in an Era of Authoritarian Encroachment': Larry Diamond on Democracy's Fate

Related Posts

Jordanian anti-riot police stand in line during a protest near the prime minister's office in Amman, Jordan, on June 5, 2018. - Jordanian Prime Minister Hani Mulki resigned on June 4 after a wave of anti-austerity protests by citizens suffering from high unemployment and repeated price hikes. (Photo by AHMAD GHARABLI / AFP)        (Photo credit should read AHMAD GHARABLI/AFP via Getty Images)
DAWN

Jordan: Authorities Expand Arrests of Hirak Activists to Silence Criticism of King Abdullah

(Washington D.C., February 6, 2023): Jordanian security forces raided the house of 87-year-old Sufian Al-Tal, head of the Executive...

DAWN
February 6, 2023
WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 25: U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) speaks at a press conference on committee assignments for the 118th U.S. Congress, at the U.S. Capitol Building on January 25, 2023 in Washington, DC. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) recently rejected the reappointments of Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) and Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA) to the House Intelligence Committee and has threatened to stop Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) from serving on the House Foreign Affairs Committee. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
Advocacy

Vote to Remove U.S. Congresswoman Ilhan Omar from House Foreign Affairs Committee is Unjust

Anti-Black, anti-Muslim, and anti-immigrant sentiment behind decision to remove Congresswoman Omar from the House Foreign Affairs Committee, led by...

DAWN
February 3, 2023
A picture taken during a guided tour organised by Egypt's State Information Service on February 11, 2020, shows an Egyptian policeman near watch towers at Tora prison on the southern outskirts of the Egyptian capital Cairo. (Photo by Khaled DESOUKI / AFP) (Photo by KHALED DESOUKI/AFP via Getty Images)
DAWN

Egypt: Mother of Teenager Sentenced for Peaceful 2019 Protests Commits Suicide

Egyptian authorities should immediately release those imprisoned by a terrorism’s court’s arbitrary mass sentence of 82 people, including 22...

DAWN
February 1, 2023
JERUSALEM - JULY 04: Israeli security forces intervene Palestinians as Palestinians try to prevent them to destroy their tents and sheds with bulldozers in Khan al-Ahmar village of eastern Jerusalem on July 04, 2018. (Photo by Issam Rimawi/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)
DAWN

U.S.: Destruction of Khan al-Ahmar Should be Tipping Point for 'Special Relationship' with Israel

The Biden Administration should reevaluate its “special relationship” with Israel if the Israeli government advances its plans to forcibly...

DAWN
January 31, 2023
Next Post
iraqdemocracy017_mac.jpg     Larry Diamond, a senior fellow at Stanford's Hoover Institution has just returned from Iraq as an advisor to the Coalition Provisional Authority on how to democratize the country.   event on 4/23/04 in Palo Alto        Michael Macor / San Francisco Chronicle Ran on: 10-18-2006 Larry Diamond Ran on: 10-18-2006 Larry Diamond (Photo By Michael Macor/The San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)

‘We’re in an Era of Authoritarian Encroachment’: Larry Diamond on Democracy’s Fate

'It Can't Get Any Worse.' The Agony of Syria's Earthquake

February 7, 2023
Jordanian anti-riot police stand in line during a protest near the prime minister's office in Amman, Jordan, on June 5, 2018. - Jordanian Prime Minister Hani Mulki resigned on June 4 after a wave of anti-austerity protests by citizens suffering from high unemployment and repeated price hikes. (Photo by AHMAD GHARABLI / AFP)        (Photo credit should read AHMAD GHARABLI/AFP via Getty Images)

Jordan: Authorities Expand Arrests of Hirak Activists to Silence Criticism of King Abdullah

February 6, 2023
WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 25: U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) speaks at a press conference on committee assignments for the 118th U.S. Congress, at the U.S. Capitol Building on January 25, 2023 in Washington, DC. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) recently rejected the reappointments of Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) and Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA) to the House Intelligence Committee and has threatened to stop Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) from serving on the House Foreign Affairs Committee. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

Vote to Remove U.S. Congresswoman Ilhan Omar from House Foreign Affairs Committee is Unjust

February 3, 2023

Categories

  • Advocacy
  • Aid Conditionality
  • Anonymous Interviews
  • Anonymous Interviews Egypt
  • Anonymous Interviews Saudi Arabia
  • Anonymous Interviews UAE
  • Cases
  • Cases Egypt
  • Cases Saudi Arabia
  • Cases UAE
  • Countries
  • Culprits
  • Culprits Egypt
  • Culprits Israel
  • Culprits Saudi Arabia
  • Culprits UAE
  • DAWN
  • Dawn's Advocacy
  • Democracy In Exile
  • Editor's Pick
  • Egypt
  • Feature
  • Fellows
  • Foreign Policy
  • Human Rights
  • Human Rights Go to War
  • International Actors
  • Israel-Palestine
  • Joint Letters
  • Lobbyists
  • Lobbyists Israel Palestine
  • Palestine
  • Political prisoners
  • Press Release Egypt
  • Press Release Israel-Palestine
  • Press Release Saudi Arabia
  • Press Release UAE
  • Press Releases
  • Saudi Arabia
  • UAE
  • Uncategorized
  • United Nations
  • US – Egypt
  • US – Saudi Arabia
  • US – UAE
  • USA

SUPPORT OUR MISSION

Donate Today

About Us

Democracy for the Arab World Now (DAWN) is a nonprofit organization that promotes democracy, the rule of law, and human rights for all of the peoples of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA).

Support Us

Donate Now

Newsletter

Facebook Twitter Instagram Linkedin Youtube

© DAWN All rights reserved. | Website Design by KRS Creative.

DONATE TODAY