Washington, DC, Oct. 22, 2024 — Today, 111 organizations wrote to members of the US Senate urging them to vote for resolutions to suspend several arms transfers to Israel in light of repeated apparent violations of international and US law and policy.
The letter, led by Center for Civilians in Conflict (CIVIC) and Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL), noted that the resolutions would block certain sales of joint direct attack munitions (JDAMs) and tank shells, which the Israeli military has repeatedly used in attacks that have killed civilians in densely populated areas.
“Continued arms transfers to the Israeli government are contrary to US law and the Biden administration’s own arms transfer policy, which include restrictions on arms transfers to any country based on human rights, international humanitarian law, and humanitarian assistance criteria,” the groups wrote. “The Senate will soon have the opportunity to demonstrate that it opposes further suffering and stands for the rule of law and the protection of civilians by supporting the joint resolutions of disapproval introduced on September 25. We endorse Senator Sanders, Welch, and Merkley’s resolutions and urge all Senators to cosponsor and vote in favor of their passage.”
Download a PDF of the letter here.
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October 22, 2024
Dear Senators,
We, the undersigned organizations, urge you to cosponsor and vote in favor of the four joint resolutions of disapproval introduced by Senators Sanders, Welch, and Merkley regarding several specific major arms sales to the government of Israel.
The joint resolutions of disapproval would suspend particular transfers of types of weapons that the Israeli government has used in strikes that have killed thousands of civilians, including aid workers and journalists, in Gaza over the last year. Independent human rights and conflict monitors have thoroughly documented the Israeli military’s use of weapons from the United States in attacks that have killed Palestinian civilians. President Biden has described Israeli government attacks as “indiscriminate.” The joint resolutions of disapproval would block certain sales of joint direct attack munitions (JDAMs) and tank shells, which the Israeli military has repeatedly used in attacks that have killed civilians in densely populated areas. The resolutions do not implicate missile defense systems.
Israeli military attacks have killed more than 40,000 Palestinians and decimated Gaza’s hospitals, schools, critical infrastructure, and residential housing. Human rights organizations have concluded that the Israeli military has repeatedly violated international humanitarian law. Humanitarian groups have stressed that Israeli forces continue to restrict the delivery of humanitarian aid as hundreds of thousands of people in Gaza are on the precipice of starvation and suffering from the spread of deadly diseases, including polio.
As part of a larger escalation in Lebanon, the Israeli military has invaded South Lebanon and is carrying out airstrikes around the country, including in densely populated areas of central Beirut. These strikes have put civilians at grave risk and have killed over 2,000 people, destroyed critical infrastructure, and displaced 1.2 million people. According to human rights organizations, these operations have included apparent violations of international humanitarian law.
Continued arms transfers to the Israeli government are contrary to U.S. law and the Biden administration’s own arms transfer policy, which include restrictions on arms transfers to any country based on human rights, international humanitarian law, and humanitarian assistance criteria. For example, U.S. law prohibits military aid to governments that restrict the delivery of U.S. humanitarian assistance. As demonstrated by the National Security Memorandum 20 process, the Biden administration has not complied with these standards.
The Senate will soon have the opportunity to demonstrate that it opposes further suffering and stands for the rule of law and the protection of civilians by supporting the joint resolutions of disapproval introduced on September 25. We endorse Senator Sanders, Welch, and Merkley’s resolutions and urge all Senators to cosponsor and vote in favor of their passage.
Signed,
About Face: Veterans Against the War
ActionAid USA
Action Corps
Al-Haq, Law in the Service of Mankind
Alliance of Baptists
American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC)
American Baptist Churches USA
American Friends Service Committee
Americans for Justice in Palestine Action (AJP Action)
Amnesty International USA
Arab American Institute (AAI)
Arms Control Association
Association of US Catholic Priests
Australian Centre for International Justice
Australia Palestine Advocacy Network
Avaaz
Bridges Faith Initiative
Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies
Center for Civilians in Conflict (CIVIC)
Center for Constitutional Rights
Center for Economic and Policy Research
Center for International Policy
Center for Jewish Nonviolence
Center for Victims of Torture
Charity & Security Network
Children Not Numbers
Church of the Brethren, Office of Peacebuilding and Policy
CODEPINK
CommonDefense.us
Congregation of Sisters of St. Agnes
Control Arms
DAWN
Demand Progress
Democratic Socialists of America
Doctors Against Genocide
Doctors of the World
Emgage Action
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA)
Faith Strategies
Franciscan Action Network
Freedom Forward
Friends Committee on National Legislation
Friends of Sabeel North America (FOSNA)
Global Ministries of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and United Church of Christ
Hindus for Human Rights
Human Rights Watch
HuMENA for Human Rights and Civic Engagement
IfNotNow Movement
Indivisible
Institute for Policy Studies, New Internationalism Project
Israel/Palestine Mission Network of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)
Jewish Voice for Peace Action
Just Foreign Policy
Justice Democrats
Law For Palestine
Leadership Team of the Felician Sisters of North America
Legacies of War
MADRE
Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns
Medglobal
Medical Mission Sisters, Justice Office
MENA Rights Group
Mennonite Action
Mennonite Central Committee U.S.
Middle East Children’s Alliance
Middle East Democracy Center (MEDC)
Migrant Roots Media
MPower Change Action Fund
Muslim Peace Fellowship
National Council of Churches
National Iranian American Council Action
Nonviolence International (USA)
Nonviolent Peaceforce
Oxfam America
PAX
Pax Christi USA
Peace Action
Peace Direct
Presbyterian Church (USA), Office of Public Witness
Progressive Democrats of America (PDA)
Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft
Quixote Center
Refugees International
ReThinking Foreign Policy
RootsAction.org
Saferworld (US)
September 11th Families for Peaceful Tomorrows
Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Sisters of Mercy of the Americas – Institute Justice Team
Sisters of Mercy of the Holy Cross
Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace
Society of Helpers
The Borgen Project
The Episcopal Church
The Human Dignity Project (THDP)
The Religious Nationalisms Project
The Tahrir Institute for Middle East Policy (TIMEP)
The United Church of Christ
The United Methodist Church — General Board of Church and Society
Transnational Institute
Uncommitted National Movement
United Church of Christ Palestine Israel Network
United Methodists for Kairos Response (UMKR)
United We Dream
US Campaign for Palestinian Rights Action (USCPR Action)
Washington Report on Middle East Affairs
Win Without War
Women for Weapons Trade Transparency
Women’s Alliance for Theology, Ethics, and Ritual (WATER)
Working Families Party
Yemen Relief and Reconstruction Foundation
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For additional information or media inquiries, please contact:
- CIVIC’s global media team: [email protected]
