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Coalition Sends Letter Calling on Senators to Support Joint Resolutions of Disapproval on Arms Sales to Israel

In Arab Countries, International Advocacy Program by CIHRS

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,

  1. About Face: Veterans Against the War
  2. ActionAid USA
  3. Action Corps
  4. Al-Haq, Law in the Service of Mankind
  5. Alliance of Baptists
  6. American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC)
  7. American Baptist Churches USA
  8. American Friends Service Committee
  9. Americans for Justice in Palestine Action (AJP Action)
  10. Amnesty International USA
  11. Arab American Institute (AAI)
  12. Arms Control Association
  13. Association of US Catholic Priests
  14. Australian Centre for International Justice
  15. Australia Palestine Advocacy Network
  16. Avaaz
  17. Bridges Faith Initiative
  18. Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies
  19. Center for Civilians in Conflict (CIVIC)
  20. Center for Constitutional Rights
  21. Center for Economic and Policy Research
  22. Center for International Policy
  23. Center for Jewish Nonviolence
  24. Center for Victims of Torture
  25. Charity & Security Network
  26. Children Not Numbers
  27. Church of the Brethren, Office of Peacebuilding and Policy
  28. CODEPINK
  29. CommonDefense.us
  30. Congregation of Sisters of St. Agnes
  31. Control Arms
  32. DAWN
  33. Demand Progress
  34. Democratic Socialists of America
  35. Doctors Against Genocide
  36. Doctors of the World
  37. Emgage Action
  38. Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA)
  39. Faith Strategies
  40. Franciscan Action Network
  41. Freedom Forward
  42. Friends Committee on National Legislation
  43. Friends of Sabeel North America (FOSNA)
  44. Global Ministries of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and United Church of Christ
  45. Hindus for Human Rights
  46. Human Rights Watch
  47. HuMENA for Human Rights and Civic Engagement
  48. IfNotNow Movement
  49. Indivisible
  50. Institute for Policy Studies, New Internationalism Project
  51. Israel/Palestine Mission Network of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)
  52. Jewish Voice for Peace Action
  53. Just Foreign Policy
  54. Justice Democrats
  55. Law For Palestine
  56. Leadership Team of the Felician Sisters of North America
  57. Legacies of War
  58. MADRE
  59. Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns
  60. Medglobal
  61. Medical Mission Sisters, Justice Office
  62. MENA Rights Group
  63. Mennonite Action
  64. Mennonite Central Committee U.S.
  65. Middle East Children’s Alliance
  66. Middle East Democracy Center (MEDC)
  67. Migrant Roots Media
  68. MPower Change Action Fund
  69. Muslim Peace Fellowship
  70. National Council of Churches
  71. National Iranian American Council Action
  72. Nonviolence International (USA)
  73. Nonviolent Peaceforce
  74. Oxfam America
  75. PAX
  76. Pax Christi USA
  77. Peace Action
  78. Peace Direct
  79. Presbyterian Church (USA), Office of Public Witness
  80. Progressive Democrats of America (PDA)
  81. Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft
  82. Quixote Center
  83. Refugees International
  84. ReThinking Foreign Policy
  85. RootsAction.org
  86. Saferworld (US)
  87. September 11th Families for Peaceful Tomorrows
  88. Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary
  89. Sisters of Mercy of the Americas – Institute Justice Team
  90. Sisters of Mercy of the Holy Cross
  91. Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace
  92. Society of Helpers
  93. The Borgen Project
  94. The Episcopal Church
  95. The Human Dignity Project (THDP)
  96. The Religious Nationalisms Project
  97. The Tahrir Institute for Middle East Policy (TIMEP)
  98. The United Church of Christ
  99. The United Methodist Church — General Board of Church and Society
  100. Transnational Institute
  101. Uncommitted National Movement
  102. ​​United Church of Christ Palestine Israel Network
  103. United Methodists for Kairos Response (UMKR)
  104. United We Dream
  105. US Campaign for Palestinian Rights Action (USCPR Action)
  106. Washington Report on Middle East Affairs
  107. Win Without War
  108. Women for Weapons Trade Transparency
  109. Women’s Alliance for Theology, Ethics, and Ritual (WATER)
  110. Working Families Party
  111. Yemen Relief and Reconstruction Foundation

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