---
title: "Coalition Sends Letter Calling on Senators to Support Joint Resolutions of Disapproval on Arms Sales to Israel"
slug: "coalition-sends-letter-calling-on-senators-to-support-joint-resolutions-of-disapproval-on-arms-sales-to-israel"
post_type: "post"
published_at: "2024-10-22T11:48:24+01:00"
modified_at: "2024-10-29T10:51:17+01:00"
author: "CIHRS"
url: "https://cihrs.org/coalition-sends-letter-calling-on-senators-to-support-joint-resolutions-of-disapproval-on-arms-sales-to-israel/?lang=en"
category:
  - "Arab Countries"
  - "International Advocacy Program"
post_tag:
  - "#Israel"
causes_and_rights:
  - "Protection of Civilians"
country:
  - "Other"
  - "Palestine"
field:
  - "Regional and International Protection and Advocacy"
interest:
  - "Statements and Positions"
protection_and_advocacy:
  - "United States Congress"
---

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

***Dear Senators,*** We, the undersigned organizations, urge you to cosponsor and vote in favor of the [four](https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/senate-joint-resolution/111) [joint](https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/senate-joint-resolution/113/text) [resolutions](https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/senate-joint-resolution/115/text) [of](https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/senate-joint-resolution/116/text) 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](https://apnews.com/article/biden-israel-hamas-oct-7-44c4229d4c1270d9cfa484b664a22071) Israeli government attacks as “indiscriminate.” The joint resolutions of disapproval would block certain sales of [joint](https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2023/12/israel-opt-us-made-munitions-killed-43-civilians-in-two-documented-israeli-air-strikes-in-gaza-new-investigation/) [direct](https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2023/12/israel-opt-us-made-munitions-killed-43-civilians-in-two-documented-israeli-air-strikes-in-gaza-new-investigation/) [attack](https://airwars.org/civilian-casualties/ispt0783-october-31-2023/) [munitions](https://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/may/06/israel-airstrike-lebanon-us-weapons-international-law) (JDAMs) and [tank](https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2023/12/lebanon-deadly-israeli-attack-on-journalists-must-be-investigated-as-a-war-crime/) [shells](https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2024/08/israel-opt-israeli-attacks-targeting-hamas-and-other-armed-group-fighters-that-killed-scores-of-displaced-civilians-in-rafah-should-be-investigated-as-war-crimes/), 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](https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-gaza-war-palestinians-statistics-40000-7ebec13101f6d08fe10cedbf5e172dde) more than 40,000 Palestinians and decimated Gaza’s [hospitals](https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/05/21/gaza-hospitals-attacks-bombed-israel-war/), [schools](https://www.un.org/unispal/document/palestinian-education-under-attack-unrwa-25sep24/), [critical infrastructure](https://policy-practice.oxfam.org/resources/water-war-crimes-how-israel-has-weaponised-water-in-its-military-campaign-in-ga-621609/), and [residential housing](https://apnews.com/article/un-report-gaza-destruction-housing-economy-recovery-4f61dcca7db3fd5eb3da5c6a25001e12). Human rights organizations have concluded that the Israeli military has [repeatedly](https://www.hrw.org/news/2024/03/19/israeli-forces-conduct-gaza) [violated](https://www.amnestyusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/4.29.2024-NSM-20-AIUSA-submission-re-Israel.pdf) international humanitarian law. Humanitarian groups have stressed that Israeli forces [continue](https://www.oxfamamerica.org/press/press-releases/israels-siege-now-blocks-83-of-food-aid-reaching-gaza-new-data-reveals/) to restrict the delivery of humanitarian aid as hundreds of thousands of people in Gaza [are](https://www.ipcinfo.org/ipcinfo-website/countries-in-focus-archive/issue-105/en/) on the precipice of starvation and [suffering](https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2024-08-11/ty-article/.premium/israel-hamas-war-has-turned-the-gaza-strip-into-a-breeding-ground-for-infectious-diseases/00000191-3d24-dc2a-abb5-7dbf90920000) from the spread of deadly diseases, including [polio](https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-hamas-war-polio-vaccination-5bca65dd2b60bb74011ecf97864961f6). As part of a larger escalation in Lebanon, the Israeli military has invaded South Lebanon and is carrying out airstrikes around the country, [including](https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-hamas-war-lebanon-hezbollah-10-10-2024-a5e53cdd4fca30be1909506b5c777922) in densely populated areas of central Beirut. These strikes have put civilians at grave risk and have [killed](https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/10/05/israel-expands-strikes-northern-lebanon-death-toll-rises/) over 2,000 people, [destroyed](https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2024/10/09/world/middleeast/lebanon-destruction.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare) critical infrastructure, and [displaced](https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/most-lebanons-displacement-shelters-are-full-un-says-2024-10-04/) 1.2 million people. According to human rights organizations, these operations have [included](https://www.hrw.org/news/2024/09/18/lebanon-exploding-pagers-harmed-hezbollah-civilians) [apparent](https://www.hrw.org/news/2024/10/11/lebanon-un-inquiry-needed-israeli-attacks-peacekeepers) [violations](https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2024/10/lebanon-israels-evacuation-warnings-for-civilians-misleading-and-inadequate/) of international humanitarian law. Continued arms transfers to the Israeli government are [contrary](https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/22/2378-1) [to](https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/22/2378d) [U.S.](https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/22/2754) [law](https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/22/2304) and the Biden administration’s own arms [transfer](https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2024/02/08/national-security-memorandum-on-safeguards-and-accountability-with-respect-to-transferred-defense-articles-and-defense-services/) [policy](https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2023/02/23/memorandum-on-united-states-conventional-arms-transfer-policy/)[, which](https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2023/02/23/memorandum-on-united-states-conventional-arms-transfer-policy/) [include](https://www.justsecurity.org/90010/a-law-and-policy-guide-to-us-arms-transfers-to-israel/) [restrictions](https://www.justsecurity.org/93589/no-military-assistance-to-states-restricting-aid/) 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](https://www.propublica.org/article/gaza-palestine-israel-blocked-humanitarian-aid-blinken) [by](https://www.rescue.org/press-release/joint-ngo-submission-under-national-security-memorandum-20-state-humanitarian) [the](https://civiliansinconflict.org/press-releases/ngos-to-president-biden-end-arms-transfers-to-israel-amid-continued-violations-of-us-law-policy/) [National Security Memorandum 20](https://www.justsecurity.org/95583/israel-weapons-hamas-us-report-takeaways/) [process](https://reliefweb.int/report/occupied-palestinian-territory/ngos-call-humanitarian-reset-gaza-ngo-submission-under-nsm20), 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