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Sumud - April 2024

Protect civilians in Gaza by opposing additional U.S. aid to Israel, urging an immediate ceasefire, and advocating for continued humanitarian assistance.

Tensions in the Middle East continue to escalate after the Israeli bombing of an Iranian consular building in Syria on April 1 was followed less than two weeks later by retaliatory missiles and drones launched by Iran toward Israel. No one was killed, and most of the missiles were stopped by Israel’s “Iron Dome” missile defense system or intercepted by the U.S., Jordanian or Saudi militaries. Yet one missile severely injured a 7-year-old Bedouin child.

This escalation follows the continued failure of Israel and Hamas to agree to a cease-fire, even as Israeli military action proceeds in Gaza. The Palestinian death toll since Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, has now reached over 33,000 people, and Gaza’s hospital system has been devastated, especially after the harrowing assault on and destruction of one of its few remaining hospitals, Al Shifa Hospital in Gaza City.

A permanent cease-fire is necessary to protect the millions of Palestinian civilians caught between the military action, secure the release of all those held hostage and those held in prison without charges, de-escalate growing tensions in the region and address the dire need for humanitarian aid in Gaza. Parallel to a cease-fire, the U.S. should immediately halt all current and future transfers of military arms and aid to Israel.

Faith-based groups began calling for a cease-fire almost immediately after Oct. 7 and have advocated, amid growing popular demand, for the U.S. to shift course in the Middle East, support a permanent cease-fire and condition future military aid to Israel. A poll launched in March shows a majority of Americans agreeing that the U.S. should halt weapons shipments to Israel until it ends its devastating attacks Gaza. PNW

International human rights organizations, including Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, have called on the United States to implement a comprehensive arms embargo. The Biden administration has proceeded with scheduled arm transfers to Israel, even amid increasing criticism of the Netanyahu government. The Biden administration and Congress must act with moral courage and take urgent proactive measures to halt the flow of U.S. weapons to Israel amid mass civilian casualties.

Hundreds of thousands of Palestinian lives are at stake, at risk from disease, bombings and famine. Call on your legislators to protect civilians in Gaza by opposing U.S. military aid (such as the proposed $16.5 billion in the supplemental bill), to demand an immediate and permanent cease-fire and to provide continued humanitarian support to Palestinians in Gaza — both directly and through restored, robust U.S. financial contributions to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), the leading humanitarian organization serving Palestinians.

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Protect Gazan civilians: oppose U.S aid to Israel, urge immediate ceasefire and advocate for humanitarian aid

Dear [Decision Maker],

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Since Israel began responding to the Hamas attack of Oct. 7, 2023, over 33,000 Palestinian civilians have been killed, including tens of thousands of women and children.1 Over 1.1 million people in Gaza, overwhelmingly civilians, are projected to face catastrophic levels of food insecurity between March and July, according to the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification analysis released on March 18.2 Amid this upheaval and debate with regard to policy and power, hundreds of thousands of Palestinian lives are at stake, at risk from disease, bombings and famine. Regional tensions are even higher now that Israel has bombed the Iranian consular offices in Syria, Iran has retaliated with missile attacks on Israel, and Israel has vowed retribution.

As Israel's closest diplomatic ally and largest military arms supplier, the U.S. has a unique obligation to oversee how Israel uses U.S. military aid in Gaza and in the region. Israel has failed to prevent mass civilian casualties from its bombardment and has blocked the flow of humanitarian aid to Gaza through land crossings, collectively punishing Palestinians. Furthermore, given Israel's recent and harrowing assault on the Al Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, the U.S. must call Israel to account for grave violations of war that have been supported by U.S. military aid.3

Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-VT, and eight other senators have written a letter to President Biden, calling on his administration to discontinue military aid to Israel because it violates the Humanitarian Aid Corridor Act (Section 620I of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961). In the letter they state, "The law is clear: 'No assistance shall be furnished under this chapter or the Arms Export Control Act to any country when it is made known to the President that the government of such country prohibits or otherwise restricts, directly or indirectly, the transport or delivery of United States humanitarian assistance.'"4

As a person of faith, I urge you to:

1. Pressure the Biden administration to push Israel toward a permanent cease-fire. 
2. Support efforts such as Sen. Sanders' invocation of sections 502B and 620I of the Foreign Assistance Act. 
3. Hold the Biden administration accountable for its 100 unauthorized arms sales to Israel since Oct. 7, 2023. 
4. Withhold the $16.5 billion in military appropriation funds proposed for Israel and instead address its grave violations of international law in Gaza, the West Bank and the region.5

Absent a cease-fire, this human-made crisis may see only marginal improvement, and experts warn that hundreds of thousands of Palestinians in Gaza do not have much time. We call on legislators to use their voices and to increase policy pressure on Israel to pursue an immediate, permanent cease-fire.

1 www.ochaopt.org/

2 www.ochaopt.org/content/hostilities-gaza-strip-and-israel-flash-update-141?_gl=1*iwre0c*_ga*MTY1OTk2NTY4MS4xNzA5MjIzNTQ4*_ga_E60ZNX2F68*MTcxMDg3MDA4OS4zLjAuMTcxMDg3MDA4OS42MC4wLjA

3 www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israeli-troops-leave-gazas-al-shifa-hospital-after-two-week-sweep-2024-04-01/

4 www.sanders.senate.gov/wp-content/uploads/Letter-to-President-Biden-on-enforcement-of-Section-620I-of-the-Foreign-Assistance-Act3.pdf

5 appropriations.house.gov/news/press-releases/cole-releases-series-security-supplemental-bills

Sincerely,
[Your Name]
[Your Address]
[City, State ZIP]
[Your Email]

Sumud - April 2024

Protect civilians in Gaza by opposing additional U.S. aid to Israel, urging an immediate ceasefire, and advocating for continued humanitarian assistance.

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